Humans are primates, and our closest relatives are the other
African apes - chimpanzees closest of all. With the mapping of the
human genome, and that of the chimp, a direct comparison of the
differences between the two, letter by letter along the billions of
As, Gs, Cs, and Ts of the DNA code, has led to the widely vaunted
claim that we differ from chimps by a mere 1.6% of our genetic
code. A mere hair's breadth genetically! To a rather older
tradition of anthropomorphizing chimps, trying to get them to
speak, dressing them up for 'tea parties', was added the stamp of
genetic confirmation. It also began an international race to find
that handful of genes that make up the difference - the genes that
make us uniquely human. But what does that 1.6% really mean? And
should it really lead us to consider extending limited human rights
to chimps, as some have suggested? Are we, after all, just chimps
with a few genetic tweaks? Is our language and our technology just
an extension of the grunts and ant-collecting sticks of chimps? In
this book, Jeremy Taylor sketches the picture that is emerging from
cutting edge research in genetics, animal behaviour, and other
fields. The indications are that the so-called 1.6% is much larger
and leads to profound differences between the two species. We
shared a common ancestor with chimps some 6-7 million years ago,
but we humans have been racing away ever since. One in ten of our
genes, says Taylor, has undergone evolution in the past 40,000
years! Some of the changes that happened since we split from
chimpanzees are to genes that control the way whole orchestras of
other genes are switched on and off, and where. Taylor shows, using
studies of certain genes now associated with speech and with brain
development and activity, that the story looks to be much more
complicated than we first thought. This rapidly changing and
exciting field has recently discovered a host of genetic mechanisms
that make us different from other apes. As Taylor points out, for
too long we have let our sentimentality for chimps get in the way
of our understanding. Chimps use tools, but so do crows. Certainly
chimps are our closest genetic relatives. But relatively small
differences in genetic code can lead to profound differences in
cognition and behaviour. Our abilities give us the responsibility
to protect and preserve the natural world, including endangered
primates. But for the purposes of human society and human concepts
such as rights, let's not pretend that chimps are humans uneducated
and undressed. We've changed a lot in those 12 million years.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
