Chimpanzee Evolution

Chimpanzee Evolution

Chimpanzees are fascinating creatures and what often draws us to them is that they are much like us. Many experts believe that humans and Chimpanzees split from each other approximately 6 million years ago. The findings of Chimpanzee remains in 2005 have given us a great deal of additional information about them that we didn’t have before.

The research we have uncovered so far indicates that the oldest known primates are approximately 70 million years old. The Chimpanzee is part of the greater Ape classification along with Gorillas and Orangutans. They split from the other primates about 20 million years ago.

Further diversification occurred about 1 million years ago. This is where the split occurred that resulted in two different Chimpanzee species – the Common Chimpanzee and the Bonobo. What has allowed this animal to survive though is the level of intelligence that it has. It is believed they used to be larger land animals.

However, in order to offer them more protection and diversity of foods they moved into the trees. This could account for changes in the body including longer arms than legs. They have very strong shoulders with an amazing range of motion. This is something that may have developed over time so they could spend so much time moving around in trees rather than on land.

They are extremely intelligent animals though which could account why they have a slow rate of evolution. They have been able to use their brain to problem solve and to plan for the future. They have used their intelligence to use various tools in their environment for survival. These efforts have placed less of a burden on their bodies to make changes in order to comply with what the environment offers to them.

Humans have a brain that is much larger than the Chimpanzee. It is believed that their brain has actually gotten larger through the evolution process. This makes sense as it could certainly account for the development of strengths that have allows them to survive for millions of years.

The natural selection process is also important to consider in your thoughts about the evolution of the Chimpanzee. They are a species that has been through a great deal of change and turmoil at various turns throughout time. The genetic profiles that remain are very strong.

Some feel that the idea of knuckle walking is still primitive. However, you also need to remember that the Chimpanzee can and does walk upright just like humans. However, they don’t have the need to do so all the time which is why they haven’t evolved into being able to so do all the time. Knuckle walking is the preferred method of movement as it offers them speed and uses less energy.

A great deal of what we understand about Chimpanzee evolution is only speculation and theory at this point in time though. Unfortunately we have very few fossil records to rely on. There are many of great apes but not of the Chimpanzee specifically. Understanding how they are so directly linked to humans though is very hard with out that information to use.

Many experts believe that humans are advanced primates with the Chimpanzee and other great apes just behind that. This revelation is one that has been at the core of controversy for a very long time. Hopefully we will one day have the testing abilities and the fossil remains though to come up with some concrete answers.

In the mean time many experts have choose to focus their attention on the DNA differences of Chimpanzees and humans. They hope to be able to see what sets us apart from them and if it is possible that they will evolve to the point of being able to interact on the same level as we do.