• Question: How much DNA do humans have in common with monkey DNA?

    Asked by poppywheeler3 to Angela, Gopal, Hannah, Becky, Vince on 25 Jun 2013.
    • Photo: Rebecca Cook

      Rebecca Cook answered on 25 Jun 2013:

      Over 90% though depends on which monkey exactly. We are most closely related to apes (often referred to as monkeys but are not monkeys). Chimpanzee’s DNA is only just over 1% different than ours!

    • Photo: Vince Hall

      Vince Hall answered on 25 Jun 2013:

      Humans have 23 chromosomes from each parent, these are molecules that make up our DNA, there are 23 chromosomes from each parent, 46 in total, so 46 molecules make up each human’s DNA.
      Chimpanzees, bonobos , Neanderthals and Denisovans all have 24 pairs of chromosomes.
      It looks like Chromosome 2 in humans is formed by fusing (joining) two chromosomes that chimps have.
      Bonobos are very similar to chimps. Denisovans are another species of human that became extinct a while back, they were only discovered in Siberia a few years ago.

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