634: In Chimpanzee DNA, Signs of Y Chromosome's Evolution - New York Times

In Chimpanzee DNA, Signs of Y Chromosome's Evolution - New York Times:

Scientists have decoded the chimp genome and compared it with that of humans, a major step toward defining what makes people human and developing a deep insight into the evolution of human sexual behavior.

Scientists sequenced the DNA of a chimpanzee named Clint and compared it with that of humans.

The comparison pinpoints the genetic differences that have arisen in the two species since they split from a common ancestor some six million years ago.

The realization that chimpanzees hold a trove of information about human evolution and nature comes at a time when they and other great apes are under harsh pressures in their native habitat. Their populations are dwindling fast as forests are cut down and people shoot them for meat. They may soon disappear from the wild altogether, primatologists fear, except in the few sanctuaries that have been established.

Chimpanzees and people possess almost identical sets of genes, so the genes that have changed down the human lineage should hold the key to what makes people human.

Common descent and human evolution!