Difference Between Chimps And Homo Sapiens

Chimpanzees and bonobos are our closest living relative, sharing 98.8% DNA as well as anatomical and behavioural similarities, however we did not evolve from them or any other living primate, rather, we share a common ancestor from approximately 8 – 6 million years ago. (Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, ND) Differences anatomically between chimpanzees and hominins can be identified through comparing their skulls. A broad overview of the differences in skulls between hominids and various hominins can be seen in diagram 1. (Cold Springs Harbour Laboratory Press, 2007) A distinguishing feature between chimps and Homo sapiens is comparative brain size, a chimps is approximately 400 〖cm〗^3, compared to that of a Homo sapien which is 1355 〖cm〗^3.
Pathways, Diagram 2 shows the comparison of a Homo sapiens and a chimps skull, illustrating the differences in the cranium size and shape, as well as the prognathism in chimps. (2016) Prognathism, the noticeable muzzle protruding in faces of chimpanzees and earlier hominin species is different to Homo sapiens skulls, where the face is much flatter. (Pathways, 2016) Another prominent feature in chimps and some hominin species is the supraorbital torus or brow ridge, which is a prominent continuous ridge running above the eyes and nose, in comparison to the smaller ridge over the eye sockets separated by a shallow groove in Homo sapiens. (Carta, ND) Diagram 3 illustrates the brow ridge and zygomatic arch shapes and sizes in both humans and chimps. The zygomatic arch, is an arch of bone which the temporal muscles pass through. The temporal muscles seen in Diagram 4 is used to lift the jaw in order to bite and chew, it is much larger in chimps than in