Chimpanzee is man's brother?

Chimpanzees are human brothers www.thebeijingnews.com? · 2007-10-28 1: 52: 35 ·

Source: Beijing News

Humans come from, and will go on? the close relatives of humans and human-primate biology feature differences, especially cognitive ability on a huge difference in how it? the philosophy of questioning, and it is today one of the focuses of the scientific community concern.

Through decades of scientific study, scientists have affinity with most of the species in chimpanzees.

Differences between human and chimpanzee, perhaps in a bit. In both gene did research, scientific researchers and will explore the vision into a new direction, and that is through brain activity to compare the difference. Related papers have been published in the latest issue of the United States National Academy of law.

Experiments that chimpanzees into the resting State

"Human and chimpanzee's biggest difference is that the brain — human brain capacity is far more than chimpanzees.

" Institute of paleontology and paleoanthropology yellow wanbo researchers indicated that their brain capacity generally only a few hundred ml, but humans have 1400-1500 ml. It almost became a chimpanzee and human cannot cross the chasm between.

Great brain capacity, let people always think that chimpanzees and humans in thinking has a great difference.

However, a new study has overturned the original point of view. This study of performers that chimpanzees and humans, these two species are the same as the point of brain activity goes far beyond our imagination. Of course, as you know, even though there still exists a remarkable difference.

United States well-known science site "daily science" in its evaluation of this new research, said: "this study is important, it is to compare the brain activity for the first time, through study shows us the uniqueness of

human beings, even with our recent chimpanzees and humans have difference too, even if this distinction is far from what we want. ”

This research group is an international team of Emory University, United States (EmoryUniversity) Gehrke, National Center for the study of James primates ·

RI Lin (JamesRilling) is in charge of the group. He led the other researchers using Positron Emission Tomography (PET), studied 8 personal and 5 chimpanzees in the brain "resting" State activities.

Researchers typically defined in the resting State refers to: subjects resting prostrate to sober up, check the bed; eyes, calm breathing; fixed head and minimize head and other parts of the active and passive movement; at the same time requirements possible not to do any thinking activities.

In recent years by a series of studies found that the primates of the brain, without resting State for tasks or activities in functionality. This phenomenon caused by the researchers of great interest, as previously with the specific task-related fMRI brain imaging studies, mostly non-task of resting State as the reference state. They are defined by the brain activity is the task status and resting State subtraction. Research shows that the brain resting State 50% of energy consumption and nervous synaptic transmission function, it shows that there are a large number of resting State synaptic activity, there may be a resting State important cerebral functions. "At present, the resting State of brain activity is one of the hottest areas. Resting state the main brain activity and speech area, freedom of Association and other related, and that this State is to maintain a clear understanding of the brain. "Zhongkeyuanxinliyanjiusuo mainly engaged in research on the brain's cognitive researchers Luo Jin said.

Scientific researchers through the study found that the existence of resting State organized brain function, and the brain on internal and e

xternal environmental monitoring, episodic memory and self awareness. While chimpanzees are our closest relatives, they can even recognize themselves in the mirror. All this proves that chimpanzees have inherent self awareness.

In this context, the research team designed the experiment.

They put 5 chimpanzees in cages, the prohibition of the Exchange, as far as possible, so that they remain "resting State." Experiments, 3 chimpanzees more posture is to lie down, instead of standing or sitting, even moving, while the 4 chimpanzees are more often.

Discovering chimpanzees also calculated the future

Researchers with PET resting State monitoring, these few chimpanzees brain activity, and thus with 8-bit experimenter brain activity diagram.

Human cognitive activities of resting State mainly related to the memory of the past, future plans, inner meditation, etc., you may be in certain brain regions showed activity trends.

These brain areas mainly include in medial prefrontal cortex, anterior Cingulate, Cingulate rear and side lobes, etc. under the roof. And human, chimpanzee brains on the inside in the prefrontal and also showing a strong frontal lobe. The difference is that the activities of the medial prefrontal cortex, humans are mainly concentrated in the rear, and chimpanzees are mainly concentrated in the front.

The researchers, this kind of brain activity suggests some interesting things.

They show that chimpanzees and humans as intellectual self reflection, "This means that chimpanzees can imagine they had not encountered before. Chimpanzees could have imagined the future, for the future of the means of transport in now. ”

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In addition, chimpanzees and humans in places very site activities are very similar.

For the most extreme is located in the frontal lobes, and the front of the many parts are closely connected. For very advanced spiritual activities of Central regulation of autonomic functions, and have important relationships. In humans, this region mainly thinking and memory. If the brain regions features have also been chimpanzees, that means that chimpanzees also has the ability of human thinking activities. Researchers believe that chimpanzees in the resting State of this brain activity also indicated that they have a very good memory to recall 16 hours before food-and-drop.

The researchers noted that both the brain activity of scan ratio on the results of the future "long plan short arrangements" might not be human.

Perhaps as early as in millions of years ago, the original plan capacity in our ancestor of apes.

At the same time, Germany scientists through animal behavior studies have concluded that a similar point of view.

In order to test their ability to plan, Germany Institute of the Max Planck Institute for human evolution of scientists to design an experiment. They let the chimpanzee in one room, and wait 5 minutes, inside a chimpanzee can see but cannot access food containers, there are 8 kinds of tools, of which only 2 are suitable for use to open the container.

Wait, so they want to get a chimpanzee carry any tools from experimental room, and take other tools, food containers into which you can get the place.

Subsequently, they let the chimpanzee went back to the room — if the previously chosen to go the right tools, you can open the container, eat food.

After several attempts, the experiment all chimpanzee has learned how to properly select tool.

Surprisingly, let them rest a day later, repeated the experiment, they still remember that carry what tools.

However, if after the back room chimpanzee does not need tools open food containers, you can get the food, the scientists found that chimpanzees began to bring back the wrong tools.

Scientists said this at least indicates that, when thechimpanzee away the right tools to protect against potential open container feeding. This is they do for the future activities of the General Plan of tools and food reward connected or not.

Divide language skills a little bad points

Researchers also found that chimpanzees and humans in the brain's prefrontal cortex central activities are very similar.

Dr. Bruce (Dr.Preuss) pointed out: "this is quite important in neuroscience research, research results to let us know a chimpanzee and human intelligence, has the same brain system. ”

However, the chimpanzee is not a human.

In the resting State, chimpanzees in the brain's prefrontal region, temporal, parietal bone area did not reveal the brain activity. This is the case with humans. The researchers analyzed the different means that human and chimpanzee the biggest difference between point: human cognitive brain is connected with the language.

"The human brain left hemisphere activities more active, this means that humans and chimpanzees in comparison, the organizational, problem solving, have significant differences.

" Research report in the forest.

This situation allows us a better understanding of language activity in human there is unique.

Language has been the scientists study human differences with other animals in an important field. Scientists believe that human language and animals call between a failed to cross the chasm.

The research group in the forest that compares the chimpanzees and humans in a resting state the brain activity, they also will compare the status of what features will be rendered.

In the forest, the researchers said the chimpanzee and human gene has done a lot, also made a lot of knowledge, and from the brain activity to be able to better know the difference and the same.

In fact, many scientists have the wisdom to chimpanzees have been detailed and in-depth r

esearch. It seems that the yellow wanbo, chimpanzees and monkeys of intelligence between "several orders of magnitude difference," but it may just be the difference between adults and infants.

In the United States combined kittsee de chimpanzee Research Institute with a chimpanzee named Michal 's.

It was in 1976 from Cameroon to the Institute. Since then, Michal and a large 2-year-old chimpanzee it together. As a result, the two chimpanzee has more than 500 species of American sign language can understand some of the simple English. Here the requested language not only chimpanzees, bonobo. Researchers typically used plastic films (different shapes, sizes, colors of plastic films represent different words), or used by the deaf sign language or typewriter keyboard (each key has a different symbol) to teach them to speak. The results of these animals have learned the meaning of hundreds of symbols. The scientists, this at least prove that their intelligence is sufficient to have a large vocabulary.

In addition, chimpanzees also for more advanced learning — reasoning and the use of tools.

From here, the chimpanzee and human maximum difference only in that one can use the tool manufacturing tools, and chimpanzee does not use the tool manufacturing tools. The "chimpanzees only imitate. " Yellow wanbo said. However, some studies show that chimpanzees exhibit behavioral characteristics of many actually have exceeded their survival skills necessary, including use of the rock as a percussion instrument, without any tools at open nuts, etc.

In addition to chimpanzees, all apes and monkeys there and some similarity of our humanity.

Scientists give their research findings, Rhesus monkeys have potential arithmetic ability, thinking with symbols. But when the monkey work cucullata shown a high degree of cooperation, together with the acquisition of food, and then press the contribution size fruits in the group.

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Distance but only 4 per cent

Chimpanzee and human relationship between the extent of this problem nearly? have been plaguing the public and scientists.

In 2005, scientists completed and human relationship recent species — the chimpanzee genome sequence.

On this basis, the scientists will be normal chimpanzee genome sequence of the zoning plan and the human genome has specific comparison.

International cooperation organization in charge of the chimpanzee genome, Washington University School of Waterston (RobertWaterston) in the journal nature, through statistical Brunei, human and chimpanzee DNA average only 1.23% difference.

Then he will DNA different base pairs are statistics, found on the human genome and the chimpanzee genome exist only 4% of the difference. This means that human and chimpanzee genomes only 1% to 4% of the difference, including 35 million pairs of bases is replaced, the 500 million on base is inserted or deleted. In addition, humans and chimpanzees 29% of common gene encoding to generate the same protein. Research shows that human and chimpanzee genome contains approximately 30 million base pairs, a total of approximately 3500 million base pairs exist differences (i.e. 1% of the differences in functional gene). But with approximately 300 000. Comparison with simpler, chimpanzee and human differences only equivalent to two different genomic differences between people of 10 times.

However, despite the fact that human and chimpanzee only exists between "1%" or "4%" differences, but close relations between the two is not, as we think it's so small.

After all, the rat and the human genome in similar proportion reaches 80% or more.

4 per cent of the difference seems to be a human and a chimpanzee respective reasons for the array.

"As some original material, the chimpanzee genome sequences completed draft will help scientists to work out the 'How do we as a people '. "When the chimpanzee genome sequencing plan is created, the United States, Ohio, case Western Reserve University (CaseWestern Reserve University) of geneticists Adán Helms (MarkAdams) had given such evaluation.

However, despite the fact that the gene is so powerful, but so far, scientists still in progress on the human genome and the chimpanzee genome further on, hoping to answer questions such as the two foot walk, the human brain, language ability and abstract thinking and so has the unique ability to mankind.

But in the forest, and other scientists study the brain activity of scanning, the more we firmly believe that the chimpanzee and human then close, thinking activities on the same point, human or has his own unique character.

■ Extension

A brief history of human tracing

Humans come from? the problems our thousands of years.

There is no doubt that humans are mammals in primate. Human and Primate eye other members have many of the same characteristics: means (toe) a flat without forming claw, grasping ability of forelimb, thumb can and other fingers. These features most other mammals.

However, while recognizing their own vested in the Primate, but humans still thinking to find the most affinity relatives.

As early as the 2nd century a.d., the great ancient medicine in the West of the ancient Roman medicine home qarn experience from animal anatomy, has launched a person's status in the Animal Kingdom. He pointed out that the monkey "in internal organs, muscles, arteries, veins, nerves, or bone formation, and people are very similar. ”

Since then, the man in the problem of constantly being refreshed.

People found in primates, we obviously similar to the comparison with the apes, and monkey difference is relatively large. For example, the Monkey has a tail, APE and no, we do not have. In fact, since the scientific community aware of the existence, the apes that apes than monkey closer to mankind.

So what kind of APE and human is the most affinity relatives? study found that Gibbons and the people and other apes of DNA, 5% of the difference.

This means that Gibbons are the most special of the apes, and our relationship is more closely related to apes, including the great apes, chimpanzees, gorillas, chimpanzees and Bonobo four. Anatomy have pointed out that, in these four great apes, chimpanzees have long Mannerist, DNA evidence. Its DNA and other great apes and human, 3.6% difference. Physical geography is also support for the African great apes and Asian APE (Gibbons, chimpanzees) separation of the very early on.

While chimpanzees and Bonobo's DNA is closest 0.7% difference.

Both of these apes seems very similar until 1929 is home to the anatomy as they each get a name. Life in the middle of the Congolese Bonobo chimpanzees is, smaller, slightly thinner, longer legs. Whereas common chimpanzees in Africa, although morphology comparable on reproductive physiology, but there are significant differences.

Scientific research personnel through Primate DNA differences, extrapolating their differentiation of the time, finally found, and the most affinity relatives is the chimpanzee.

New thematic interviews/reporter Li Jian-topic information with pictures are grateful for this topic map wanbo Huang (Chinese Academy of Sciences and paleoanthropology research fellow), King (in

Scientific Institute of psychology research fellow)