Here's why:
* Shared Ancestry: Humans and chimpanzees share a common ancestor that lived millions of years ago. The closer two species are on the evolutionary tree, the more recently they shared a common ancestor.
* Genetic Similarity: Studies have consistently shown that human DNA is about 98.7% identical to that of chimpanzees, making them our closest living relatives. This high degree of similarity is a strong indication of our shared evolutionary history.
While humans are also related to other primates like gorillas and orangutans, the genetic distance between them and humans is larger. This reflects a more distant common ancestor and a longer period of independent evolution.
