Primatologists Had it Coming

The Daily Show's Jon Oliver investigates the question of whether humans are more closely related to orangutans or chimpanzees. The answer shouldn't surprise you in the slightest (though it will be quite funny).


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Orangutans aren't the only ones who engage in face to face sex. Bonobos do it as one of their many inventive positions. Leaving the genetic evidence aside, behaviorally the likelihood that humans are more closely related to orangutans than chimps or bonobos is very low. Orangs are primarily solitary, have enormous sexual dimorphism (size disparity between the sexes), have phenotypically distinct third genders (unphalanged males) and engage in mating only during the breeding season. So don't worry, this hypothesis will be shot down very quickly. Though, if that was an actual textbook, page 149 needs a drastic update already.

H/T Afarensis

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