What makes us human? What makes us different from other species that are roaming the Earth with us?
All species have their own sequence of DNA; meaning every species has their own genetic makeup that differentiates them from other species. So what in our DNA sets us apart from other animals?
Let’s use humans and chimpanzees as an example. Did you know that our DNA is only about 1.5% different than that of a chimpanzee’s? However, since our DNA is made up of over 3 billion base pairs, that means that 1.5% equates to 45 MILLION differences between humans and chimps. How crazy right?
On the surface level, it seems simple enough to figure out what makes us human compared to what makes a chimp a chimp – all you have to do is sort through the 45 million differences. But figuring out those 45 million differences can be EXTREMELY daunting.
The second problem is that not all of these changes are responsible for making us humans. There are lots of changes that have nothing to do with turning an ape into a human.
So what exactly makes us human? … Scientists are still trying to figure that out!