Book 33, Question 108
Why are chimpanzees and bonobos our closest cousins?
Scientists compare the DNA of animals to see how related they are.
Chimpanzees and bonobos share about 98 percent of their DNA with people. Our families split from a common ancestor six to seven million years ago. Chimpanzees and bonobos are not our grandparents. They are cousins who went in a different direction. They are the closest living relatives to people.