News Genetics

Chimp and human lineages may have split twice as long ago as thought

Last common ancestor was 13 million years ago, according to study of chimpanzee mutation rates

FAMILY SPLIT  Chimpanzees have a much slower mutation rate than previously estimated. That could mean that humans and chimps last shared a common ancestor 13 million years ago.

Courtesy of Biomedical Primate Research Centre

By Tina Hesman Saey

- More than 2 years ago

Human and chimpanzee ancestors may have split into different species millions of years earlier than scientists thought, a new study of chimpanzee mutation rates suggests.