Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by derac 883 days ago
Human beings are 99.9% genetically similar to each other. Also, we're about 99% genetically similar to chimpanzees.
3 comments

In the euchromatic regions, yeah, it's about that. Elsewhere (e.g. centromeres) we are all quite diverse. This is recent news due to long read sequencing and complete genome assembly. The human pangenome project is touching on this, if still reticent to make clear claims about the centromeres.

I'm not sure that "99%" similar is the right way to think about chimpanzees and humans. We have a different chromosome number. Our chromosome 2 is a roberstonian fusion of two acrocentric chromosomes found in all other great apes, including chimpanzees and bonobos.

That's a different kind of percentage. The terminology is unfortunate and confusing.

I'm taking about the sense in which you share 50% of the DNA with a sibling or payment.

And 30% to a tomato. So what?

The basics of cellular respiration are always the same on this planet.