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Hawaii-Toast t1_je1rvav wrote

I'd like to add that this question is by far not a purely biological one.

There would be good reasons to categorize both gorillas and chimpanzees under the genus "homo" together with humans since they're genetically very close to us - a claim that has already been made by some biologists. But that also would have a lot of cultural implications: from questions about their legal and moral status and our duties towards them up to potential problems with religious groups who insist on the uniqueness of humans and their special position among all of God's creatures.

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OurUrbanFarm t1_je562if wrote

^ This is the correct answer. If you look at the amount of DNA we share with other primates, like, say, the Bonobo, it is clear humans could be re-classified to more accurately reflect our close genetic ties to them.

But, here is the thing: It is we humans who define the categories into which we group genus/species, etc. And we really love to think of ourselves as extra special. So, the idea of including ourselves with a group of non-human animals goes against the grain of society, no matter how genetically accurate it would be.

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