Dive into the primate family tree with evolutionary anthropologist Dr. John Hawks in Chapter Six of A Most Interesting Problem.

Explore Darwin’s anatomical and behavioral comparisons between humans and other apes, then uncover how modern genetics quantifies our 96–99% DNA similarity with chimpanzees and bonobos. Learn which traits humans share with our primate cousins—opposable thumbs, tool use, and social hierarchies—and which features mark true evolutionary leaps: cumulative culture, language, cooperative breeding, and extended post-reproductive lifespans.

This episode reveals how small genetic shifts and uniquely human life history strategies transformed primate building blocks into art, science, and civilization, confirming Darwin’s vision of continuity while spotlighting the innovations that make us truly human.

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