Chimpanzees are smarter than humans. Chinese scientists injected human brain genes into monkeys

One of the most important inventions of evolution. This is the result of a sprint that began millions of years ago and led to larger brains and the emergence of new abilities. Eventually, humans straightened up, took the plow, and created civilization, while our primate cousins ​​stayed in the trees. Now, scientists in southern China have reported that they have tried to bridge the evolutionary gap by creating several transgenic macaques with extra copies of a human gene believed to play a role in human intelligence.

Whatever one may say, this generalization is brilliant

And no, they were not afraid to do it even after the situation.

What happens if you cross a monkey and a human?

"This was the first attempt to understand the evolution of human consciousness using a transgenic monkey model," says Bing Su, a geneticist at the Kunming Institute of Zoology who led the work.

According to the findings, the modified monkeys performed better on tasks involving colored cards and cubes, and their brains took longer to develop - just like those of human children. There were no differences in brain size. However, these experiments are not enough to reveal the secrets of the human mind or give birth to the “Planet of the Apes.”

In contrast, several Western scientists called the experiments reckless and said they questioned the ethics of creating genetically modified primates given China's technological advantage in the field.

"Using transgenic monkeys to study human genes related to brain evolution is a very risky path," says James Sikela, a geneticist who conducts comparative primate research at the University of Colorado. He is concerned that the experiment shows a disregard for animals and will soon lead to more extreme modifications. "This is a classic slippery slope issue, and the more research that comes into this, the more pressing the issue will become," he says.

Researching primates in Europe and the United States is becoming increasingly difficult, but China is successfully and quickly applying the latest DNA tools to animals. The country was the first to create CRISPR-edited monkeys, and in January a Chinese institute announced it had created half a dozen monkeys with severe mental disabilities.

"It's concerning to see the area develop in this way," Sikela says.

History of evolution

Su, a researcher at the Kunming Institute of Zoology, specializes in looking for signs of "Darwinian selection" - that is, genes that spread because they are successful. His search covered topics such as the adaptation of Himalayan yaks to high altitude and the evolution of human skin color in response to cold winters.

However, the biggest mystery of all is the mind. We know that our human ancestors grew rapidly in size and power. To find the genes that caused the change, scientists looked for differences between humans and chimpanzees, whose genes are about 98% similar to ours. The goal, Sichela said, was to find "the jewels of our genome" - that is, the DNA that makes us unique.

For example, one popular candidate gene called FOXP2—the “language gene”—has become known for its potential link to human speech. One English family whose members inherited an abnormal version of this gene developed speech problems. Scientists from Tokyo and Berlin very soon developed this mutant gene in mice and used ultrasonic microphones to listen to whether their squeaks changed.

Su was fascinated by another gene: MCPH1, or microcephalin. Not only did the sequence of this gene differ from humans to apes, but babies with microcephalin damage are born with tiny heads, meaning there is a connection to the brain. Together with his students, Su used calipers and wrenches to measure the heads of 867 Chinese men and women and see whether the results could be explained by differences in the gene.

By 2010, however, Su saw a chance to conduct a potentially more precise experiment: adding microcephalin to a monkey. By then, China had begun using the latest genetic tools on its large broods of monkeys, making the country a mecca for foreign scientists who needed monkeys for experiments.

To create the modified animals, Su and collaborators at the Yunnan Primate Biomedical Research Laboratory exposed monkey embryos to a virus containing the human version of microcephalin. The result was 11 monkeys, 5 of which survived and provided brains for measurements. Each of these monkeys had two to nine copies of the human gene in their bodies

Su's monkeys have raised a number of unusual questions about animal rights. In 2010, Sikela and three colleagues wrote a paper, “The Ethics of Using Transgenic Nonhuman Primates to Study What Makes Us Human,” in which they concluded that human brain genes should never be introduced into monkeys like chimpanzees because they are too similar to us. Where will they live and what will they do? It’s not worth creating a creature that won’t have a normal life in any context.”

In an email exchange, Su says he agrees that monkeys are so closely related to humans that their brains should not be modified. But the last common ancestor between apes and humans was 25 million years ago. For Su, this is an argument. "Although their genome is similar to ours, there are also tens of millions of differences," he says. He doesn't think the monkeys will become anything more than monkeys. "You can't do this by introducing a few human genes."

Smart monkeys

Based on their experiments, the Chinese team did expect their transgenic monkeys to gain enhanced intelligence and larger brains. That's why they put the creatures into MRI machines to measure white matter and put them through computerized memory tests. According to their report, the transgenic monkeys did not have enlarged brains, but they did perform better on a short memory test, which the team noted.

Some scientists believe that the Chinese experiment did not provide any new information. Among them is Martin Steiner, a computer scientist at the University of North Carolina and an MRI specialist. He notes that there were several aspects to this study that would have prevented it from being implemented in the United States. Questions have also been raised about whether the animals were properly cared for.

And after what he saw, Steiner says he doesn't expect further research into transgenic monkeys. "I don't think this is a good direction," he says. “We created this animal that is different from others. When we conduct experiments, we should be well aware that we are trying to understand why, that we are helping society - but this is not the case.” One problem is that genetically modified monkeys are expensive to create and maintain. With only five modified monkeys, it is difficult to come to clear conclusions about whether they are truly different from normal monkeys in terms of brain size or memory skills. “They're trying to understand brain development. And I don’t think they will succeed.”

Su himself says that it is too early to talk about the results. What do you think? Tell us in our chat on Telegram.

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The world of primates is fraught with many mysteries that humans are trying to solve. It is mammals that arouse genuine interest among naturalists, because they are considered the closest relatives of humans. It is worth noting that every year scientists discover up to 10 new species of primates, so we still have a lot of interesting things to learn about these amazing animals.

We are in Bright Side. ru We have collected for you a selection of facts, discoveries and opinions from scientists who reveal the secret veil that protects humans from the animal world.

Monkeys are born in the same way as humans

More recently, a group of Japanese scientists found that the birth of babies in monkeys is similar to that of humans. Chimpanzee babies emerge from the birth canal facing away from their mother, not the other way around. Although it was previously believed that this method and posture of birth was developed by human ancestors in the process of evolution. By the way, most often the role of obstetrician is performed by the male.

• Pregnancy in monkeys lasts 8–9 months.
• 59 years is how long the female chimpanzee Gamma lived. Today she is considered the record holder for the longest life expectancy among the great apes.

They are social animals

Chimpanzees, as well as similar species of animals from the class of mammals, prefer to live in society. Their group pastime is reminiscent of our usual life, where the elders look after the younger ones, someone gets food, and someone is engaged in education. But at the same time, murders and violence against fellow humans also occur in their society.

• The closest relatives or best “friends” of the deceased females take care of the orphaned cubs.
• Modern apes have 32 teeth, just like humans.

Self-admiration is their main hobby

Chimpanzees are one of the few animals that recognize themselves in the reflection of mirrors. And this explains the craving of other brethren for narcissism: primates spend most of their time creating beauty.

• Chimpanzees and gorillas are the most intelligent animals in the world, contrary to popular belief about the mental abilities of dolphins.

Gorilla Koko understands the meaning of 2,000 words of English. And her IQ level is 95. These indicators correspond to the average level of human intelligence.

Chimpanzees are humans' closest relatives

Every year, scientists conduct research, the essence of which is to find out about the similarities between chimpanzees and humans. The latest results revealed that the absolute similarity between the DNA of the subjects was less than 90%, although according to earlier studies the “identity” was 95%.

• Monkeys will never be able to evolve into humans due to the destroyed ecological habitat of these animals.

Monkeys and humans are the only animals that do not tolerate ultraviolet radiation well.

They know more about comfort than you can imagine

Most primates use available means to make life easier. For example, chimpanzees use plain paper or large leaves rolled into thin tubes to clean their ears and nails. They also create tools for everyday life - this could be a device for crushing nuts or a self-sharpened spear for hunting.

• Monkeys can get AIDS, but they will never get ARVI.

Almost all representatives of the primate order know how to brush their teeth. Female mothers teach this skill to their cubs from birth.

The birth of twins or triplets is very rare

Like humans, most monkeys give birth to only one baby. This is due to the fact that newborns are absolutely helpless for several months, so they can survive only under the close supervision of both parents or a social group. It is worth noting that childhood for these animals lasts 4 years, and female gorillas are considered the best mothers.

• The tallest apes are gorillas. The average height of males fluctuates around 170 cm.
• The smallest primates are pygmy marmosets. Their height is only 12 cm.

The fact that primates are among the most intelligent creatures on earth is no secret. The leaders among them are apes, since their behavior is most similar to that of humans. Other factors may also coincide, such as blood type, gene structure, and body type. Having studied all this, scientists were able to identify among the primates their most intelligent representatives, whom we invite you to meet.

10 Macaque

9 Howler

8 Gorilla

7 Capuchin

6 Bonobos

5 Baboon

4 Monkey

3 Orangutan

2 Chimpanzees

1 Gibbon