The National Human Genome Institute (NHGRI) has made available the complete Chimpanzee genome.
This data will be incredibly useful in all sorts of important ways:
People and chimpanzees have roughly 98 percent of their DNA in common, and many researchers want to know what the genomic differences are. These could help explain why some diseases affect people and chimpanzees differently, including AIDS, Alzheimer’s, and malaria.
Cognitive neuroscientists love to muck around in Monkey brains. A major problem with studying primates, though, is that their brains don’t work exactly like ours. If they did, then they would be people. Small, furry, stinky people. This data will help understand where differences are and how significantly they will affect the results of a study.
Also, researchers have lately taken a shine to combining genetic understanding of brain development with traditional methods of neurological examination like brain imaging. This data provides a pleasant junction between those worlds.
The important thing in all this remains unsaid. We are this much closer to creating superintelligent chimpanzee butlers. I think we can all agree, there is no downside to that.
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thank you geeves… I will be taking my breakfast in bed today… yes you can have the banana off my cereal.