* Shared Ancestry: Humans and all apes (including chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans, and gibbons) share a common ancestor that lived millions of years ago. This ancestor was neither human nor ape, but a distinct primate species.
* Evolutionary Divergence: Over time, different populations of this ancestor evolved in different ways, adapting to their environments. This led to the development of distinct lineages, eventually resulting in humans, chimpanzees, and other ape species.
* Close Relationship: Humans and chimpanzees are the most closely related living species, with DNA evidence showing a 98.7% similarity. This highlights the shared ancestry and relatively recent divergence.
It's important to remember that evolution is a gradual process, not a linear progression from one species to another. Therefore, it's inaccurate to say humans "came from" apes. Instead, we share a common ancestor and have evolved along different paths.
Here's a helpful analogy: Imagine a family tree. You and your cousins share grandparents, but you are not "from" your cousins. Similarly, humans and apes share a common ancestor but are distinct species with their own unique evolutionary journeys.