# Did Humans Evolve From Chimpanzees? The Great Ape Family Tree

- Original post: https://www.twitter.com/i/status/2120898555967946867
- Source account: [@TheExBeliever](https://x.com/TheExBeliever)
- Source language: English
- Duration: 1:16
- Published: 2026-11-13
- Canonical URL: https://www.translate.mom/transcript/h3DZ4YKvFsFV/en/did-humans-evolve-from-chimpanzees-the-great-ape-family-tree

## Transcript

[0:00](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/h3DZ4YKvFsFV/en/did-humans-evolve-from-chimpanzees-the-great-ape-family-tree) People often ask me, "If we're descended from chimpanzees, how come there are still chimpanzees?"

[0:05](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/h3DZ4YKvFsFV/en/did-humans-evolve-from-chimpanzees-the-great-ape-family-tree?t=5) Well, we're not descended from chimpanzees.

[0:07](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/h3DZ4YKvFsFV/en/did-humans-evolve-from-chimpanzees-the-great-ape-family-tree?t=7) We're both descended from a common ancestor who lived there about six million years ago.

[0:13](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/h3DZ4YKvFsFV/en/did-humans-evolve-from-chimpanzees-the-great-ape-family-tree?t=13) That common ancestor then produced two branches, one of which went to us humans, and one of which went to chimpanzees, branching further to produce bonobos and common chimpanzees.

[0:25](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/h3DZ4YKvFsFV/en/did-humans-evolve-from-chimpanzees-the-great-ape-family-tree?t=25) We are all cousins. We are not descended from chimpanzees.

[0:29](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/h3DZ4YKvFsFV/en/did-humans-evolve-from-chimpanzees-the-great-ape-family-tree?t=29) More distantly related are gorillas. They share a common ancestor with both us and chimpanzees.

[0:35](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/h3DZ4YKvFsFV/en/did-humans-evolve-from-chimpanzees-the-great-ape-family-tree?t=35) That's the common ancestor between gorillas and humans and chimps.

[0:39](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/h3DZ4YKvFsFV/en/did-humans-evolve-from-chimpanzees-the-great-ape-family-tree?t=39) So humans and chimps are a, a natural group which are related to gorillas, cousins of gorillas, and all of those animals, which are all African apes.

[0:49](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/h3DZ4YKvFsFV/en/did-humans-evolve-from-chimpanzees-the-great-ape-family-tree?t=49) The African apes are gorillas, humans, bonobos, and chimpanzees.

[0:53](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/h3DZ4YKvFsFV/en/did-humans-evolve-from-chimpanzees-the-great-ape-family-tree?t=53) All the African apes have a common ancestor with orangutans.

[0:57](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/h3DZ4YKvFsFV/en/did-humans-evolve-from-chimpanzees-the-great-ape-family-tree?t=57) That's the common ancestor with orangutans.

[0:59](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/h3DZ4YKvFsFV/en/did-humans-evolve-from-chimpanzees-the-great-ape-family-tree?t=59) Those are all the great apes. So the great apes are all cousins.

[1:03](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/h3DZ4YKvFsFV/en/did-humans-evolve-from-chimpanzees-the-great-ape-family-tree?t=63) Within the great apes, the African apes are closer cousins.

[1:06](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/h3DZ4YKvFsFV/en/did-humans-evolve-from-chimpanzees-the-great-ape-family-tree?t=66) Within the African apes, humans, bonobos, and chimps are closer cousins still.

[1:11](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/h3DZ4YKvFsFV/en/did-humans-evolve-from-chimpanzees-the-great-ape-family-tree?t=71) And within them, bonobos and chimpanzees are the closest cousins of all.