# Could a man impregnate a chimp? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 6, 2001, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-man-impregnate-a-chimp/71502 "2001-07-06T17:09:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2001, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-man-impregnate-a-chimp/71502/21 "2001-07-07T14:55:43Z")
One thing to note is the “myth of large percentages”. That is, 98% or 99% may sound like a large level of similarity, but it really isn’t in some matters. Like genetics. ---
**Author:** ![DougC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@DougC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougC)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2001, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-man-impregnate-a-chimp/71502/22 "2001-07-07T17:02:48Z")
> [@](#): > > Maybe, but it would have to be through an act of rape. - - - Well, _no_. As it has tactfully been pointed out in other threads, animals have very little in the way of shame or guilt. If they’re wanting to get it, they typically don’t care who’s givin’ it. If everything is about the right size, they’re quite willing to try. ~ - Perhaps the first question to ask is, _can a man get a chimp drunk?_ - MC ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2001, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-man-impregnate-a-chimp/71502/23 "2001-07-07T18:20:04Z")
> [@](#): > > I wonder if the chimpanzees involved were Bonobo? These are actually supposed to be our closest relatives. I don’t believe bonobos are any more closely related to us than are chimpanzees. Bonobos and chimps are quite closely related to each other, but both are about equally closely related to us. Behaviorally, bonobos seem most humanlike in some ways; then again, in other respects, we’re behaviorally more like chimpanzees. **MC:** Or, “can a chimp get a man drunk?” ---
**Author:** ![DougC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@DougC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougC)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2001, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-man-impregnate-a-chimp/71502/24 "2001-07-07T19:31:40Z")
- - - **Mr Blue Sky** : If the Olsen twins are the result of a chimp and a man breeding, I wanna meet that chimp. - MC ---
**Author:** ![cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cynic)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2001, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-man-impregnate-a-chimp/71502/25 "2001-07-07T19:44:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MEBuckner \* > I don’t believe bonobos are any more closely related to us than are chimpanzees. Bonobos and chimps are quite closely related to each other, but both are about equally closely related to us. Behaviorally, bonobos seem most humanlike in some ways; then again, in other respects, we’re behaviorally more like chimpanzees. Humans share a greater percentage of their DNA with chimpanzees than with bonobos (a.k.a. pygmy chimps). In fact, humans are more closely related to common chimpanzees than common chimpanzees are related to pygmy chimpanzees. ---
**Author:** ![ephedra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/76d3ee/32.png) [@ephedra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ephedra)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2001, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-man-impregnate-a-chimp/71502/26 "2001-07-07T19:52:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cynic \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by MEBuckner \* > > I don’t believe bonobos are any more closely related to us than are chimpanzees. Bonobos and chimps are quite closely related to each other, but both are about equally closely related to us. Behaviorally, bonobos seem most humanlike in some ways; then again, in other respects, we’re behaviorally more like chimpanzees. > > Humans share a greater percentage of their DNA with chimpanzees than with bonobos (a.k.a. pygmy chimps). In fact, humans are more closely related to common chimpanzees than common chimpanzees are related to pygmy chimpanzees. \*\* Interesting… if you happen to know a good link that would save me some search time I’d love to see it. I heard that the Bonobo’s were our closest relative on a nature show. Granted, it ain’t the highest authority, maybe they botched their research. ---
**Author:** ![cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cynic)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2001, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-man-impregnate-a-chimp/71502/27 "2001-07-07T20:00:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ephedra \* > Interesting… if you happen to know a good link that would save me some search time I’d love to see it. > > I heard that the Bonobo’s were our closest relative on a nature show. Granted, it ain’t the highest authority, maybe they botched their research. \*\* See Jared Diamond’s _The Third Chimpanzee_, where he makes this argument much more eloquently than I have. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2001, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-man-impregnate-a-chimp/71502/28 "2001-07-07T20:24:25Z")
**Cynic** : > [@](#): > > In fact, humans are more closely related to common chimpanzees, than common chimpanzees are related to pygmy chimpanzees. A controversial claim 🙂 . This link disagrees: [http://www.ultranet.com/~jkimball/BiologyPages/H/HominoidClade.html](http://www.ultranet.com/~jkimball/BiologyPages/H/HominoidClade.html) Which isn’t to say you’re necessarily wrong. Just that it isn’t always clear-cut 😉 . - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2001, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-man-impregnate-a-chimp/71502/29 "2001-07-07T20:41:24Z")
Hmm…I don’t know. Get me about a quart of tequila and a female chimp in a thong and we’ll see what we can do. Marc ---
**Author:** ![DougC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@DougC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougC)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2001, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-man-impregnate-a-chimp/71502/30 "2001-07-08T02:11:55Z")
- - - Who gets the tequila? - MC ---
**Author:** ![warmgun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecccb3/32.png) [@warmgun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/warmgun)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2001, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-man-impregnate-a-chimp/71502/31 "2001-07-08T06:28:36Z")
I want to know if Ned Beatty ever got pregnant. He needed tequila! ---
**Author:** ![Major\_Feelgud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3be4f8/32.png) [@Major\_Feelgud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Major_Feelgud)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2001, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-man-impregnate-a-chimp/71502/32 "2001-07-08T06:54:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MC \* > \*\* - - - **Mr Blue Sky** : If the Olsen twins are the result of a chimp and a man breeding, I wanna meet that chimp. - MC \*\* Sorry, I believe she is already taken. How about a Bonobo? ---
**Author:** ![DougC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@DougC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougC)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2001, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-man-impregnate-a-chimp/71502/33 "2001-07-08T18:51:05Z")
- - - You got any blondes that do housework? ---
**Author:** ![Kalt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Kalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalt)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2001, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-man-impregnate-a-chimp/71502/34 "2001-07-08T21:41:34Z")
i guess the more interesting question is: can we have a cross between a human and ANY OTHER mammal? ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2001, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-man-impregnate-a-chimp/71502/35 "2001-07-08T22:52:43Z")
**kalt** : > [@](#): > > Can we have a cross between a human and any OTHER MAMMAL? Nope 🙂 . For reasons already stated. The chimpanzee/bonobo would be the best possibility. Since that doesn’t work, nothing will. Now if _Homo habilis_ had survived until modern times - THEN you might have an interesting question 😉 . - Tamerlane [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-man-impregnate-a-chimp/71502.md?page=1)