On Human Teeth and Diet.

Actually we are closer to the bonobos in some ways. Also our dentition is closer to that of a frugivore IIRC.

There's nothing "false" about the DNA facts.

Yep, we've diverged but not by much.

I think [I]The Naked Ape[/I] by Desmond Morris is still the best investigation into humans simply as a studied animal, without any baggage or bias.


AC

Just having similar DNA hardly means anything. There are also all the on/off combinations, whether and when certain genes are expressed. For example, chimpanzees tend to resemble old men and baby chimps tend to resemble adult humans. Humans exhibit neotony, when means that certain genes are turning on for chimps at a different time than they do for us, if they ever do. With all the possible combinations of whether or not genes turn on and off, there can be enormous differences between species that share almost all DNA. So saying we are similar to chimps because we have 98% of the same DNA means almost nothing.

This is relevant [url=http://www.beyondveg.com/billings-t/comp-anat/comp-anat-6a.shtml]What Comparative Anatomy Does/Doesn't Tell Us about Human Diet[/url] .

"Comparative anatomy of the human gut. The best scientific evidence available to date on gut morphology--analyzed using two different statistical approaches--shows evidence of adaptations for which the best explanation is the practice of faunivory. (Faunivory as an explanation is also supported by optimal foraging theory in hunter-gatherer tribes.) Further, the human gut morphology is not what might be expected for a strict vegetarian/fruit diet."

[QUOTE=Neckhammer;1007248]This is relevant [url=http://www.beyondveg.com/billings-t/comp-anat/comp-anat-6a.shtml]What Comparative Anatomy Does/Doesn't Tell Us about Human Diet[/url] .

"Comparative anatomy of the human gut. The best scientific evidence available to date on gut morphology--analyzed using two different statistical approaches--shows evidence of adaptations for which the best explanation is the practice of faunivory. (Faunivory as an explanation is also supported by optimal foraging theory in hunter-gatherer tribes.) Further, the human gut morphology is not what might be expected for a strict vegetarian/fruit diet."[/QUOTE]

Excellent link. :D