Humans evolved after a female chimpanzee mated with a pig': Extraordinary claim made by American geneticist
Dr Eugene McCarthy points to features that distinguish us from primates
He says that the only animals which also have these features are pigs
Controversial hypothesis has been met by significant opposition
By Damien Gayle
The human species began as the hybrid offspring of a male pig and a female chimpanzee, a leading geneticist has suggested.
The startling claim has been made by Eugene McCarthy, of the University of Georgia, who is also one of the worlds leading authorities on hybridisation in animals.
He points out that while humans have many features in common with chimps, we also have a large number of distinguishing characteristics not found in any other primates.
Dr McCarthy says these divergent characteristics are most likely the result of a hybrid origin at some point far back in human evolutionary history.
What's more, he suggests, there is one animal that has all of the traits which distinguish humans from our primate cousins in the animal kingdom.
'What is this other animal that has all these traits?' he asks rhetorically. 'The answer is Sus scrofa, the ordinary pig.'
Dr McCarthy elaborates his astonishing hypothesis in an article on Macroevolution.net, a website he curates. He is at pains to point out that that it is merely a hypothesis, but he presents compelling evidence to support it.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencet...-claim-American-geneticist.html#ixzz2mTNKZlf8
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Dr Eugene McCarthy points to features that distinguish us from primates
He says that the only animals which also have these features are pigs
Controversial hypothesis has been met by significant opposition
By Damien Gayle
The human species began as the hybrid offspring of a male pig and a female chimpanzee, a leading geneticist has suggested.
The startling claim has been made by Eugene McCarthy, of the University of Georgia, who is also one of the worlds leading authorities on hybridisation in animals.
He points out that while humans have many features in common with chimps, we also have a large number of distinguishing characteristics not found in any other primates.
Dr McCarthy says these divergent characteristics are most likely the result of a hybrid origin at some point far back in human evolutionary history.
What's more, he suggests, there is one animal that has all of the traits which distinguish humans from our primate cousins in the animal kingdom.
'What is this other animal that has all these traits?' he asks rhetorically. 'The answer is Sus scrofa, the ordinary pig.'
Dr McCarthy elaborates his astonishing hypothesis in an article on Macroevolution.net, a website he curates. He is at pains to point out that that it is merely a hypothesis, but he presents compelling evidence to support it.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencet...-claim-American-geneticist.html#ixzz2mTNKZlf8
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
