172k views
4 votes
If humans were more closely related to mandrills, which characteristic might they share?

1 Answer

1 vote

Final answer:

If humans were more closely related to mandrills, they might exhibit vivid facial coloration, pronounced sexual dimorphism, and enhanced arboreal locomotion adaptations. However, our actual closest relatives are chimpanzees and gorillas, with whom we share significant genetic and anatomical similarities.

Step-by-step explanation:

If humans were more closely related to mandrills, they might share characteristics such as vivid facial coloration, which is prominent in mandrills but not in humans. Additionally, humans might have more pronounced sexual dimorphism, as male mandrills are significantly larger and more colorful than females. Other possibilities include enhanced adaptations for arboreal locomotion, since mandrills are adapted to live in both forest and savannah environments, which could lead to stronger limbs and a more robust physique adapted for climbing and ground dwelling.

Our current closest relatives are the great apes, specifically chimpanzees and gorillas, with which we share over 97% of our DNA. This common genetic heritage manifests in similar proteins and anatomical traits such as larger brains and the capability for upright walking, or bipedalism. Nevertheless, mandrills are still part of the primate family, and if our evolutionary pathways were more aligned, we could potentially see a blend of these traits in humans.

User Firewizz
by
7.7k points

Related questions

asked Mar 15, 2024 184k views
Kreativitea asked Mar 15, 2024
by Kreativitea
8.6k points
1 answer
2 votes
184k views
asked Feb 5, 2022 227k views
Amit Bhavsar asked Feb 5, 2022
by Amit Bhavsar
8.3k points
1 answer
24 votes
227k views