Use the information about primate traits and your knowledge of science to

answer the questions.

Primate Traits

Chimpanzees and gorillas are genetically similar, sharing more than 98 percent of their DNA. While they have many of the same body parts, the details of these body parts differ between the two species. Chimpanzees and gorillas have a difference of 2 percent in their DNA sequences, but that difference represents more than 35 million base pairs that differ in the chromosomes of every cell. These base pair changes account for the physical differences seen between the two species. One difference between the two species is the shape of their hands and feet.

Figure 1 compares a hand and a foot of a chimpanzee and a gorilla.

https://learning.k12.com/content/enforced/433791-COF_ID122940/Prot%20syn%20pic%201.png?_&d2lSessionVal=KMBsD1HjAxIAs3pF3UVYT1NJM

Much like a human hand, chimpanzee and gorilla hands have opposable thumbs. This adaptation is good for picking up small objects and eating with one hand. Chimpanzees have fingers that are much longer and narrower than gorillas’ fingers, and have thumbs that are slightly smaller and sit farther down on their palms than gorillas’ thumbs do. As a result, chimpanzees’ thumbs are not as fully opposable as those of gorillas. Gorillas have much wider palms and have thumbs that can rotate more easily than chimpanzees’ thumbs. This allows gorillas to pick up objects more easily than chimpanzees can. Both chimpanzees and gorillas have feet with opposable big toes. This adaptation allows them to grasp objects, including branches, with their feet. Chimpanzees spend much of their time climbing trees, but gorillas spend most of their time foraging on the ground, returning to the trees only to sleep. Gorillas can stand and move on two legs, but can run much faster on all fours. One reason for the differences in the hands and feet of chimpanzees and gorillas is due to differences in stretches of DNA called enhancers. Enhancers control the activity of genes. When certain proteins, called activators, bind to enhancers, it causes the DNA to fold and allows other molecules to bind to the DNA. The result is that genes are switched on. If the sequence of an enhancer is changed, the activator will not bind to it. As a result, the DNA will not fold and the gene will not be switched on. One enhancer sequence, called HACNS1, is thought to control the structure of the hands and feet in chimpanzees and gorillas. Scientists h

Question

Use the information about primate traits and your knowledge of science to

answer the questions.

Primate Traits

Chimpanzees and gorillas are genetically similar, sharing more than 98 percent of their DNA. While they have many of the same body parts, the details of these body parts differ between the two species. Chimpanzees and gorillas have a difference of 2 percent in their DNA sequences, but that difference represents more than 35 million base pairs that differ in the chromosomes of every cell. These base pair changes account for the physical differences seen between the two species. One difference between the two species is the shape of their hands and feet.

Figure 1 compares a hand and a foot of a chimpanzee and a gorilla.

https://learning.k12.com/content/enforced/433791-COF_ID122940/Prot%20syn%20pic%201.png?_&d2lSessionVal=KMBsD1HjAxIAs3pF3UVYT1NJM

Much like a human hand, chimpanzee and gorilla hands have opposable thumbs. This adaptation is good for picking up small objects and eating with one hand. Chimpanzees have fingers that are much longer and narrower than gorillas’ fingers, and have thumbs that are slightly smaller and sit farther down on their palms than gorillas’ thumbs do. As a result, chimpanzees’ thumbs are not as fully opposable as those of gorillas. Gorillas have much wider palms and have thumbs that can rotate more easily than chimpanzees’ thumbs. This allows gorillas to pick up objects more easily than chimpanzees can. Both chimpanzees and gorillas have feet with opposable big toes. This adaptation allows them to grasp objects, including branches, with their feet. Chimpanzees spend much of their time climbing trees, but gorillas spend most of their time foraging on the ground, returning to the trees only to sleep. Gorillas can stand and move on two legs, but can run much faster on all fours. One reason for the differences in the hands and feet of chimpanzees and gorillas is due to differences in stretches of DNA called enhancers. Enhancers control the activity of genes. When certain proteins, called activators, bind to enhancers, it causes the DNA to fold and allows other molecules to bind to the DNA. The result is that genes are switched on. If the sequence of an enhancer is changed, the activator will not bind to it. As a result, the DNA will not fold and the gene will not be switched on. One enhancer sequence, called HACNS1, is thought to control the structure of the hands and feet in chimpanzees and gorillas. Scientists h