What will I learn about: how humans and chimpanzees share an incredible 98.6 percent of their DNA, leading some modern taxonomists to classify them in the exact same genus?

Discover how humans and chimpanzees share an incredible 98.6 percent of their DNA, leading some modern taxonomists to classify them in the exact same genus.

What will I learn about: why a subtle anatomical change in the human larynx triggered a 'great leap forward,' enabling the complex speech that drove our mastery of art and technology?

Understand why a subtle anatomical change in the human larynx triggered a 'great leap forward,' enabling the complex speech that drove our mastery of art and technology.

What will I learn about: Learn how the specific vocal alarms of vervet monkeys demonstrate that basic communication and meaning-making are not uniquely human traits?

Learn how the specific vocal alarms of vervet monkeys demonstrate that basic communication and meaning-making are not uniquely human traits.

What will I learn about: how the historical emergence of trade-based pidgins and creoles provides a fascinating scientific model for how early human languages originally developed?

Find out how the historical emergence of trade-based pidgins and creoles provides a fascinating scientific model for how early human languages originally developed.

What will I learn about: Explore how distinct physical traits across different human populations emerged through natural and sexual selection to improve a group's environmental survival?

Explore how distinct physical traits across different human populations emerged through natural and sexual selection to improve a group's environmental survival.

The Third Chimpanzee

The Evolution and Future of the Human Animal

Jared Diamond

★ 4.3 / 5(200 ratings)

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Science Technology & the Future History

If You're Curious About These Questions...

You should listen to this audiobook

💡Did you know that humans share over 98% of our DNA with chimpanzees—so what exactly is the tiny genetic difference that allowed us to master the planet while they remained in the wild?
💡Have you ever wondered why humans are the only species to develop complex art and language, and what sparked the sudden 'Great Leap Forward' in our evolutionary history?
💡Are you curious about the hidden evolutionary roots of our most human traits, from our unique mating habits to our capacity for both incredible creativity and total self-destruction?

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Key Takeaways from The Third Chimpanzee

✓Discover how humans and chimpanzees share an incredible 98.6 percent of their DNA, leading some modern taxonomists to classify them in the exact same genus.
✓Understand why a subtle anatomical change in the human larynx triggered a 'great leap forward,' enabling the complex speech that drove our mastery of art and technology.
✓Learn how the specific vocal alarms of vervet monkeys demonstrate that basic communication and meaning-making are not uniquely human traits.
✓Find out how the historical emergence of trade-based pidgins and creoles provides a fascinating scientific model for how early human languages originally developed.
✓Explore how distinct physical traits across different human populations emerged through natural and sexual selection to improve a group's environmental survival.

Learning Tools

Reinforce what you learned from The Third Chimpanzee

Mind Map

The Third Chimpanzee

Evolution & Genetics+

The Great Leap Forward+

Origins of Language+

Human Diversity+

The Agriculture Myth+

Genocide & Human Nature+

Environmental Destruction+

Core Conclusion+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 6

Why do some taxonomists of the cladistics school argue that humans and chimpanzees should be classified in the same genus?

A. Because they both exhibit complex spoken language and create art.
B. Because of their close genetic proximity, sharing 98.6 percent of their DNA.
C. Because both species developed advanced agricultural practices independently.
D. Because they share an identical brain size and skeletal structure.

Question 2 of 6

How do scientists use the historical development of pidgins and creoles to understand early human language?

A. They prove that early humans communicated entirely through sign language before developing speech.
B. They demonstrate that complex grammar requires hundreds of thousands of years of evolution to develop.
C. Their shared structural features globally suggest early human languages may have developed in a similar, universal way.
D. They show that early languages were completely identical regardless of geographic location.

Question 3 of 6

According to the text, why is natural selection insufficient on its own to explain all human 'racial characteristics'?

A. It fails to explain traits like eye color, hair color, and certain skin colors that do not directly improve survival rates.
B. It only applies to animal populations, whereas human evolution is entirely driven by cultural shifts.
C. It cannot explain why humans living at high altitudes developed larger chests to absorb more oxygen.
D. It assumes that all human populations evolved at the exact same rate regardless of their environment.

Question 4 of 6

What does archaeological evidence, such as the skeletal remains from Greece and Turkey, reveal about the shift from hunting and gathering to agriculture?

A. Farmers had a significantly longer lifespan due to a more varied and nutritious diet.
B. The adoption of agriculture led to a decrease in average human height, indicating poorer nourishment.
C. Hunter-gatherers worked much longer hours than early farmers to secure enough food.
D. Early agricultural societies experienced fewer diseases due to better sanitation practices.

Question 5 of 6

What is the primary conclusion the author draws from historical instances of genocide, such as those in Tasmania and Rwanda?

A. Genocide is a modern phenomenon caused exclusively by advanced weaponry and technology.
B. Genocide is a rare anomaly committed only by individuals with severe psychological disorders.
C. Genocide only occurs in societies that lack organized religious or political structures.
D. Genocide is a remarkably common occurrence throughout history and must be considered a part of human nature.

Question 6 of 6

How does the text challenge the 'noble savage' myth regarding historical human societies and the environment?

A. By showing that early societies lacked the technology to make any significant impact on their surroundings.
B. By demonstrating that indigenous populations, like the Māori and the 'Ancient Ones,' actively overexploited and destroyed their local environments.
C. By proving that early humans strictly adhered to religious laws that protected local flora and fauna from extinction.
D. By highlighting how hunter-gatherer societies actively re-planted forests to prevent desertification.