In 1976, a bald chimpanzee with eerily human traits shocked the world. Nicknamed the “Humanzee,” Oliver walked on two legs, preferred human company, and defied scientific explanation. Was he a human-chimp hybrid? A missing link? Or something science had never seen before?
Humans and chimpanzees share an estimated 98 per cent of genetic material, having branched off from one another two and a half million years ago. Genetically it is very likely that humans and chimpanzees could produce offspring. This fascinating special has unique access to the most famous purported human-chimpanzee hybrid called Oliver. He is 41 years old, walks upright on two legs, has a pronounced nose, human-like teeth and is eerily, always rejected by other chimpanzees. But is he really a chimp-human hybrid? Drawing on archive footage and interviews this film explores the taboo of hybridisation and the ethics of such a Frankenstein-science.
michelle m
Can you please give us the name of this sanctuary. Wonderful story of Oliver, so glad they found him.
Tessa B
Hi Michelle- the sanctuary is called “Primarily Primates” and yes they also serve primarily primates- so I can see how you would miss that name. Isn’t that an incredible piece of media? Wow- Wes finds the fricking coolest stuff to put on the blog. Oliver sure was something special.
michelle m
Tessa thank you!
Knobby
That’s an interesting documentary. It’s believed the last common ancestor between what became human vs other great apes was 6 million years ago. Toward the end the scientist looked at the mtDNA (that passed down from the mother) and determined it was chimpanzee, although the genes were expressed differently. Too bad they didn’t look at the nuDNA, that passed down from male linage to see if there was a Homo Sapiens connection there.