We've all learned by now that apes are our closest living relatives in the animal kingdom, but you likely didn't know how close! We've created a list to show you exactly which animals are more like brothers, and which are only cousins on the evolutionary family tree.
1. Chimpanzees
Researchers determined back in 2005 that chimpanzees share somewhere between 98.6 and 99 percent of our DNA. They're closer to humans than they are to gorillas! Remarkably, female chimps also share a reproductive cycle similar to that of humans, with most reaching sexual maturity just before or during their teenage years. They also have a gestation period for about 8 months.
2. Bonobos
It wasn't until 2012 that we learned bonobos vary only slight from chimps. In fact, the two share 99.6 percent of their DNA. That means they're almost as close to humans on the genome sequence as chimpanzees are. Researchers believe the three of us separated on the evolutional path between 4 and 7 million years ago. Bonobos, the most emotional of all apes, regulate emotions the same way we do.
3. Gorillas
Though appearances might suggest otherwise, we're also closer in relation to gorillas than gorillas are to chimps. We share 98 percent of our genetic sequence with these majestic fellas. Scientists believe humans and our gorilla brethren diverged from a common ancestor around 10 million years ago. Fun fact: they also found that certain shared genes in our DNA cause diseases like dementia in humans, but not in gorillas.
4. Orangutans
A little further down the family tree lie the loveable orangutans who share 97 percent of their DNA with humans. It turns out male orangutans like to offer effusive displays of "tough-guy" syndrome by leaping around and breaking things before a fight. It's classic "come at me, bro" showmanship. Much like humans males, we think.
5. Gibbons
Gibbons, while belonging to the Hominoidea family like the apes featured above, are actually considered lesser apes. About 4 million years ago, these guys developed arms and shoulders that now allow them to swing through trees effortlessly. One fascinating study determined gibbons use at least 26 sounds resembling songs that the first humans used 1.8 million years ago.