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FROM THE GENETIC VIEWPOINT, WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A BONOBO AND A HUMAN ?

48 CHROMOSOMES IN FAVOR OF THE BONOBO AND 46 CHROMOSOMES FOR THE HUMAN. (See the evidence and analysis on the bonobo genome)

If left in their natural habitat, Bonobo females can procreate until very old while both Bonobo males and females have no known cancer.

Unless they are introduced to industrial civilization's zoos. And eat the cooked "sad" (standard American diet) diets imposed upon them by thy powers that be.

On the other hand, one out of two American males will have a cancer diagnosis in his life. One out of two and a half women will have a cancer diagnosis in her life. Likewise for domesticated house animals. And cancer has surpassed heart disease as the top killer, while we now have more than one hundred autoimmune diseases where the "self" attacks the "self":

“For the first time, cancer has surpassed heart disease as the top killer of Americans under 85…” (American Cancer Society’s annual report released in January 2005)

The bonobo is a plant-eating biped, 80 percent of the bonobo diet is fruit and all raw. The rest being tree barks, roots (including ginger he loves), flowers, leaves, berries, seeds, fruits, clay, with a few pieces of live meat like insects, notably ants for zinc and other minerals, all of which makes up less than 5 percent protein. And they ingest lots of medicinal plants and leaves, including some anti-parasite ones.. Source

In a Bonobo community, provided the habitat is natural, these great apes are known to be playful, intelligent, creative and non destructive.

On the other hand, if a Human Society lacks the Spirit of Vitality, is deficient in holistic culture and compassion and is embued with erosive rivalries, havoc ensues.

Bonobos are plant-eating evolved apes which are closer to us genetically than to their more violent and meat eaters cousin the Chimpanzees. Bonobos have 48 chromosomes in their dna, while we humans have 46 chromosomes, two of which have been fused into one, in chromosome number 2, (which is a fusion of the ape chromosomes 12 and 13). Moreover, with the bonobo, we share much of the same genetic material (the human genome was completed in 2001 and the ape genome in 2005, at which point it was capable of concluding that 98.77 percent of the DNA base pairs of human and bonobo are the same). More significantly, bonobos are the only pan prior subspecies who are not violent and have a plant based diet and rich lifestyle. In effect, this bonobo matriachal community has distinguished itself by raw vegan foods, non violence, sustainability, creativity, many signs of fulfillment and health. The bonobo primatologist expert, Frans de Wall, stated that:

"...the Bonobo often is capable of altruism, compassion, empathy, kindness, patience, and sensitivity"

When they quarrel, it is the Bonobo mothers who regulate the three major tensions all living beings experience, the "resource", the "territorial" and the "relational" tensions. And they do not do this with the same aggressivity as chimpanzees and many humans

" Recently, however, scientists discovered that chimps lack the gene for producing vasopressin, a hormone that promotes social bonding, which is present in both humans and bonobos. If humans do turn out to be genetically closer to the bonobo, Professor de Waal said, “it will overturn everything we’ve been saying for the past 40 years. During this time people have lived with this coherent picture that humans are aggressive, chimps are aggressive, and so our common ancestor must have been aggressive and that aggression is therefore part of human nature. But if you look at human history, there’s no strong evidence for warfare that goes back further than 15,000 years.” (The Times, Jan 16, 2006, Source)

SO IF WE ARE GENETICALLY CONNECTED TO BONOBOS, IS IT REASONABLE TO CONSIDER EATING A PLANT-BASED FOOD AS THEY ?

One of the pieces of evidence that determines what our DNA biologically planned for us to ingest is "mother's milk". All true carnivores have at least 20 percent protein in mother's milk. Human mother's milk has in between 1.5 and 2.5 protein. Just what a bonobo mother's milk contains. In this perspective, the following facts (support by the below mentioned excerpts) may be relevant:

"THERE IS STRONG EVIDENCE IN THE SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE THAT (...). ANIMAL PROTEIN IS A HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIC AGENT" (Bernard N. An interview with Campbell in April 22, 1994, see "Good Medicine": 1994; 3:11-14).

Likewise for cancer, "....all animal food consumption, even fish and chicken, raises the rates of cancer" quoting from Dr Fuhrman (ibid., page 33), who supports this piece of allegation with over tweny years of medical practice and key studies, such as the ones orchestrated by Chen, Campbell, Peto, entitled: "A a study of diet nutrition and disease in the People's republic of China, Published by University of Oxford Press, Cornell University Press, China Publishing House in 1988. (Meaning we have the compelling evidence of the cancer effects of animal proteins for at least twenty years).

The Bonobo is one of the world's five "pan prior" subspecies. The other "subspecies" being the chimpanzee, the gorilla, the ourangutan and the homo sapien.

"Humans evolved from an ape species that existed about 6 million years ago (sometimes called "Pan prior"). About 2.5 million years ago, the common chimpanzee and the bonobo became separate lineages, as did bipedal woodland apes (e.g., Australopithecines) and our Homo lineage. About 1 million years ago, both the gorilla and chimpanzee lineages split into east and west subspecies because of ice age droughts." Source

Even though recent research has suggested that humans have a mental "intelligence" advantage, which may very well be due to evolutionary changes in the "HAR 1 F" regulator gene beginning about 6 million years ago in our pre-human ancestors (but not in those of chimpanzees or other apes, this gene is involved in the production of brain tissue between the 7th and 19th week after conception), the last 10,000 years of human History shows that violence and meat eating (and therefore animal killing) has been a major thread that has weaved most mercantile and military-based Civilizations.

The common ancestor (from which came the humo sapiens) had 24 pairs and in the lineage leading to modern humans, two of them fused into one to create 23 pairs in the human lineage (i.e. the fused chromosomes are number 12 and 13 ape chromosomes). There are several other major chromosomal differences, like inversions and recombinations, between chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and humans. But this is the only fusion event. Most of the genes between the bonobo and the human are the same, that is 98,77 percent. (Some scientists claim the rupture was a split and not a fusion. But most scientists can prove it was a fusion, i.e., the place of the teleomer and centremer splits). With the exception of these few outward differences, we are quite similar to the African apes anatomically and genetically, especially to the bonobo, who is 03 percent genetically different from his violent and meat eating cousin the chimpanzee. Work on discovering the entire genome of common chimpanzees was completed in 2005. A comparison between this and the human genome (completed in 2001) shows that 98.77% of DNA base pairs of humans and chimpanzees are the same. The percentage is roughly the same with the bonobo, except for that 03 percent. Therein must lie the genetic key to the bonobo's affectionate nature. As well as to the difference in his diet (mostly vegan) and lifestyle (playful and peaceful), which includes being structured by a matriachal community and spending quality time swinging in fruit and other leaf trees. From this general perspective, most humans would be associated more to the chimpanzee than the bonobo.

The Bonobo community is run by mothers (matriachal-based) who rule with an iron fist, but a soft touch

THE AGE OF EMPATHY: NATURE'S LESSONS FOR A KINDER SOCIETY

Are we our brothers’ keepers? Do we have an instinct for compassion? Or are we, as is often assumed, only on earth to serve our own survival and interest? In this thought-provoking book, the acclaimed author of Our Inner Ape explores how empathy comes naturally to humans and other animals.

Drawing from fieldwork and laboratory research on chimpanzees, bonobos, and capuchins—as well as on dolphins and elephants—de Waal shows us that many animals are predisposed to take care of one another, come to one another’s aid, and, in some cases, take life-saving action. De Waal argues that human biology similarly offers a giant helping hand to those striving for a just society, and that every human is destined to be humane. Written in layman’s prose with a wealth of anecdotes, wry humor, and incisive intelligence, THE AGE OF EMPATHY is essential reading for our embattled times.

THE AGE OF EMPATHY will be available September 2009 in hardcover and as an e-book.

READ --> An excerpt from the book was published in the September 2009 issue of Natural History magazine.

"You have been telling the people that this is the Eleventh Hour.
Now you must go back and tell the people that this is the Hour.

And there are things to be considered:
Where are you living? What are you doing?
What are your relationships? Are you in right relation?
Where is your water? Know your garden.

It is time to speak your Truth.
Create your community.
Be good to each other.
And do not look outside yourself for the leader.

This could be a good time!
There is a river flowing now very fast.
It is so great and swift that there are those who will be afraid.
They will try to hold on to the shore.
They will feel they are being torn apart, and they will suffer greatly.
Know the river has its destination.
The elders say we must let go of the shore, push off into the middle of
the river, keep our eyes open, and our heads above the water.
See who is in there with you and celebrate.

At this time in history, we are to take nothing personally.
Least of all, ourselves.
For the moment that we do, our spiritual growth and journey comes to a
halt. The time of the lone wolf is over. Gather yourselves!
Banish the word struggle from your attitude and your vocabulary.
All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration.
We are the ones we've been waiting for."

--The Elders, Oraibi, Arizona Hopi Nation"

The African Bonobo eco-community in perspective

Above, the erect tree hugging and branch climbing bonobo, the great ape of the former Franco-phone Belgium Congo, who can help us to understand the difference between a cancerous cell and divisive society versus a healthy cell and unifying community.

THE AGE OF EMPATHY: NATURE'S LESSONS FOR A KINDER SOCIETY