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Published 1707 GMT (0107 HKT) March 8, 2012
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The complete DNA of a female western lowland gorilla called Kamilah (left) has been mapped by scientists, completing the set of genomes for all great apes (humans, chimpanzees, gorillas and orang-utans). Courtesy of Jane Rogers
"The gorilla genome is important because it sheds light on the time when our ancestors diverged from our closest evolutionary cousins around six to 10 million years ago," said report researcher Aylwyn Scally. Courtesy of Alice Gray
Initial findings have shown that 15% of the gorilla genome is closer to human DNA than to our nearest evolutionary relative, the chimpanzee. Courtesy of Alice Gray
Scally says the research into great ape genes forms the baseline from which to move forwards and explore why and exactly when our genes and the great apes diverged. Courtesy of Alice Gray
