A lot of you know that apes and humans share a common ancestor – so you know you’re related to Bonzo the ape at your local zoo.
But did you know that you ALSO share a common ancestor with this Tomato……. yeah…You are related to this tomato!
(cut to Arvin Ash intro here…)
You may have nieces, nephews and first and second cousins – you are all related because you have the same ancestor – in this case a grandmother or grandfather or great grandparent.
Similarly, if you go back enough generations – the ape that you see at your local zoo and you share a common ancestor.
But it turns out that our relationship to other living things goes much much deeper than you imagined.
You see…All living things share the blueprint of life – that “blueprint” is a molecule called DNA.
This orangutan and I share 97% of our DNA, and this chimp shares 99% of his DNA with me. But you probably already knew that…didn’t you?
That we all come from apes – well, to be accurate We share a common ancestor with apes that lived probably about 3-6 million years ago. Just like you and your drunk — 2nd cousin Bobby have the same ancestor – a great grandfather who lived maybe 100 years ago.
But did you know that we also share a common ancestor with this Tomato!!!!!
Truth is…There is only one type of DNA made up of only 4 different types of molecules called nucleotides. And all living things – plants and animals, are based on this SAME DNA. The only difference is the order…or sequence of these bases, that determines the differences in living things.
By sequencing the genes of various organisms, researchers have found that ALL living things – plants, animals share common DNA sequences. This confirms the mind blowing truth that all living things shared a common ancestor.
This common ancestor that lived probably 3 to 4 billion years ago, when earth was in its infancy. This was probably a one celled organism. And all the diversity of life on earth today has evolved from this living thing.
And do you know that he…or she…or it…even has a name. It’s name is LUCA!!
Yes – LUCA (Last Universal Common Ancestor).
Just close your eyes for a minute and imagine what that means…when you chop down that tree, when you kill a chicken, when you order mushroom on a pizza…you are destroying a distant cousin.
99.9% – Other Humans
98% – Chimpanzees
90% – Cats
70% – Worm
60% – Mushrooms
50% – Tomatoes and onions
So Yeah, we are more closely related to and we share a crazy 60% of our DNA with this mushroom.
This mushroom and I share a common ancestor that lived about 1 Billion years ago. It was later that mushrooms and animals like us went on a separate evolutionary path.
Ever notice how eating a mushrooms feels like eating chicken, more than like eating a salad?
This is not a coincidence.
The next time you order a pizza, just remember, that mushroom you ordered is close to cannibalism, compared to the onions you put on it.
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