Stomping the Human-Chimp DNA Similarity Myth

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by Cowboy Bob Sorensen 

Scientific research is unfriendly to atoms-to-ape evolution, and the icon of ninety-eight percent similarity of human and chimpanzee similarity has been long been disputed. Indeed, it is based on bad science that is omitted from the secular science industry propaganda [1]. Research in chimpanzee genome supports biblical creation science [2, 3] instead of evolution.

Darwin's disciples get mighty irritated when people say that we evolved from apes or monkeys. We supposedly split from a common ancestor that looks like a monkey [4] — but they are assuming its appearance.

Creationists and some secular scientists were skeptical of the claim that humans and chimps were 98 percent genetically similar. There is a much larger gap.
Human-Chimpanzee DNA, made at Night Cafe, then removebg
The number for human-chimpanzee similarity varies by a few percentage points, but usually about ninety-eight percent. Darwin's disciples need such a close match because apes and humans allegedly diverged around seven million years ago. That means evolutionists cannot account for a larger percentage difference in those years.

Since a great deal of scientific data are publicly available, it is not surprising that a creationist recalculated it and found a much lower similarity. The computer program was flawed [5]. Other efforts followed as well as criticisms by fundamentalist evolutionists, and Dr. Robert Carter covered a lot of ground in three videos and notes [6,7,8].

In late April 2025, a technical paper was published in Nature. Skeptics of the close genetic gap, both creationists and non-creationists, were vindicated: The gap is shown to be much larger than they thought. Of course, they will not admit that humans are created in the image of God and apes were a separate created kind [9]. Also, Nature actually buried the main points in technical jargon in the supplemental data.

It is no surprise that creationists and the Intelligent Design camp jumped on this information. I waited a spell until the posting slowed before publishing this link-filled educational resource. There was nothing from Creation Ministries International, but they are probably spending time on their own peer-reviewed journal article or something. Same with Answers in Genesis, but they did a shorter piece for us reg'lar folk.

First, a series of posts from the Discovery Institute (for information purposes, as they may support evolution and do support deep time), followed by three creation science articles.
  • Bombshell: New Research Overturns Claim that Humans and Chimps Differ by Only 1 Percent of DNA [10]
  • Fact Check: New “Complete” Chimp Genome Shows 14.9 Percent Difference from Human Genome [11]
  • Genetic Differences Between Humans and Chimps Represent Functional DNA [12]
  • What’s the Best Explanation for Human-Chimp Genetic Differences? [13]
  • Podcast, "New Study Shatters the 1% Human-Chimp Difference Myth" with Drs. Emily Reeves and Casey Luskin [14]
  • Additional Method of Analysis Confirms Human-Chimp Genomes Are About 15 Percent Different [15]
  • Letter to the Smithsonian [to update erroneous information on the genetic similarities] [16]
  • Challenged on the “1 Percent” Myth, Smithsonian Gives a Meaningless Non-Answer [17]
There are three creation science articles to follow. I did the usual excerpt and link procedure with the first one (which I think is the friendliest to non-scientists and those who are tired of reading), then links to the last two. My browser is relieved that I closed over twenty open tabs.
A shocking new study has confirmed exactly what we’d expect starting with the Bible (and what creation scientists have been saying for decades)—chimpanzee DNA is not 98–99% identical to human DNA. Okay, so that’s not actually shocking to us. It’s expected when you start with the right worldview.

Now, the headline for the paper in Nature is rather bland: “Complete sequencing of ape genomes.” They should have titled it: “Evolutionary Ideas Wrong for Decades, Humans and Chimps Vastly Different,” but they likely don’t want to draw attention to the false narrative they’ve fed the public! In fact, they don’t even clearly acknowledge their evolutionarily unexpected findings in the paper!

To finish reading, see "Study Finds Chimp DNA Is Not '99% Identical' to Ours" [18]. Also see "Human-Chimp Similarity Drastically Reduced," which has some interesting material that is not covered in the others [19]. Finally, "Chimp Genome Markedly Different from Human" [20].