Becoming Human

Here’s a fascinating article describing some of the things that are being learned about what makes us human.

What Makes Us Human? Comparisons of the genomes of humans and chimpanzees are revealing those rare stretches of DNA that are ours alone. By Katherine S. Pollard (Scientific American, May 2009)

Analysis of the evolutionary genetic changes that produced humans from other primates (i.e., from our common ancestor with chimpanzees) is beginning to reveal how mutations (and selection thereof) in relatively few portions of the genetic code (the genome) can account for the dramatic differences in mind and language between humans and chimps.

“Wow!” and “Cool!” are my usual responses to these kinds of discoveries. They remind me that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Materially, only a few differences – arisen by chance mutation and fixed without human forethought by natural selection – differentiate us from primates. Yet here we are, quantitatively and qualitatively a very different sort of creature than the chimpanzee, yearning for purpose and knowledge and able to comprehend the presence and call of God our Maker.

“What is man that you are mindful of him?” (Psalm 8:4)