Social Question

HungryGuy's avatar

Can a human mate with a monkey, chimpanzee, or other primate, and produce offspring?

Asked by HungryGuy (16044points) December 20th, 2009

I’d love to see someone do it, just for the controversy it would create :-)

Observing members: 0 Composing members: 0

32 Answers

dpworkin's avatar

No. We are of a different species. That’s what “species” means.

Ansible1's avatar

No, but good luck with that.

sliceswiththings's avatar

I’ll try! It’ll be a long, boring winter break otherwise. Just get me a monkey.

AstroChuck's avatar

It might be possible, but unlikely to take. Apes have one more pair of chromosomes than humans (48 for Apes, 46 for humans). If an offspring were to survive it would be sterile as it would have an odd number of chromosomes thus would be unable to pass along half. It’s rare when you can produce offspring from a mismatched pair. Of course mules (mix of horse and donkey) are a result of this but in most cases it’s very rare.

HungryGuy's avatar

@AstroChuck – Hurry up and post your response before the mods send this question back to me for “editing”!!!

jbfletcherfan's avatar

Ewwwww…I certainly hope not!

mrentropy's avatar

If someone is willing to bankroll it, I’d be happy to research this question.
She’d have to be the gorilla my dreams, though.

filmfann's avatar

Of course it’s possible. How else would you explain this ?

hiphiphopflipflapflop's avatar

@pdworkin Counterexamples abound: male donkey/female horse -> mule, any number of large cat hybrids (ex: liger), etc..

dpworkin's avatar

Cats and cats are of the same species, my dear. Humans and apes are not.

hiphiphopflipflapflop's avatar

O RLY?

Tiger: Panthera tigris
Lion: Panthera leo
Different species of genus panthera.

Donkey: Equus africanus asinus
Horse: Equus ferus caballus
Different species of genus equus.

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mrentropy's avatar

Surely, if it could be done some fruitcake would have done it by now.
It’s a good things humans and sheep can’t produce offspring.

filmfann's avatar

@pdworkin Someone has to help me clean the milk off my monitor, and it’s your fault!

HungryGuy's avatar

Ooooh! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!...

dpworkin's avatar

I’m sorry, I thought that’s what you were arguing in favor of. It was a joke. Calm down.

HungryGuy's avatar

@filmfann – Sorry about your monitor…NOT :-)

hiphiphopflipflapflop's avatar

@pdworkin “No. We are of a different species. That’s what “species” means.”

I was merely pointing out that… “I do not think that word means what you think it means.” ;)

dpworkin's avatar

Quote:

There are many definitions of what kind of unit a species is (or should be). A common definition is that of a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring of both genders, and separated from other such groups with which interbreeding does not (normally) happen. Other definitions may focus on similarity of DNA or morphology. Some species are further subdivided into subspecies, and here also there is no close agreement on the criteria to be used.

Source

HungryGuy's avatar

Actually, I think the two breeding partners have to have the same number of chromosomes in order for the sperm to fertilize the egg.

AstroChuck's avatar

You know, there’s really only one way to find out. Any volunteers?

hiphiphopflipflapflop's avatar

Big cat hybrids have been known to be occasionally fertile (probably on account on both species involved having same number of chromosomes), so any hard and fast definition of species will either have to acknowledge this or lump what were once separate species into much broader ones.

dpworkin's avatar

Hence the ambiguity in the definition posted above. But in general it is a definition that works well enough, and in the case of humans and infra-human primates it is iron-clad.

Berserker's avatar

It’s a sick sad world. I’m sure plenty of people have fucked monkeys before, and the end result is raging AID’s, or a whole buncha blisters and maggots on your privates.

I would advise against this, but ya know that’s just me.

Buttonstc's avatar

If it were possible, don’t you think some drunk college students would have required it as part of the hazing process for those poor wannabees pledging their fraternity?

osullivanbr's avatar

What the hell kind of evening do you have planned??

jbfletcherfan's avatar

@osullivanbr LOLLLLLL..I’d sure like to be a fly on the wall for THAT one!!!

filmfann's avatar

@jbfletcherfan Careful, even a fly may not be safe in that room.

jbfletcherfan's avatar

@filmfann LOLLL…this is true. But I don’t think anything’s going to work with a fly except another fly! ;-)

XOIIO's avatar

@mrentropy What about all the sheeple?

hungryhungryhortence's avatar

Never say never, one of my favorite mottos but don’t show me any video, thanks. My eyes already bleed from things I cannot unsee.

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