Man or Ape? The Genetic Mystery of Oliver

 In 1976, a bald chimpanzee with eerily human traits shocked the world.

Nicknamed the “Humanzee,” Oliver walked on two legs, preferred human company, and defied scientific explanation. Was he a human-chimp hybrid? A missing link?

Or something science had never seen before?

Humans and chimpanzees share an estimated 98 per cent of genetic material, having branched off from one another two and a half million years ago. Genetically it is very likely that humans and chimpanzees could produce offspring. This fascinating special has unique access to the most famous purported human-chimpanzee hybrid called Oliver.

He is 41 years old, walks upright on two legs, has a pronounced nose, human-like teeth and is eerily, always rejected by other chimpanzees. But is he really a chimp-human hybrid? Drawing on archive footage and interviews this film explores the taboo of hybridisation and the ethics of such a Frankenstein-science.

Man or Ape Mystery

, a chimpanzee born around 1957 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, became a global sensation in the 1970s due to his unusual appearance and behavior, leading to widespread speculation about his identity. He was noted for walking upright on two legs, having a flatter face, smaller ears, and pattern baldness, traits that led some to believe he was a human-chimpanzee hybrid, or "humanzee". This speculation was fueled by media reports and the fact that he often preferred human company over other chimpanzees.

The central mystery surrounding Oliver was his genetic makeup. Early reports suggested he might have an intermediate chromosome count of 47, one less than a chimpanzee (48) and one more than a human (46), which would have been a strong indicator of a hybrid. However, comprehensive genetic testing has definitively resolved this question. Chromosomal analysis confirmed that Oliver had the standard 48 chromosomes of a chimpanzee, not an intermediate number. Further testing of his mitochondrial DNA revealed a high sequence homology to the Central African chimpanzee subspecies (Pan troglodytes troglodytes), strongly indicating his origin from that region.

While some sources have suggested Oliver might be a bonobo, a different species of ape, the available evidence, including chromosomal banding patterns and mitochondrial DNA analysis, confirms he was a common chimpanzee. His unique physical and behavioral traits, such as his bipedalism and human-like facial features, are now understood to be within the range of natural variation for a chimpanzee, possibly due to a rare genetic mutation or a yet undiscovered subspecies. Despite being a unique individual, Oliver was not a hybrid, and the scientific consensus is that he was a chimpanzee with exceptional, but not genetically anomalous, characteristics.

Oliver's life was marked by captivity and exploitation, first as a performer and later in research facilities. He was eventually rescued and lived out his later years in sanctuaries, where he was treated with dignity. His story has become a significant case study in the ethics of animal research and the treatment of intelligent primates, prompting broader discussions about the boundaries between species and the moral responsibilities humans have towards other animals.

This film was first broadcast: 2003

https://youtu.be/jZ0fxVtOPLg