Animal Planet,

“Animal World – Humanzee”

This documentary on the Animal Planet channel told the story of a chimpanzee called Oliver, various aspects of whose behaviour had once been the focus of interest of the evolutionist press. Evolutionist circles referred to Oliver as a "humanzee," a human-chimpanzee hybrid, because of certain abilities of his, such as walking upright and mixing drinks. A statement that he possessed 47 chromosomes, based on an analysis of blood samples taken from Oliver, increased interest in the animal still further. (Human beings have 46 chromosomes and chimpanzees 48.)

In reporting developments regarding Oliver and the evolutionist claims surrounding these, Animal Planet constantly made sensationalist references to his close resemblance to human beings, how much he had astonished researchers or the wide interest he had awakened in the media.

In fact, however, this deceptive picture regarding Oliver has no scientific foundation at all. One article titled "Oliver No 'Humanzee'" published in the famous magazine Science in 1998 reported the story in these words:

A primate named Oliver has attracted waves of media attention over the last few decades for certain humanlike qualities, including a habit of walking upright (Science, November 1, 1996, p. 727). But DNA testing has finally pegged Oliver as strictly a chimp.

Since making his debut in California some 30 years ago, Oliver has intrigued onlookers for certain nonchimpish behavior, including the ability to mix drinks. The ambiguous result of a chromosome analysis fed speculation that he might be a mutant or even a human-chimp hybrid.

But now geneticists John Ely of Trinity University and Charlene Moore of The University of Texas Health Sciences Center, both in San Antonio, report in the March issue of the American Journal of Physical Anthropology that they have scrutinized a blood sample for genetic markers specific for humans, chimps, and other primates. The upshot? Oliver's all chimpanzee. 1

In the Animal Planet documentary this scientific development was only mentioned at the very end, and even then in rather vague terms. Bearing in mind that most of the documentary consisted of sensationalist speculation regarding Oliver's similarity to human beings, it appears that with this program Animal Planet has added yet another to its list of deceptive items of Darwinist propaganda. There is no other way to describe the repetition of evolutionist speculation, by awakening ar tificial excitement, based on the ambiguous results-as stated by Science magazine-of a study performed more than 20 years ago.

It has been known for 6 years now that Oliver is no different to chimpanzees, and there is no doubt among scientists regarding the invalidity of the old analyses. We call on Animal Planet to put an end to its attempts to disseminate Darwinism by means of such initiatives.

1. “Oliver No Humanzee,” Science, vol. 280, no. 5361, 10 April 1998, p. 207.