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Chimpanzees are our closest living genetic relatives, sharing 99 per cent of human DNA

Chimpanzees are our closest living genetic relatives, sharing 99 per cent of human DNA.

But a new study suggests the common ancestors of humans and chimps may have begun genetically separating 13 million years ago.

The study contradicts previous work that suggested the last common ancestors between the two species existed around seven million years ago.

The research, published in the journal Science, found male chimps pass a greater number of genetic mutations to their offspring than male humans.

According to geneticists at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics in Oxford, this reveals previously unknown evolutionary differences between the species.

It also casts new light on human origins, and highlights the role evolution plays in creating gene mutations that can be linked to disease.

The study found that the high sex drive of chimps drove a higher rate of genetic mutation among males.

This is because when a cell divides, it creates a copy of its genes to the new cell. With each division there is another opportunity for a mistake to happen in the process.

A new study suggests the common ancestors of humans and chimps may have begun genetically separating 13 million years ago.The study contradicts previous work that suggests the last common ancestors between humans and chimps existed around seven million years ago

Human mutation rate is half as fast as previous estimates, suggesting the most recent common ancestor of humans and chimps lived longer than first thought.

'Our results indicate that human and chimp ancestors' genomes would diverge by about 0.1 per cent every million years, so when we see divergence of 1.2 per cent we infer that it must have been about 12 million years - 13 million years is our actual estimate' study co-author Gil McVean told Charles Choi at LiveScience.

As part of the study, researchers at looked for mutations in the genes of two father chimps, two mother chimps and five of their children.

They found that male chimps contribute three to four more genetic mutations to their offspring than female chimps, which adds up to two additional genetic mutations for every post-puberty year.

'What they have done is provide us the first direct measure of the mutation rate in another primate,' population geneticist Philip Awadalla of the University of Montreal told Dan Vergano at National Geographic.

'This isn't just a clock for evolutionary time, but something that offers us real insight into evolution.'

As part of the study, researchers at looked for mutations in the genes of two father chimps, two mother chimps and five of their children.They found that male chimps contribute three to four more genetic mutations to their offspring than female chimps