HUMAN CHROMOSOME 2 FUSION FROM TWO CHIMPANZEE CHROMOSOMES

Katrina Cook

doi:10.67690/ttqx5n55

HUMAN CHROMOSOME 2 FUSION FROM TWO CHIMPANZEE CHROMOSOMES

Authors

Katrina Cook

Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.67690/ttqx5n55

Abstract

Since the discovery of chromosomes in the early twentieth century, evolutionary scientists have proposed that a major event in ape-to-human evolution occurred less than 10 million years ago through the telomere-to-telomere fusion of two ancestral ape chromosomes to form human chromosome 2. Although the idea that living organisms acquired their anatomical structures through natural processes dates back to Aristotle, Charles Darwin articulated the central tenets of evolutionary theory. He proposed that natural selection directed changes within species and that anatomical similarities between humans and animals provided evidence that humans descended from a lower form of life, with the apes considered their closest living relatives because of their anatomical similarities to humans. Using chromosome-banding techniques, researchers compared human and ape chromosomes and observed that chimpanzee chromosomes 12 and 13 displayed banding patterns similar to those of human chromosome 2 when arranged end to end. These observations were presented as additional evidence that humans and chimpanzees share a common ancestor. However, subsequent genetic sequencing and comparative analyses of human and ape chromosomes have raised questions about this hypothesis. The genomic evidence examined in this paper challenges the claim that human chromosome 2 originated through the fusion of two ancestral ape chromosomes and permits alternative explanations of human origins to be considered.

Author Biography

Katrina Cook

Katrina Cook Nunley graduated from Gulf Coast Community College, then completed her studies at Toccoa Falls College in Toccoa, Georgia, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Christian Counseling Psychology and a teaching certificate in Bible, with a minor in Behavior Management. Shortly afterwards, she joined the United States Army as a Laboratory Specialist, earning an associate degree in laboratory technology at George Washington University. While serving in the Army, Katrina earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing at Columbus State University in Columbus, Georgia. After 15 years of Army service, she retired as a Captain and earned a Doctorate Degree in Nursing Practice at Capella University. Katrina became a born-again Christian in 1988 and has been studying the Bible extensively since then. Katrina holds the worldview of young earth creation and believes the Bible to be the true historical record of all the universe. Her hobbies are reading, cooking, kayaking, fishing, and playing the flute. Katrina is a Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing at Columbus State University in Georgia.

DNP, BSN, Assistant Professor, Columbus State University

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Published

2026-07-29

Issue

Vol. 1 No. 1 (2026): Truth in Research: Foundations of Scientific Inquiry

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Articles