Y chromosome is evolving faster than the X, primate study reveals

Portrait of a male common chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes).

The Y chromosome in primates — including humans — is evolving much more rapidly than the X chromosome, new research on six primate species suggests.

For instance, humans and chimpanzees share upwards of 98% of their DNA across the whole of the genome, but just 14% to 27% of the DNA sequences on the human Y chromosome are shared with our closest living relatives.