The chimpanzee is one of our closest living relatives- Chimpanzees are our closest living relatives, sharing more than 98 percent of our genetic blueprint. Humans and chimps are also thought to share a common ancestor who lived some four to eight million years ago. Behavior On two legs, a chimpanzee may reach over 4 feet in height, and weigh more than 150 lbs. Even though chimpanzees' habitat is often near water, chimps cannot swim, due to the structure and density of their bodies. A chimpanzee's senses of sight, taste, and hearing are similar to those of humans Chimpanzees live in social communities of several dozen animals, and can habituate themselves to African rain forests, woodlands, and grasslands. Although they normally walk on all fours (knuckle-walking), chimpanzees can stand and walk upright. By swinging from branch to branch they can also move quite efficiently in the trees, where they do most of their eating. Chimpanzees usuall...