Can Monkeys Develop Into Humans?

If chimp genes are 99 % identical to ours, can monkeys develop into humans?

Theoretically, there is nothing to prevent that under the right circumstances and with lots of time at their disposal, monkeys would be able to develop intelligence comparable to that of humans. That is the scenario which unfolds in the science fiction novel “Planet of the Apes”, on which several films have been based.

However, evolutionary biologists do not consider it realistic that chimps, which are the closest relatives of humans in the animal kingdom, would be able to develop into humans. Although chimp DNA only differs from that of humans by about 1 %, it would require major changes of the genetic material. Not only would the body shape of monkeys have to be changed into something similar to ours. The DNA would also have to be so close to ours that mating would result in viable offspring. Biologists have not yet found evidence that two species, which parted evolutionally at some point, have reunited.

Given time and favourable conditions, monkeys would theoretically be able to become just as smart as us.