No animal alive today is ‘primitive’ – why are so many still labeled that way?

All species alive today, from chimpanzees to bacteria, are cousins that each have equally long lineages, rather than ancestors or descendants of one another.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Published
2026-02-09
DOI
https://doi.org/10.64628/aai.e5n6de9dn
Primary Topic
Geographies of human-animal interactions
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

No animal alive today is ‘primitive’ – why are so many still labeled that way?

Kevin E. Omland
Geographies of human-animal interactions
article

No animal alive today is ‘primitive’ – why are so many still labeled that way?

Kevin E. Omland
article en

Abstract

All species alive today, from chimpanzees to bacteria, are cousins that each have equally long lineages, rather than ancestors or descendants of one another.

University of Maryland, Baltimore County (US)
Openalex Percentile: Top 62%
Geographies of human-animal interactions
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.

No animal alive today is ‘primitive’ – why are so many still labeled that way? — Kevin E. Omland · (2026) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS