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

Publication Details

Journal
Maryland Shared Open Access Repository (USMAI Consortium)
Published
2026-02-09
DOI
https://doi.org/10.13016/m2og92-dyil
Primary Topic
Primate Behavior and Ecology
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

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

Kevin E. Omland
Maryland Shared Open Access Repository (USMAI Consortium)
Primate Behavior and Ecology
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.

Maryland Shared Open Access Repository (USMAI Consortium)
Openalex Percentile: Top 12%
Primate Behavior and Ecology
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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No animal alive today is ‘primitive’ – why are so many still labeled that way? — Kevin E. Omland · Maryland Shared Open Access Repository (USMAI Consortium) (2026) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS