"Choice of Alliance" is here! - August 2026
- Cynthia Zager Godwin
- 59 minutes ago
- 5 min read
IN THIS POST:
Writer’s Corner
Visit to a Gibbon Preserve
Are We Related to Monkeys?
What Do Humans Have Not Shared With Monkeys or Apes?
Writer’s Corner
Cynthia Zager Godwin
“Choice of Alliance,” follows geo-engineer, Lt. Keely Hollis, stranded on an uncharted planet and caught in the crossfire of a fierce planetary conflict.
The ebook went live August 15th. The print version releases on August 31st.
It’s been an incredibly long journey from writing to editing to finally publishing. I’m over the moon with joy that the first book in the series is finally a reality.
Now on to book number two! It follows Jael, a character from the first book. She’s a spy who's inadvertently hired by an enemy general.
Susan Marie Graham - fellow Lady Lit
Renata Ramos has spent years dreaming of the life she knows she was made for — a loving husband, beautiful children, and a home filled with joy. But the right man has never come, and the long years keep passing.
When Colby finally appears, he looks like "the one." But is he?
"The Truth About Joy" is the second book in the series. This book works either as part of the series or as a stand-alone.
Gibbon Preserve
We recently visited the Gibbon Preserve located in Santa Clarita, California with a group of friends.
The first question our guide asked was, “Who’s here to see the monkeys?”
We all raised our hands and much to our surprise the guide said, “We don’t have any monkeys here. Monkeys have tails. Gibbons are small apes and apes don’t have tails.” Who knew?
Both of the small apes in the picture above belong to the same gibbon species. The male turns black when mature. Babies are born beige. The female will remain beige even when full grown.
Gibbon Facts
Gibbons are native to the rain forests of Southeast Asia. With arms 1½ times longer than their legs, they swing from trees at speeds of 35 mph, and can leap up to 50 feet. Gibbons “sing” so loud they can be heard up to two miles away. They eat fruit, leaves, bird's eggs, and insects.
There are four different species, of gibbons. Depending on the the particular species, gibbons have 38, 44, 50, or 52 chromosomes. In contrast, humans have 46.
Are We Related to Monkeys?
A better question is: Do humans and apes share an extinct but common ancestor? Your high school biology teacher probably said, yes.
The teacher might have mentioned we share 99% of our DNA with modern chimpanzees. New research based on how you measure the two species’ DNA has changed that view. The amount of DNA shared between us and chimps is now thought to be 85%. It seems the more we learn about DNA, the more we discover how incredibly complex the molecule is.
How Complicated is DNA?
You might have heard of “junk DNA.” Scientists used to think the only parts of DNA that mattered were the ones that built proteins. Proteins like hemoglobin so your blood carried oxygen, antibodies so you had a functioning immune system, or insulin so you could digest your French fries. Since 98% of DNA didn’t produce proteins, it was assumed the rest was evolutionary debris. Junk.
Nothing could be further from the truth! Junk DNA is now called non-coding DNA.
Non-coding DNA contains millions of switches that turn genes on and off and at just the right time. It has volume controls, telling genes how much protein to make for each individual cell. It tells a cell how to read the instructions in a gene. It tells a new-formed baby cell what type of tissue to become. DNA instructions even manage the health of cells. For example, mutations in non-coding DNA result in cancer, autism, schizophrenia, and other diseases.
Back to the Monkey Question
If you’re doing a simple DNA comparison, humans have 46 chromosomes. So does the largest Asian antelope, a beach vole native to the state of Massachusetts, an underground dwelling rodent with a serious overbite problem that lives in South America, and a variety of potato called Solanum tuberosum. All have 46 chromosomes too, but no one in my family resembles a potato or an underground dwelling rodent. Thank goodness!
Then there's the chromosome mismatch problem. Humans have 23 pairs chromosomes. Chimpanzees have 24 pairs. The mismatch means chromosomes can’t pair up with their dance partner when it’s time to divide and create new cells. Consider what happens when humans receive just one extra chromosome.
When a human baby receives three number 21 chromosomes, instead of the normal two, the result is Downs syndrome. These children generally have reduced mental capacities, less muscle tone, heart defects, a higher risk of leukemia (a blood cancer), and Alzheimer's disease. Besides that one of the best ways to discover how related a species is, can it interbreed? The Russians and Chinese both tried. The answer in the case of humans and chimps is, no.
What Do Humans Have Not Shared with Monkeys or Apes?
Humans were created in the image of the God of the universe. Created. Not evolved from some long-ago ape. No animal in Genesis is listed as being created in God’s image. This makes each and every human being unique and special in the Lord’s eyes. Then God said, “Let Us make mankind in Our image, according to Our likeness." (Gen. 1:26 NASB)
Humans have the ability to converse with our Heavenly Father through prayer.
"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18 NASB)
Humans have an eternal soul.
“I will give thanks to You, because I am awesomely and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well." (Ps. 139: 14 NASB)
Humans will be judged for their deeds.
"Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds." (Genesis 20: 11-12 NASB)
Beyond the physical differences between monkey's, apes, and humans, there is a huge spiritual gulf as well. And I haven't even talked about love, language, or a moral compass. I'll leave that to another blog.
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