When symptoms are present, diagnosing the presence of osteophytes is a combination of a clinical exam of the joints and x-rays. Once the presence of osteophytes is confirmed, the treatment will depend on the severity of the disease.
While the genetic difference between individual humans today is minuscule â about 0.1%, on average â study of the same aspects of the chimpanzee genome indicates a difference of about 1.2%. The bonobo (Pan paniscus), which is the close cousin of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), differs from humans to the same degree.
[Written around 2006.] The essential difference between animals and humans is the ability to self-reflect. A chimpanzee, our closest genetic relative (around 99% similar in DNA), can be taught to do basically everything a human can, though of course at a more generally primitive level.