As I had written about this (apparently legal)Human Animal cross, in the past.
I did not want to tack this post onto the previous 26 replies, for fear of boring everyone?
So I am just posting a few of the interesting items in one block, adding the interesting post by RICHARD DAWKINS himself.

The original screed of posts starts in "Not Quite Science
Forum" back in 04/30/08 (30th April 2008) page 9.
Post #25860...for those who want to refresh all.
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Posts of Interest:-
Half man, half chimp - should we beware the Apeman's coming?

A LEADING scientist has WARNED a new species of "Humanzee", created from breeding APES with HUMANS, could become a reality.
In fact to produce a HUMANZEE, an Ape Human hybrid is quite legal.

Although the Human Fertilisation and Embryo Bill prohibits the placement of animal sperm into a woman.
The REVERSE is not prohibited. In fact its not even mentioned.

Dr Calum MacKellar, director of research at the Scottish Council on Human Bioethics, warned the controversial draft Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill did not prevent human sperm being inseminated into animals.
He said if a female chimpanzee was inseminated with human sperm the two species would be closely enough related, that a hybrid could be born.

So could a half Man half Chimp, Humanzee breed really be possible?
Yes says Dr MacKellar. He said: "The chromosomal difference between a goat and a sheep, (a Shoat) is greater than between humans and chimpanzees."

Professor Bob Millar, director of the Medical Research Council Human Reproductive Sciences Unit, based in Edinburgh, agreed. Viable offspring would be possible. He said: "Donkeys can mate with horses and create infertile offspring; maybe that could happen with chimpanzees."

Professor Hugh McLachlan, professor of applied philosophy at Glasgow Caledonian University's School of Law and Applied Sciences, said although the idea was "troublesome", he could see no ethical objections to the creation of Humanzees.
Any species came to be what it is now because of all sorts of interaction in the past," he said.

Dr MacKellar said the resulting Humanzee's could raise ethical dilemmas, such as whether it would be treated as human or animal, and what rights it would have.
If there was a possibility of Humanzees developing a conscience, you would have a difficult dilemma on your hands."
There are a number of other hybrid species that have already been created, using only artificial insemination.
Lions and tigers have been bred to create LIGERS, the world's largest cats.
And there are also ZORSES (zebra and horse), WHOLPINS (whale and dolphin), TIGONS, (tiger and lion), LEPJAGS (leopard and jaguar) and ZONKEYS, (zebra and donkey).

Most hybrid animals have been bred in captivity, but there are examples of the process occurring in the wild.
This is far more common in plants than animals, but in April 2006 a hunter in Canada's North-west Territories shot a polar bear whose fur had an orange tint.
Research showed that it had a grizzly bear father, and it became known as a PIZZLY..

In 2003, DNA analysis confirmed that five odd-looking felines found in Maine and Minnesota were bobcat-lynx hybrids, dubbed BLYNXES.

Dr MacKellar said, fascination might be enough of a motive for
scientists to try crossing the two species, to produce a Humanzee.

http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/latestnews/Exclusive-Half-man-half-chimp.4028970.jp

"You will never find a real Human being - even in a mirror." ....Mike Kremer.

***************************ANOTHER POST

............>Well you might be serious, but that idea is more worthy of inclusion in a Comic Strip.....unless of course these Scottish genetic scientists were to produce a Man/Simian Humanzee.

If it was'nt for the fact that it was thought up in Scotland, where the first famous Dolly sheep was cloned,
plus the fact that they make it sound so easy.....impregnation only is required
I would'nt have given it another thought, let alone a mention.
'big fat pig', got it exactly right when he asked...WHY?

If it is as easy as they say, I expect some one some where will try and produce a Humanzee.....just because it's possible?
But whether the result is published would very much depend upon the physical, and mental, attributes of this Humanzee.
I cannot see how cross breeding a human with a lesser intelligent ape could result in any benefit to us humans?
What if it were to increase the intellectual capacity of the ape?
Still the possibility of a smooth skinned, white, hairless ape being born would, I suspect give us all convulsions of horror.
Or visa-versa?
Its because we dont know, that some-one will try to find out.
********************AnotherPOST
I thought the following item deserves a mention within these postings?
"Spanish Parliament to Extend Human Rights to Apes"

http://uk.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUKL256586320080625

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[quote=Mike Kremer]
Here is an addition to this interesting post.
With the thoughts of RICHARD DAWKINS posted 2nd Jan: 2009.

"How would you feel about a half-human half-chimp hybrid?"

Dawkins speculates about how a human-chimp hybrid or the discovery of a living Homo erectus would change the way we see the World.
......>2. A successful hybridisation between a human and a chimpanzee. Even if the hybrid were infertile like a mule, the shock waves that would be sent through society would be salutary. This is why a distinguished biologist described this possibility as the most immoral scientific experiment he could imagine: it would change everything! It cannot be ruled out as impossible, but it would be surprising.

***My thoughts
As I wrote previously.....It may be immoral, ...but a Ape/Human chimera, is quite legal.
More of Richard Dawkins thoughts are below.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/blog/2009/jan/02/richard-dawkins-chimpanzee-hybrid

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AND TODAYS STORY THAT PROMPTED ME TO REVIVE THIS OLD POST

From Ananova:

'SUPER MONKEY' warning

Scientists warn that recent new experiments could create monkeys with brains more human than animal.

In cutting-edge experiments, scientists have injected human brain cells into monkey fetuses to study the effects.

An eminent committee of American scientists is calling for restrictions into the research, reports Australian website News.com.au.

It says the outcome of such studies cannot be predicted and could produce subjects with 'super-animal' intelligence.
The high-powered committee of animal behaviourists, lawyers, philosophers, bio-ethicists and neuro-scientists was established four years ago to examine the growing numbers of human/monkey experiments.

These procedures, known as human-primate chimeras, involve the combination of human and monkey cells, tissue and DNA.

This team will soon publish its conclusions in leading journal Science.

"What we were trying to do was anticipate - recognising that if science were to take that path there might be some different kinds of moral challenges." said committee co-chairman Dr Ruth Faden.


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"You will never find a real Human being - Even in a mirror." ....Mike Kremer.