Chimpanzees are our closest living relatives, sharing over 98 percent of their DNA with humans, and the scientists say that their findings cannot only teach us about our own evolutionary history but also about the biology of malaria infection in humans. Despite being a fascinating species with a key ecological role, chimpanzees are endangered due to habitat destruction, poaching and infectious diseases. The results of this study also help inform conservation as they suggest that climate and land use changes will likely have different impacts on different chimpanzee groups.