Does anyone remember when humans had 48 chromosomes ?

Question

When it was believed that humans and apes had 48 chromosomes (1940-1955) were biology teachers claiming this as evidence of evolution ? What did they say in 1956 when humans turned up with 46 ?

Answer 1

I don't. Then again, im 17..and it took me a second to remember we had 46, 23 pairs. =P

Answer 2

That is the nature of scientific theory (in which improvements can be made.)

Answer 3

School teachers in the most US states couldn't teach evolution then.  Evolution wasn't widely taught until the 60's, but it was probably counted as evidence of human-ape similarity.

Once it turns out they were wrong, the scientists admitted their mistake.

Eventually karyotyping improved and they made an observation.  The two ape chromosomes' bands happen to line up with human #2.  I remember this diagram being in biology books from the 90's as evidence.

Much more recently genomics proved there was a fusion event.  This is touted constantly as one of the best pieces of evidence for common descent.