Primate TraitsChimpanzees and gorillas are genetically similar, sharing more than 98 percent of their DNA. While they have many of the same body parts, the details of these body parts differ. between the two species. Chimpanzees and gorillas. have a difference of 2 percent in their DNA. sequences, but that difference represents more than 35 million base pairs that differ in the chromosomes of every cell. These base-pair changes account for the physical differences seen between the two species. One difference between the two species is the shape of their hands and feet. Figure 1 compares the hand and a foot of a chimpanzee and a gorilla. Figure 1. Chimpanzee and Gorilla Hands and Feet