Oliver was called the ‘Humanzee’ and came to widespread public attention in 1976. The reason was because of his humanlike behaviour, preferring to walk on hindlegs, sit cross legged on a chair, help with chores around the house, etc. Besides that his small bald head and reduced prominence of his jaws yielded a humanoid appearance. Taken to Japan, in the mid 1970s blood tests showed that Oliver had 47 chromosomes – one more than humans, one less than chimps.

In autumn 1996, Chicago University geneticist Dr David Ledbetter revealed that Oliver had 48 chromosomes and later on, DNA analysis expert Dr John from Texas’s Trinity University also concluded that Oliver had 48 too and therefore dispelling the myth of Oliver being a mutant.

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