the break-up of the species

The Economist, May 20, 2006:
EVOLUTION: Humans could have interbred with chimpanzees
... a study published this week by scientists in America ... concludes that humans and chimpanzees interbred after the two species first separated, before eventually going their different ways some 5.4m years ago. Humans are thus much more recently related to their closest relatives than was previously thought.

Excuses for Breaking Up With Members of Another Species:

• "There are literally other fish in the sea."
• "Things are moving too fast. I'm just not ready for a short-beaked finch at this point in my life."
• "I've evolved into someone else."
• "I'm sorry, but I just don't love you anymore. Especially when you throw poop at me."
• "I hope we can still be friends."
• "I'm going to be away at college, and you're a rhesus monkey."
• "Dear John, This is the hardest letter I've ever had to write. Especially because I don't have thumbs. Holding the pencil is almost impossible. I don't think we should see each other anymore."
• "It's not your kingdom, phylum, class, order and genus; it's my kingdom, phylum, class, order and genus."
• "I'm gay. And not a walrus."
• "You're a Gazella thomsonii, and I'm a Gazella subgutturosa." (applies only to gazelles)