Ape

Apes belong to a biological superfamily known as Hominoidea. These primates are native to sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. In prehistoric times, they were much more widespread across Africa, Asia, and Europe. Today, including humans, members of this group are found globally. Apes are closely related to Old World monkeys, which belong to the family Cercopithecidae. Both apes and Old World monkeys are part of a larger group called Catarrhini.

A major physical difference between apes and monkeys is the absence of a tail. This trait is caused by a mutation in a specific gene called TBXT. While the term "ape" is often used loosely in everyday speech, scientists use it to describe the specific group Hominoidea. In some traditional uses, people might call tailless primates "apes" even if they are not part of the Hominoidea superfamily. Modern biology aims to be more precise with these classifications.

Scientists divide the superfamily Hominoidea into two distinct branches. The first branch is the family Hylobatidae, which are known as the lesser apes or gibbons. This family includes four genera and 20 different species, such as the siamang and the lar gibbon. These animals are highly arboreal, meaning they spend much of their time in trees. They also have lighter bodies and smaller social groups than great apes. They are capable of walking bipedally, or on two legs, when they are on the ground.

The second branch is the family Hominidae, known as the great apes. This family includes four genera: Pongo, Gorilla, Pan, and Homo. There are currently three species of orangutans, two species of gorillas, and two species of chimpanzees. Humans also belong to this family. Most hominoids are very agile climbers in forest environments. However, gorillas and humans are notable exceptions to this climbing pattern.

The history of how we name and group these animals is quite complex. In 1758, Carl Linnaeus began the process of formal classification. He placed humans within the order Primates alongside monkeys and apes. This was a very controversial idea at the time. Later, in the 1820s, a scientist named Gray introduced the terms hominoid and hominid. As researchers discovered more fossils and analyzed DNA, these classifications changed. For example, we once thought the species Ramapithecus was a human ancestor. New evidence later showed it was actually more closely related to orangutans.

Understanding the timeline of evolution helps scientists map how these groups diverged. Genetic analysis and fossils suggest hominoids split from Old World monkeys about 25 million years ago. This occurred near the boundary of the Oligocene and Miocene epochs. The gibbons split from the rest of the group about 18 million years ago. The different splits within the great apes happened later. For instance, the Pongo lineage split about 14 million years ago. The Gorilla lineage split about 7 million years ago. Finally, the split between humans and chimpanzees occurred between 3 and 5 million years ago.

Most apes survive on a diet consisting mainly of various plants. This includes fruits, leaves, stalks, roots, nuts, and seeds. Some species also eat animals to supplement their nutrition. Human diets have become quite different due to the use of technology and living in many different habitats. Today, many non-human apes face serious survival challenges. They are considered rare and threatened with extinction. Habitat loss is the primary threat to their survival. Some populations also face dangers from hunting and the Ebola virus.

The study of apes connects to many different scientific fields. It involves zoology to understand animal behavior and genetics to trace ancestry. Paleoanthropology uses the fossil record to study the history of the human lineage. Modern taxonomy uses cladistics to classify living things based on their lines of descent. This helps scientists understand the relationship between all living organisms. By studying the evolution of the Hominoidea, we gain a better understanding of our own biological history.