There are many types of Apes, yet they all share certain traits. These include physical features and social behaviors.
Apes can divide into two distinct groups: great apes (chimpanzees, gorillas and bonobos) and lesser apes (gibbons and siamangs), which only exist in tropical rain forests.
Humans and apes
Apes may appear similar to humans in appearance and evolution, but they classified as hominoids (Superfamily Hominoidea) within the primate family tree.
Although humans and chimpanzees appear to be genetically and structurally similar, they differ in a variety of other ways. Genetics, structure, as well as behavioral traits are the main differences between them.
Some researchers think apes and humans share some core attributes, such as intelligence, language, and social behavior. On the other hand, others argue they differ in other areas such as food preferences or movement patterns.
Chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans are the three most iconic members of the ape family; they are our closest living relatives and often referred to as “great apes”.
Additionally, several fossil ape species have discovered throughout the world, including some from Europe and Asia. These ancient hominoids believed to have played a crucial role in the evolution of modern hominid ancestry.
Fossil apes can be difficult to place on the phylogenetic tree due to their complex morphologies that combine primitive and derived features. This has led some researchers to exclude fossil apes from human evolution, while others identify them as stem or crown members of the modern hominoid clade [i.e., preceding orangutans (pongines), African great apes (hominines) and humans [hominines]].
Although the Miocene epoch may not be the most reliable time to identify fossil apes, it does provide some insights into the earliest humans. Furthermore, during this era apes became more common in Africa and Europe and provided protein for some of the earliest human tribes.
At this time, apes demonstrated an intense interest in mirror self-recognition and found to be capable of counting and recognizing numbers from 1-10. These discoveries provide fascinating insight into how apes and humans first learned how to interact with one another.
Humans and chimpanzees
Though humans and chimpanzees appear similar, there are several key distinctions. Humans possess shorter arms and legs than chimps, who possess long, curved finger and toe bones for gripping tree branches. Furthermore, chimps possess a more robust immune system than humans do – they don’t get malaria for instance due to a small DNA difference that makes their blood cells less vulnerable to parasites that cause it.
Scientists are employing the recently completed chimpanzee genome to explore ape-human differences. Their aim is to pinpoint which genes make us humans and apes distinct from one another.
Chimps possess a smaller brain than humans do, which may have helped them stay out in the wild longer. Furthermore, humans possess better eyesight than chimps do – enabling them to see more fine details within their environment.
Surprisingly, the human and chimpanzee genomes shared a common ancestor about 7 to 7 million years ago. Unfortunately, their species separated a few million years later, leading to significant genetic differences today. Some of these can attributed to mutations in genes involved with hormone regulation, immunity and cancer development.
Researchers are investigating gene regulation and coding sequence differences that could have made apes more like humans or vice versa. For instance, apes and humans possess distinct gene variants for olfactory receptors.
Olfactory receptors play an integral role in recognizing smells and communicating with others, as they sense emotions which in turn affect olfactory receptors.
Additionally, both apes and humans possess several genes associated with mental retardation. These include NAIP (neuronal apoptosis inhibitory protein), SLC6A13 (gamma-aminobutyric acid transporter), KIAAA0738 (zinc finger transcription factor), CHRFAM7A (fusion of acetylcholine receptor gene and FAM7), ARHGEF5 (guanine exchange factor) and ROCK1 (Rho-dependent protein kinase).
Scientists have also observed differences in copy numbers for transposable elements, which are small pieces of DNA that can bind to proteins. Humans possess approximately twice as many unique insertions than chimpanzees do in various gene regions like RNA polymerase II (RPI II) and chromatin remodelling gene YFP2C.
Humans and gorillas
The great apes, also referred to as hominins or hominids, are members of the mammalian order Hominoidea and include chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans. Despite their diverse morphologies, these creatures share many similar traits such as social behavior, communication skills and learning ability.
Victoriapithecus and Nakalipithecus from Kenya and Chororapithecus from Ethiopia were discovered in late Miocene times (around 12 million years ago), believed to be the ancestor of modern apes.
These early apes had features similar to their living cousins, yet also displayed greater social complexity. Their behavior and brain structure suggest they may have developed some concept of mind; although it remains uncertain if they were aware of their environment or able to plan and act in response, some of their behaviors could have been similar to what humans display today.
They were capable of communicating with one another through speech, as well as reading and writing. Furthermore, they could observe their environment closely and make decisions based on what they observed.
Furthermore, they were able to formulate complex plans and decisions without necessarily considering what others thought about them. Instead, they relied on their own needs and feelings when making choices.
As they grew older, they learned to interact more frequently with one another than with their families. This fostered learning and enabled them to form more complex social structures.
Chimpanzees had larger brains and bodies than humans, enabling them to grow taller and stronger – enabling them to physically dominate their females.
Sexual dimorphism is not unique to great apes; it also occurs in other mammalian groups like lemurs and monkeys. Nonetheless, this feature sets them apart from other mammals.
The first full sequence of a gorilla’s genome, our closest relative in terms of evolutionary distance, revealed that humans and gorillas shared an ancestor about 10 million years ago. These discoveries illuminate how closely related these great apes once were and provide important clues as to their development and changes over time.
Humans and orangutans
Humans and orangutans are related, though there is some debate as to which species was the direct ancestor. Based on evidence, orangutans descended from Sivapithecus, which descended from chimpanzees and gorillas around 12 million years ago (Fleagle 1999; Palmer 2010).
Orangutans are arboreal creatures that spend much of their time in trees. Their arms are long and they brachiate, or swing from tree to tree with their hands. It takes a great deal of strength for an orangutan to do this, especially when two trees are close together.
They can stand upright for short distances and walk on all fours when on the ground. However, when they want to get up in the air, they prefer hanging from trees.
Like other great apes, orangutans eat fruit. They consume over 100 types of fruits such as figs and durian, along with flowers, bark, honey, termites, insects, bird eggs and other foods.
Male orangutans possess large cheek pads, known as flanges, on their faces. This feature serves to attract females and deter other males from approaching them.
Flanges, which are fatty tissues, develop when males reach maturity at around 35 years of age. Females find these flanges to be particularly attractive and they can help a male navigate the jungle when searching for a mate.
Orangutans typically live 35-40 years in the wild, though they can often reach their late 50’s while kept as pets. As they get older, orangutans become increasingly active and some even give birth at a young age.
The destruction of their habitat is severely limiting their lifespans due to logging, land clearing and oil palm plantations. Furthermore, orangutans face conflict between humans and orangutans over resources like agricultural crops or family gardens which they eat when there is not enough food in the forest for sustenance.
Orangutans are generally non-aggressive toward humans, but will attack if threatened by predators. They have an effective defense system which includes a long call that they emit 1.2 miles apart – this rumbling sound serves to warn other apes, monkeys and other creatures away from them.
Recommended readings:
- What Is Assimilation?
- What is Adaptation?
- The Evolution of Dinosaurs
- Ammonoids Fossils
- What is an Arachnid?
