Ape
Apes are mammals belonging to the primate family Hominoidea. Its members are called hominoids. They are native to Africa and Southeast Asia. Its living members are divided into two families:
- Hylobatidae, the gibbons and siamangs;
- Hominidae, consisting of humans, chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans.[1][2]
Apes Temporal range: late Oligocene – Recent
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A chimpanzee, an example of a great ape | |
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Superfamily: | Hominoidea Gray, 1825
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Hylobatidae |
One clear difference between monkeys and apes is that monkeys almost always have tails, but hominoids never do. There are also differences in their teeth and the way they move their arms. They have a wide degree of freedom at the shoulder joint, which helps them swing by their arms in the trees (brachiation).
The diets of apes are similar to those of other primates. They eat fruits, nuts, seeds, leaves and sometimes other animals. They are generally omnivores, though most of their intake is herbivorous.[3][4]

ReferencesEdit
- ↑ Groves, Colin; Wilson D.E. and Reeder D.M. (eds) 2005. Mammal species of the world. 3rd ed, Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 178-184. ISBN 0-801-88221-4 [1]
- ↑ Goodman M.; et al. (1990). "Primate evolution at the DNA level and a classification of hominoids". Journal of Molecular Evolution. 30 (3): 260–266. doi:10.1007/BF02099995. PMID 2109087.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
- ↑ Ewen, Ewen (13 October 2008). "Loving bonobos have a carnivorous dark side". newscientist. newscientist. Retrieved 6 May 2016. CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
- ↑ Hoag, Hannah (2013). "Humans are becoming more carnivorous". Nature. Nature. Retrieved 6 May 2016. CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
Other websitesEdit
Wikispecies has information on: Ape. |
Media related to Ape at Wikimedia Commons