47-588: Apes are a clade of higher anthropoids in the superfamily Hominoidea. Ape or APE may also refer to: Ape sister: Cercopithecoidea Apes (collectively Hominoidea / h ɒ m ɪ ˈ n ɔɪ d i . ə / ) are a clade of Old World simians native to sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia (though they were more widespread in Africa, most of Asia, and Europe in prehistory, and counting humans are found globally). Apes are more closely related to Old World monkeys (family Cercopithecidae) than to
94-416: A dimorphic species. The olfactory bulb to endocranial volume ratio is considered to be on the lower end of the strepsirrhine spectrum, perhaps as a result of the organism's rostrum . In relation to other anthropoids, the frontal lobes of A. zeuxis are considered to be rather small but the olfactory bulbs are not considered to be small when taking into account the body size of A. zeuxis . Overall,
141-449: A close relationship between humans and the rest of the animal kingdom. Linnaeus's Lutheran archbishop had accused him of "impiety". In a letter to Johann Georg Gmelin dated 25 February 1747, Linnaeus wrote: It is not pleasing to me that I must place humans among the primates, but man is intimately familiar with himself. Let's not quibble over words. It will be the same to me whatever name is applied. But I desperately seek from you and from
188-609: A common ancestor, this grouping did not include all the descendant species, because humans were excluded from being among the apes. Traditionally, the English-language vernacular name "apes" does not include humans, but phylogenetically, humans ( Homo ) form part of the family Hominidae within Hominoidea. Thus, there are at least three common, or traditional, uses of the term "ape": non-specialists may not distinguish between "monkeys" and "apes", that is, they may use
235-539: A second species in Homo along with H. sapiens : Homo troglodytes ("cave-dwelling man"). Although the term "Orang Outang" is listed as a variety – Homo sylvestris – under this species, it is nevertheless not clear to which animal this name refers, as Linnaeus had no specimen to refer to, hence no precise description. Linnaeus may have based Homo troglodytes on reports of mythical creatures, then-unidentified simians , or Asian natives dressed in animal skins. Linnaeus named
282-429: A synonym for "monkey" and it could denote the tailless human-like primate in particular. Some, or recently all, hominoids are also called "apes", but the term is used broadly and has several different senses within both popular and scientific settings. "Ape" has been used as a synonym for "monkey" or for naming any primate with a human-like appearance, particularly those without a tail. Biologists have traditionally used
329-428: A tail. Monkeys are more likely to be in trees and use their tails for balance. While the great apes are considerably larger than monkeys, gibbons (lesser apes) are smaller than some monkeys. Apes are considered to be more intelligent than monkeys, which are considered to have more primitive brains. The enzyme urate oxidase has become inactive in all apes, its function having been lost in two primate lineages during
376-486: Is about 56 to 92 cm (22 to 36 in) long. Aegyptopithecus fossils have been found in the Jebel Qatrani Formation of modern-day Egypt . Aegyptopithecus is believed to be a stem - catarrhine , a crucial link between Eocene and Miocene fossils. Aegyptopithecus zeuxis has become one of the best known extinct primates based on craniodental and postcranial remains. Aegyptopithecus
423-595: Is also due to Gray (1824), intended as including the human lineage (see also Hominidae#Terminology , Human taxonomy ). The distinction between apes and monkeys is complicated by the traditional paraphyly of monkeys: Apes emerged as a sister group of Old World Monkeys in the catarrhines , which are a sister group of New World Monkeys. Therefore, cladistically , apes, catarrhines and related contemporary extinct groups such as Parapithecidae are monkeys as well, for any consistent definition of "monkey". "Old World monkey" may also legitimately be taken to be meant to include all
470-457: Is an early fossil catarrhine that predates the divergence between hominoids ( apes ) and cercopithecids (Old World monkeys). It is known from a single species, Aegyptopithecus zeuxis , which lived around 38-29.5 million years ago in the early part of the Oligocene epoch. It likely resembled modern-day New World monkeys , and was about the same size as a modern howler monkey , which
517-507: Is complex and somewhat confusing. Recent evidence has changed our understanding of the relationships between the hominoids, especially regarding the human lineage; and the traditionally used terms have become somewhat confused. Competing approaches to methodology and terminology are found among current scientific sources. Over time, authorities have changed the names and the meanings of names of groups and subgroups as new evidence — that is, new discoveries of fossils and tools and of observations in
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#1732780343617564-441: Is placed in its own genus, then there is one documented species named A. zeuxis . The type specimen for the species is CGM26901. Its scientific name means "linking Egyptian ape". There is controversy over whether or not Aegyptopithecus should be a genus on its own or whether it should be moved into the genus Propliopithecus . Aegyptopithecus zeuxis was a species that had a dental formula of 2.1.2.3 2.1.2.3 , with
611-408: Is relatively broad. The orbits are dorsally oriented and relatively small which suggested that this was a diurnal species . This species showed some postorbital constriction . The interorbital distance of Aegyptopithecus zeuxis is large much like that found in colobines . A sagittal crest developed in older individuals and extends over the brow ridges . This species had an auditory region which
658-418: Is similar to that found in platyrrhines , having no bony tube and the tympanic fused to the lateral surface of the bulla. The humerus has a head which faces posteriorly and is narrower than primates that practice suspensory behavior . The humerus also shares some features with extinct hominoids : a large medial epicondyle and a comparatively wide trochlea . This species had an ulna that compares to
705-474: Is their long arms, which they use to brachiate through trees. Their wrists are ball and socket joints as an evolutionary adaptation to their arboreal lifestyle. Generally smaller than the African apes, the largest gibbon, the siamang , weighs up to 14 kg (31 lb); in comparison, the smallest "great ape", the bonobo , is 34 to 60 kg (75 to 132 lb). The superfamily Hominoidea falls within
752-601: The New World monkeys (Platyrrhini) with both Old World monkeys and apes placed in the clade Catarrhini . Apes do not have tails due to a mutation of the TBXT gene . In traditional and non-scientific use, the term ape can include tailless primates taxonomically considered Cercopithecidae (such as the Barbary ape and black ape ), and is thus not equivalent to the scientific taxon Hominoidea. There are two extant branches of
799-1307: The Old World monkeys about 25 million years ago (mya), near the Oligocene–Miocene boundary . The gibbons split from the rest about 18 mya, and the hominid splits happened 14 mya ( Pongo ), 7 mya ( Gorilla ), and 3–5 mya ( Homo & Pan ). In 2015, a new genus and species were described, Pliobates cataloniae , which lived 11.6 mya, and appears to predate the split between Hominidae and Hylobatidae. Saadanioidea (†28) Victoriapithecinae (†19) Crown Cercopithecoidea Dendropithecidae (†7 Mya) Ekembo heseloni (†17 Mya) Proconsulidae (†18 Mya) Ekembo nyanzae (†17 Mya) Equatorius (†16) Pliobates (†11.6 Mya) Morotopithecus (†20) Afropithecus (†16) Hominidae Hylobatidae humans (genus Homo ) [REDACTED] chimpanzees (genus Pan ) [REDACTED] gorillas (genus Gorilla ) [REDACTED] orangutans (genus Pongo ) [REDACTED] gibbons/lesser apes (family Hylobatidae) [REDACTED] Cercopithecoidea [REDACTED] Old World monkeys The families, and extant genera and species of hominoids are: The history of hominoid taxonomy
846-539: The parvorder Catarrhini , which also includes the Old World monkeys of Africa and Eurasia. Within this grouping, the two families Hylobatidae and Hominidae can be distinguished from Old World monkeys by the number of cusps on their molars ; hominoids have five in the "Y-5" molar pattern, whereas Old World monkeys have only four in a bilophodont pattern. Further, in comparison with Old World monkeys, hominoids are noted for: more mobile shoulder joints and arms due to
893-431: The pig-tailed langur , is known to walk significant distances bipedally. The front of the ape skull is characterised by its sinuses, fusion of the frontal bone, and by post-orbital constriction . Cladistically , apes, catarrhines, and extinct species such as Aegyptopithecus and Parapithecidaea , are monkeys, so one can only specify ape features not present in other monkeys. Unlike most monkeys , apes do not possess
940-482: The ulna and distal articular surface of the humerus indicate that A. zeuxis was not only an arboreal quadruped, but also large and slow. Studies in dental microwear and microsutures focusing on its molars, suggest that Aegyptopithecus was probably a frugivore . It is also possible that Aegyptopithecus ate hard objects on occasion. Aegyptopithecus lived in the Fayum area of northern Egypt. Today, this area
987-558: The Quadrumana, under the title of the Primates. The justice of this conclusion will be admitted: for in the first place, we must bear in mind the comparative insignificance for classification of the great development of the brain in man, and that the strongly marked differences between the skulls of man and the Quadrumana (lately insisted upon by Bischoff , Aeby , and others) apparently follow from their differently developed brains. In
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#17327803436171034-592: The brain to body weight ratio of A. zeuxis is considered to be strepsirrhine-like and perhaps even non-primate like. Aegyptopitheccus zeuxis is thought to have been sexually dimorphic . Tooth size, craniofacial morphology, brain size, and body mass all indicate this. Due to A. zeuxis being sexually dimorphic, the social structure is thought to have been polygynous with intense competition for females. Three femoral remains were found in Quarry I (DPC 5262 and 8709) and Quarry M (DPC 2480). Paleomagnetic dating puts
1081-444: The catarrhines, including apes and extinct species such as Aegyptopithecus , in which case the apes, Cercopithecoidea and Aegyptopithecus emerged within the Old World monkeys. The primates called "apes" today became known to Europeans after the 18th century. As zoological knowledge developed, it became clear that taillessness occurred in a number of different and otherwise distantly related species . Sir Wilfrid Le Gros Clark
1128-496: The development of technology and a wide range of habitation. All non-human hominoids are rare and threatened with extinction . The main threat is habitat loss , though some populations are further imperiled by hunting. The great apes of Africa are also facing threat from the Ebola virus . "Ape", from Old English apa , is a word of uncertain origin. The term has a history of rather imprecise usage—and of comedic or punning usage in
1175-470: The dorsal position of the scapula ; broader ribcages that are flatter front-to-back; and a shorter, less mobile spine, with greatly reduced caudal (tail) vertebrae—resulting in complete loss of the tail in extant hominoid species. These are anatomical adaptations, first, to vertical hanging and swinging locomotion ( brachiation ) and, later, to developing balance in a bipedal pose. Note there are primates in other families that also lack tails, and at least one,
1222-430: The extinct members of the genus Alouatta . On the foot bones, this species had a grasping hallux . Aegyptopithecus zeuxis shares characteristics with haplorrhines such as a fused mandibular and frontal symphyses, postorbital closure, and superior and inferior transverse tori . Based on dental dimensions and femoral remains the body mass of A. zeuxis is estimated to be 6.708 kg. The functional length of
1269-572: The femur is estimated to be 150 mm, which is larger than Cebus apella and smaller than Alouatta seniculus . In Egypt's Fayum Depression a subadult female cranium, CGM 85785, was discovered by Rajeev Patnaik. This specimen's cranial capacity was found to be 14.63 cm and reanalysis of a male endocast (CGM 40237) estimates a cranial capacity of 21.8 cm . These estimates dispel earlier ones of approximately 30 cm . These measurements give an estimated male to female endocranial ratio of approximately 1.5, indicating A. zeuxis to be
1316-443: The femur, which is deeper than that of "later" catarrhines. Also, based on overall femoral morphology, A. zeuxis is thought to have been robust. The phalanges of the hands and feet suggest powerful grasping consistent with arboreal quadrupedalism. The humerus also suggests arboreal quadrupedalism. This is based on the pronounced brachialis flange and stabilizing muscles on brachial flexors rather than extensors. In addition,
1363-501: The field, plus continual comparisons of anatomy and DNA sequences — has changed the understanding of relationships between hominoids. There has been a gradual demotion of humans from being 'special' in the taxonomy to being one branch among many. This recent turmoil (of history) illustrates the growing influence on all taxonomy of cladistics , the science of classifying living things strictly according to their lines of descent. Today, there are eight extant genera of hominoids. They are
1410-540: The four genera in the family Hominidae, namely Homo , Pan , Gorilla , and Pongo ; plus four genera in the family Hylobatidae (gibbons): Hylobates , Hoolock , Nomascus and Symphalangus . (The two subspecies of hoolock gibbons were recently moved from the genus Bunopithecus to the new genus Hoolock and re-ranked as species; a third species was described in January 2017). In 1758, Carl Linnaeus , relying on second- or third-hand accounts, placed
1457-497: The gibbons and orang-utan ... the gorilla and chimpanzee ... and humans". Modern biologists and primatologists refer to apes that are not human as "non-human" apes. Scientists broadly, other than paleoanthropologists, may use the term " hominin " to identify the human clade , replacing the term " hominid ". See terminology of primate names . See below, History of hominoid taxonomy , for a discussion of changes in scientific classification and terminology regarding hominoids. Although
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1504-470: The hominoid fossil record is still incomplete and fragmentary, there is now enough evidence to provide an outline of the evolutionary history of humans . Previously, the divergence between humans and other extant hominoids was thought to have occurred 15 to 20 million years ago, and several species of that time period, such as Ramapithecus , were once thought to be hominins and possible ancestors of humans. But, later fossil finds indicated that Ramapithecus
1551-409: The lower molars increasing in size posteriorly. The molars showed an adaptation called compartmentalizing shear, which is where the cutting edges involved in the buccal phase serve to surround basins in such a way that food is cut into fragments that are trapped and then ground during the lingual phase. The canines of this species were sexually dimorphic . The ascending mandibular ramus of this species
1598-684: The middle Miocene; first in the common ancestors of Hominidae, and later in the common ancestor of Hylobatidae. It has been hypothesized that in both incidents it was a mutation that occurred in apes living in Europe when the climate was getting colder, leading to starvation during winter. The mutation changed the biochemistry of the apes and made it easier to accumulate fat, which allowed the animals to survive longer periods of starvation. When they migrated to Asia and Africa, this genetic trait remained. Aegyptopithecus Aegyptopithecus ("Egyptian ape", from Greek Αίγυπτος "Egypt" and πίθηκος "ape")
1645-417: The orangutan Simia satyrus ("satyr monkey"). He placed the three genera Homo , Simia and Lemur in the order of Primates. The troglodytes name was used for the chimpanzee by Blumenbach in 1775, but moved to the genus Simia . The orangutan was moved to the genus Pongo in 1799 by Lacépède . Linnaeus's inclusion of humans in the primates with monkeys and apes was troubling for people who denied
1692-705: The primates be divided into the Quadrumana (four-handed, i.e. apes and monkeys) and Bimana (two-handed, i.e. humans). This distinction was taken up by other naturalists, most notably Georges Cuvier . Some elevated the distinction to the level of order . However, the many affinities between humans and other primates – and especially the "great apes" – made it clear that the distinction made no scientific sense. In his 1871 book The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex , Charles Darwin wrote: The greater number of naturalists who have taken into consideration
1739-464: The second place, we must remember that nearly all the other and more important differences between man and the Quadrumana are manifestly adaptive in their nature, and relate chiefly to the erect position of man; such as the structure of his hand, foot, and pelvis, the curvature of his spine, and the position of his head. The lesser apes are the gibbon family, Hylobatidae, of sixteen species; all are native to Asia. Their major differentiating characteristic
1786-484: The sites at 33 Ma, consistent with the Oligocene epoch. Based on the estimated femoral neck angle (120-130 degrees) the femur is similar to that of a quadrupedal anthropoid. The greater trochanter 's morphology is inconsistent with that of leaping primates, serving as further evidence of the animal's quadrupedalism . Aegyptopithecus is thought to have been an arboreal quadruped due to the distal articular region of
1833-444: The superfamily Hominoidea: the gibbons , or lesser apes; and the hominids , or great apes . Except for gorillas and humans, hominoids are agile climbers of trees. Apes eat a variety of plant and animal foods, with the majority of food being plant foods, which can include fruits, leaves, stalks, roots and seeds, including nuts and grass seeds. Human diets are sometimes substantially different from that of other hominoids due in part to
1880-434: The term "ape" to mean a member of the superfamily Hominoidea other than humans, but more recently to mean all members of Hominoidea. So "ape"—not to be confused with "great ape"—now becomes another word for hominoid including humans. The taxonomic term hominoid is derived from, and intended as encompassing, the hominids , the family of great apes . Both terms were introduced by Gray (1825). The term hominins
1927-460: The two terms interchangeably; or they may use "ape" for any tailless monkey or non-human hominoid; or they may use the term "ape" to just mean the non-human hominoids. Modern taxonomy aims for the use of monophyletic groups for taxonomic classification; Some literature may now use the common name "ape" to mean all members of the superfamily Hominoidea, including humans. For example, in his 2005 book, Benton wrote "The apes, Hominoidea, today include
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1974-445: The vernacular. Its earliest meaning was generally of any non-human anthropoid primate, as is still the case for its cognates in other Germanic languages. Later, after the term " monkey " had been introduced into English, "ape" was specialized to refer to a tailless (therefore exceptionally human-like) primate. Thus, the term "ape" obtained two different meanings, as shown in the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica entry: it could be used as
2021-470: The whole structure of man, including his mental faculties, have followed Blumenbach and Cuvier, and have placed man in a separate Order, under the title of the Bimana, and therefore on an equality with the orders of the Quadrumana, Carnivora, etc. Recently many of our best naturalists have recurred to the view first propounded by Linnaeus, so remarkable for his sagacity, and have placed man in the same Order with
2068-445: The whole world a general difference between men and simians from the principles of Natural History. I certainly know of none. If only someone might tell me one! If I called man a simian or vice versa I would bring together all the theologians against me. Perhaps I ought to, in accordance with the law of Natural History. Accordingly, Johann Friedrich Blumenbach in the first edition of his Manual of Natural History (1779), proposed that
2115-763: Was discovered by Elwyn Simons in 1966 in the Gabal Qatrani Formation , located in the Faiyum Governorate of central Egypt . Aegyptopithecus zeuxis fossils were originally thought to be between 35.4 and 33.3 million years old, based on initial analysis of the formation in which they were found. However, analysis by Erik Seiffert in 2006 concluded that the age of the Gabal Qatrani Formation should be revised. His assessment of more recent evidence indicates an age of between 30.2 and 29.5 million years ago. If Aegyptopithecus
2162-414: Was more closely related to the orangutan; and new biochemical evidence indicates that the last common ancestor of humans and non-hominins (that is, the chimpanzees) occurred between 5 and 10 million years ago, and probably nearer the lower end of that range (more recent); see Chimpanzee–human last common ancestor (CHLCA). Genetic analysis combined with fossil evidence indicates that hominoids diverged from
2209-463: Was one of those primatologists who developed the idea that there were trends in primate evolution and that the extant members of the order could be arranged in an "ascending series", leading from "monkeys" to "apes" to humans. Within this tradition "ape" came to refer to all members of the superfamily Hominoidea except humans. As such, this use of "apes" represented a paraphyletic grouping, meaning that, even though all species of apes were descended from
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