"Are you trying to make a monkey out of me?"
Apes are animals, members of the biological superfamily Hominoidea, part of the order Primates. Hominoidea contains two families of living (extant) species:
- Hylobatidae consists of four genera and sixteen species of gibbon, including the lar gibbon and the siamang. They are commonly referred to as lesser apes.
- Hominidae consists of orangutans, gorillas, common chimpanzees, bonobos and humans. Either the first four or all five are collectively called the great apes.
Evolved humanoid apes formed the central premise behind the Planet of the Apes film and television franchise. The TV series presented a setting that was radically different than that seen in the original film series, but both projects maintained the position that following an unrevealed violent period in humanity's history, apes evolved to become intelligent, talking bipedal humanoids with a sense of culture and even religion. As the dominant life forms on the planet, these evolved apes lord over the remaining vestiges of mankind as part of a caste system, where apes are the rulers and humans are the servants and laborers.
Species[]
Chimpanzees[]
Chimpanzees are members of the Hominidae family, along with gorillas, humans, and orangutans. Chimpanzees split from the human branch of the family about 4 to 6 million years ago. The two chimpanzee species are the closest living relatives to humans, all being members of the Hominini tribe.
Gorillas[]
Gorillas are the largest extant species of primates. They are ground-dwelling, predominantly herbivorous apes that inhabit the forests of central Africa. Gorillas are divided into two species and either four or five subspecies. The DNA of gorillas is highly similar to that of a human, from 95-99% depending on what is counted, and they are the next closest living relatives to humans after the two chimpanzee species.
Orangutans[]
Orangutans are the only exclusively Asian genus of extant great ape. The largest living arboreal animals, they have longer arms than the other, more terrestrial, great apes. They are among the most intelligent primates and use a variety of sophisticated tools, also making sleeping nests each night from branches and foliage. Their hair is typically reddish-brown, instead of the brown or black hair typical of other great apes.