Are bonobos apes or monkeys?

Are bonobos apes or monkeys?

bonobo, (Pan paniscus), also called pygmy chimpanzee, ape that was regarded as a subspecies of the chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) until 1933, when it was first classified separately. The bonobo is found only in lowland rainforests along the south bank of the Congo River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

What is the difference between great apes and monkeys?

Apes are usually larger and heavier than monkeys and have broad chests, with shoulder joints that allow them to swing through trees. Monkeys are more like other mammals in body shape than apes, and are generally smaller with narrow chests. Their skeletal structure is similar to a mid-sized mammal like a cat or dog.

Are bonobos and chimpanzees the same?

Although bonobos are not a subspecies of chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes), but rather a distinct species in their own right, both species are sometimes referred to collectively using the generalized term chimpanzees, or chimps. Along with the common chimpanzee, the bonobo is the closest extant relative to humans.

Are bonobos the smartest apes?

Bonobo or pygmy chimpanzee? The bonobo is one of the most rare and intelligent animals in the world. The social structure of this magnificent ape is unique and complex: in the largely peaceful bonobo society, the females rule the roost.

What makes bonobos unique?

Bonobos have longer legs, shorter arms, and a narrower trunk. They are also generally smaller, with a rounder skull and flatter face. Other distinguishing features are a black face with red lips, and a prominent tail tuft which is retained by adults – chimpanzees only have the tuft in the juvenile stage.

What is one way that chimpanzees and bonobos are similar?

Chimpanzees use tools, cooperatively hunt monkeys, and will even eat the infants of other chimpanzee groups. Bonobos and Chimpanzees share close to 99% of their genome in common with humans, meaning that their genomes are more similar to that of humans than they are to that of gorillas.

Are humans closer related to chimps or bonobos?

Chimpanzees have long been thought to be the species most anatomically similar to humans, but a recent study from Howard and George Washington Universities found that the bonobo may be our closer relative.

How fast can a bonobo run?

They can reach speeds of 25mph (40kph) when running, and that’s not even what they’re built for. Their arms are designed to swing them through the trees, and they have a much higher proportion of fast-twitch muscle fibers, which seems to be what gives chimpanzees their extraordinary strength.

Can chimpanzees mate with bonobos?

The closest known data is that hybridization between chimpanzees and bonobos, which share 99.6% of the genome (and see the chart) is easily possible.

What’s the difference between a monkey and an ape?

With only a couple of exceptions, all 260 species of monkeys have tails, but no apes have tails. Chimpanzee (left) is an ape with no tail vs a spider monkey with a long tail. Body size and shape Monkeys diverged from the human evolutionary line long before apes, meaning apes have a body shape and skeleton much closer to humans than monkeys do.

What’s the difference between a great ape and a human?

All of the groups have similar characteristics, but there are characteristics that separate us. Great apes (humans, chimps, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans) generally have larger brains, larger bodies, and no tail.

How are bonobos and chimpanzees related to humans?

However, we now know that we share approximately 98.7% of our DNA with chimps and bonobos. Both species are more closely related to humans than gorillas or orangutans, and we can gain many insights into human evolution by studying the abilities and behaviors of these animals.

Which is smaller a monkey or a gorilla?

Monkeys are more like other mammals in body shape than apes, and are generally smaller with narrow chests. Their skeletal structure is similar to a mid-sized mammal like a cat or dog. The gorilla skeleton (left) with a broad rib cage, compared to a monkey skeleton