ape vs monkey

Apes are usually larger and heavier than monkeys. Apes have no tail. Apes have a more upright body posture than monkeys, and are often able to walk on 2 legs. Apes have a broad chest. Apes rely on vision rather than smell, and thus have shorter noses than some monkeys.

Full Answer

Is an ape and a monkey the same thing?

Apes and monkeys are often used interchangeably, specially when it comes to insulting someone. However, calling someone an ape may not mean the same thing as calling someone a monkey.An ape would be just a primitive version of the human, while monkey, they are a whole different species.

What is the similarity between ape and Monkey?

Similarities Between Monkey and Ape. Both monkey and ape are primates. Both monkey and ape belong to the suborder Anthropoidea. Both monkey and ape belong to the infraorder. Both monkey and ape have four limbs: a pair of arms, and a pair of legs. The limbs of both monkey and ape are highly flexible. Both monkey and ape have dexterous fingers.

What is the main difference between monkeys and apes?

Main Differences between an Ape and a Monkey

• Apes are big while monkeys are small in body size.
• Apes do not have tails while monkeys have tails.
• Apes have broad chests while monkeys have narrow chests.
• Apes are more intelligent as they have large brain sizes while monkeys are less intelligent as they have small brain sizes.

More items...

Are monkeys and apes the same species?

Though ape and monkey are often used interchangeably in the English language, they are not the same from a scientific point of view. Apes and monkeys are primates that have evolved different physical and mental characteristics throughout time to respond to different needs and environments.

What is the difference between an ape and monkey?

The quickest and easiest way to tell monkeys and apes apart is by looking for a tail. Apes do not have tails, while most monkey species do. Apes tend to be larger than monkeys and usually have larger brains. Apes also tend to live longer than monkeys.

Is a gorilla an ape or monkey?

There are only a handful of ape species, while there are hundreds of species of monkeys. If the primate you're trying to place is not a human, gibbon, chimpanzee, bonobo, orangutan, or gorilla (or a lemur, loris, or tarsier), then it's a monkey.

Is an ape still a monkey?

Apes are monkeys in the same way that monkeys are primates, humans are apes and I am a human – it's called a nested hierarchy. This means that all apes are monkeys, but not all monkeys are apes. Just as all humans are apes, but not all apes are human.

Is a baboon a monkey or an ape?

Baboons are some of the world's largest monkeys, and males of different species average from 33 to 82 pounds. Baboon bodies are 20 to 40 inches long, not including substantial tails of varying lengths. Baboons generally prefer savanna and other semi-arid habitats, though a few live in tropical forests.

Is King Kong a gorilla or an ape?

King Kong is a fictional giant monster resembling a gorilla, who has appeared in various media since 1933....King KongSpeciesGiant gorilla-like apeFamilyLittle Kong (1933) Lady Kong (1986) Baby Kong (1986) Deceased parents (MonsterVerse)11 more rows

Is a orangutan an ape?

Red apes of the forest: Orangutans live in tropical and swamp forests on the Southeast Asian islands of Borneo and Sumatra. These shaggy red apes are the largest arboreal mammal and the only great ape found in Asia.

Did humans come from apes?

Humans diverged from apes (chimpanzees, specifically) toward the end of the Miocene ~9.3 million to 6.5 million years ago. Understanding the origins of the human lineage (hominins) requires reconstructing the morphology, behavior, and environment of the chimpanzee-human last common ancestor.

Why do people confuse apes and monkeys?

People often confuse apes and monkeys. Although there are a number of differences between apes and monkeys (apes have a longer lifespan, larger body size, larger brain-to-body size ratio, and higher intelligence); the main difference is that monkeys have tails and apes do not have tails.

Why did humans not evolve from monkeys?

Firstly, humans did not evolve from monkeys. Instead, monkeys and humans share a common ancestor from which both evolved around 25 million years ago. This evolutionary relationship is supported both by the fossil record and DNA analysis. A 2007 study showed that humans and rhesus monkeys share about 93% of their DNA.

Why is a chimpanzee not a monkey?

Myth: Chimpanzees are monkeys. There are many differences between the two, but the easiest way to tell if a primate is a monkey or a great ape is by noting whether or not they have a tail. Chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans, and gibbons all do not have tails – making them apes!

Which is stronger ape or gorilla?

9:3711:20CHIMPANZEE VS GORILLA - Which ape will win in a fight? - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThat can exert 20 times more force when biting than a human jaw can a chimp could perhaps cause someMoreThat can exert 20 times more force when biting than a human jaw can a chimp could perhaps cause some harm to a gorilla as they very well could due to possessing their own strength.

Are apes and gorillas the same thing?

The non-human types of apes are divided into two groups: great apes — gorillas, bonobos, chimpanzees and orangutans — and lesser apes — gibbons and siamangs. Apes are not monkeys; they belong to different branches of the Simian infraorder, and there are several physical differences.

What are the similarities between apes, monkeys, and humans?

As apes, monkey, and humans are all primates, there are many similarities between all three. However, humans have more in common with their Great Ape ( Hominidae family) cousins than they do with monkeys. Great Apes include humans, bonobos, common chimpanzee, Western and Eastern gorillas, and Bornean and Sumatran orangutans.

What is the difference between a new world monkey and an old world monkey?

New World monkeys belong to a group, or parvorder, known as Platyrrhini (meaning flat-nosed), while Old World monkeys and apes belong to a parvorder known as Catarrhini ( meaning hook-nosed).

What do primates eat?

Diet. Primates are omnivorous, meaning they eat both plants and animals. Apes and monkeys mostly eat fruits, leaves, and other plant material, but they will also eat insects, eggs, and sometimes meat. Chimpanzees, in particular, are predators of smaller monkeys, like the red colobus.

What are the two groups of monkeys that share common ancestors?

If you go back millions and millions of years into the past, Great Apes (which humans fall under) and Lesser Apes, Old World (Africa- and Asia-based) monkeys, and New World (Americas-based) monkeys all share common ancestors.

Where are non-human primates found?

Nonhuman primates have long been found in popular culture, science, religion, and even on the dinner table. They feature in popular films, literature, and games, like King Kong, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and Curious George. They are also currently used in medical research and have even been sent into space, with Iran claiming it sent a monkey into space as recently as in 2013. In Hinduism, Buddhism, and other beliefs and folklore, monkeys and apes play important roles as gods, tricksters, or luck-bringers. And in some parts of the world, like China, monkey brains have been served as a delicacy.

How long do apes live?

Provided an environment is not too threatening, many are able to live between 20 and 60 years of age , with apes usually being able to live longer than monkeys.

Where do monkeys live?

Habitat and Health. Old World monkeys are found in Africa and Asia, while New World monkeys are in Africa, Asia, and Central and South America. Great Apes are only found in or near tropical rain forests in Africa and, in the case of orangutans, Southern Asia. Humans are the only primates that live all over the planet in a wide variety of climates .

What is the difference between a monkey and an ape?

Their bodies are different in other ways too: monkeys are generally smaller and narrow-chested, while apes are larger and have broad chests and shoulder joints that allow them to swing through trees (while some monkeys also have this ability, most of them are built for running across branches rather than swinging).

How to tell if a monkey is an ape?

But when you look at a gibbon or a marmoset, how do you know which is a monkey and which is an ape? The quickest way to tell the difference between a monkey and an ape is by the presence or absence of a tail. Almost all monkeys have tails; apes do not.

How many species of monkeys are there?

There are only a handful of ape species, while there are hundreds of species of monkeys. If the primate you’re trying to place is not a human, gibbon, chimpanzee, bonobo, orangutan, or gorilla (or a lemur, loris, or tarsier ), then it’s a monkey.

Do apes have an appendix?

Although you can’t recognize this difference on sight, apes have an appendix and monkeys do not . Apes are generally more intelligent than monkeys, and most species of apes exhibit some use of tools.

Can apes learn sign language?

While both monkeys and apes can use sounds and gestures to communicate, apes have demonstrated higher ability with language, and some individual apes have been trained to learn human sign languages. However, perhaps the best way to remember, like with so many things, is rote memorization.

Types of Apes Great & Lesser

The word ‘ape’ and ‘monkey’ are sometimes used interchangeably but it is incorrect. According to scientific classification based on million years of evolution both of them were classified in 4 categories viz. Great Apes, Lesser Apes, Old World monkeys (Africa- Asia-based), and New World monkeys (America-based), however, all share common ancestors.

Habitat

Old world monkeys are intrinsic to Africa and Asia while new world monkeys can be found in Asia, Africa, Central, and South America. Tropical rain forests in Africa are home to Apes while some of the most intelligent apes “Orangutans” are found in southern Asia.They live on trees as well as land.

Diet

Primates eat plants and animals both; they are omnivorous. Apes and Monkeys usually have similar diet constituents; they eat fruits, leaves, insects, eggs but sometimes apes prey on monkeys and make them their diet.

Physical Traits

Monkeys and apes have different physical characteristics; difference between monkeys is that all monkeys have tails while apes do not have a tail. Monkeys are small and narrows chested, apes are larger than monkeys except for gibbon. Monkeys are lightly weighted which allows them to run fast and to move through upper branches of trees with ease.

Fun Facts for kids

Almost all apes make nests before sleeping; They use twigs, leaves, small branches in nest making.

Ape Vs Monkey face-off: Who would win?

When it comes to the duel between apes and monkeys; apes are bigger and heavier than monkeys. Apes often hunt monkeys of other species, so in the fight between monkeys and apes win is already on the ape’s side. In a one-on-one fight, the monkey cannot beat the ape; hence ape is the winner of this animal duel.

What is the difference between an ape and a monkey?

The main difference between an ape and a monkey is that monkeys have tails but apes do not have tails.

What are the similarities between monkeys and apes?

Similarities between an Ape and a Monkey 1 They all belong to the family primates. 2 They are all omnivores. 3 Both have four limbs. 4 Both give birth to young ones and breastfeed them.

Where do apes live?

An ape is an animal from the primate family. They are only found in Africa and Asia. To distinguish them from the monkeys, they do not have tails. They are larger and have broad chests with shoulder joints that allow them to swing through trees. They have a body shape and skeleton closer to humans.

Where do monkeys eat their brains?

Monkey brains are eaten as delicacies in South Asia, Africa, and China. The move by running on tree branches using their four limbs. They use sound and body language to communicate with others. They are omnivores and hence they feed on both plants and animals.

Do monkeys have a skeleton?

They are smaller with narrow chests and their skeleton is similar to a medium-sized mammal like a cat. They have a much more upright body position and are comfortable walking on their two hind limbs. Monkeys run on tree branches rather than swinging. They move on their four limbs.

Ape vs. Gorilla: What is an ape?

Ape is a term for a group of primates belonging to the superfamily Hominoidea which includes chimpanzees, bonobos, orangutans, gorillas, gibbons, and humans. Within the superfamily Hominoidea is the family Hominidae which are colloquially known as the great apes. The great apes include chimpanzees, bonobos, orangutans, gorillas, and humans.

Ape vs. Gorilla: What is a gorilla?

Gorillas are the world’s largest primate and the world’s largest ape! They belong to the order Primates and the family Hominidae which means they are one of the great apes. Within that family, the genus Gorilla includes two species: Gorilla gorilla (western gorillas) and Gorilla beringei ( eastern gorillas ).

Ape vs. Gorilla: The Main Differences Explained

The main differences between apes vs gorillas is that gorillas are a distinct genus within apes.

How are gorillas doing today?

Both western gorillas and eastern gorillas are classified as critically endangered. This classification means the species are in immediate peril and near extinction. Habitat destruction, hunting, and disease threaten gorillas most. Gorilla poaching is common in the bushmeat trade in Africa despite legislation.

Terminology

Habitat and Health

• Old World monkeys are found in Africa and Asia, while New World monkeys are in Africa, Asia, and Central and South America. Great Apes are only found in or near tropical rain forests in Africa and, in the case of orangutans, Southern Asia. Humans are the only primates that live all over the planet in a wide variety of climates. New World monkeys ar...

See more on diffen.com

in Culture

Similarities to Humans

References