Apes aremammals belonging to theprimate familyHominoidea. Its members are calledhominoids. They are native toAfrica andSoutheast Asia. Its living members are divided into twofamilies:
In everyday use, "ape" often refers only to hominoids other than humans.
One clear difference betweenmonkeys and apes is that monkeys almost always have tails, but hominoids never do. There are also differences in theirteeth and the way they move theirarms. 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 otherprimates. They eat fruits, nuts, seeds, leaves and sometimes other animals. They are generallyomnivores, though most of their intake is primarilyherbivorous.[3][4]
Evolutionary tree of the superfamilyHominoidea. It highlights the subfamily Homininae. First the gibbons (Hylobatidae) split from the main line some 18 million years ago. Next, the subfamilyPonginae broke away—leading to the current orangutan. Later the Homininae split into the tribeHominini (with subtribes Hominina and Panina), and the tribeGorillini
↑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.ISBN0-801-88221-4[1]Archived 2016-03-03 at theWayback Machine
