The skeleton of an ape is quite similar to that of a human in the structure of the chest and shoulders. Apes have broad, flat chests and arms capable of reaching up and backward from the shoulder; this construction is associated with brachiation. The pelvis, on the other hand, is more like that of a monkey, designed for walking on all fours, hence the use of knuckle-walking for ground locomotion. The arms of an ape are longer than the legs. The hands are similar to human hands, but with fingers and thumb of more equal length; the feet are handlike, grasping structures. Apes have neither tails nor the cheek pouches found in Old World monkeys; gibbons are the only apes that have the buttock callosities found in Old World monkeys. Like other anthropoid primates, the eyes are highly developed, with stereoscopic color vision. The brains of great apes are different from old world monkeys and some structures are reminiscent of the uniquely elaborate features of the human cortex, rendering these primates capable of fairly advanced reasoning. Chimpanzees, bonobos, orangutans, and gorillas have been observed using objects as tools in the wild.

Estimates of the amount of identical genetic material (DNA) in chimpanzees and humans range from 94.6% to 99.4%. This marked similarity, and additional evidence, have led primatologists to suggest that the taxonomy of the apes should include three groups: hylobatidae (gibbons and siamangs); pongidae (orangutangs); and hominidae (gorillas, chimpanzees, and humans). Apes are classified in the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, class Mammalia, order Primates.

Bibliography

See S. Montgomery, Walking with the Great Apes (1991).

General name for the group of animals which includes the anthropoid apes of the family Pongidae (gibbons, orang-utans, gorillas and chimpanzees) and some other species including the night ape (Aotus trivirgatus) and the black Celebes ape (Cynopithecus niger). Slang Dictionary:apedTopHome > Library > Literature & Language > Slang Dictionary mod. alcohol intoxicated.  I've never seen my brother so totally aped before. Word Tutor:apeTopHome > Library > Literature & Language > Word Tutor IN BRIEF: n. - Any of various primates with short tails or no tail at all; Person who resembles a nonhuman primate; Someone who copies the words or behavior of another.v. - Imitate uncritically and in every aspect. We ape, we mimic, we mock. We act. — Laurence Olivier, Source: Olivier on Acting in New York Times, 26 Oct 1986.LearnThatWord.com is a free vocabulary and spelling program where you only pay for results!

As our closest animal relatives, apes can represent the natural, instinctual wisdom that most of us have lost, particularly if the dream animal is a gray-haired ape. We also sometimes associate simians (especially chimpanzees) with humor, and with the "chained up" animal self inside (e.g., King Kong). "Ape" can also mean to mimic. document.write('') Wikipedia: ApeTopHome > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia For other uses, see Ape (disambiguation).ApesFossil range: Late Oligocene - RecentLar Gibbon (Hylobates lar)Scientific classificationKingdom:AnimaliaPhylum:ChordataClass:MammaliaOrder:PrimatesSuborder:HaplorrhiniInfraorder:SimiiformesParvorder:CatarrhiniSuperfamily:HominoideaGray, 1825FamiliesHylobatidaeHominidae†Proconsulidae†Dryopithecidae†Oreopithecidae†Pliopithecidae

An ape is any member of the Hominoidea superfamily of primates, including humans. Due to its ambiguous nature, the term ape has been deemphasized in favor of Hominoidea as a means of describing taxonomic relationships.

Under the current classification system there are two families of hominoids:

A few other primates, such as the Barbary Ape, have the word ape in their common names (usually to indicate lack of a tail), but they are not regarded as true apes.

Except for gorillas and humans, all true apes are agile climbers of trees. They are best described as omnivorous, their diet consisting of fruit, including grass seeds, and in most cases other animals, either hunted or scavenged, along with anything else available and easily digested. They are native to Africa and Asia, although humans have spread to all parts of the world.