superfamily of apes From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Apes are mammals belonging to the primate family Hominoidea. Its members are called hominoids. They are native to Africa and Southeast Asia. Its living members are divided into two families:
Hominoidea Temporal range: late Oligocene – Recent | |
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Chimpanzees, an example of a great ape | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Primates |
Suborder: | Haplorhini |
Infraorder: | Simiiformes |
Parvorder: | Catarrhini |
Superfamily: | Hominoidea Gray, 1825 |
Families | |
Hylobatidae |
In everyday use, "ape" often refers only to hominoids other than humans.
One clear difference between monkeys and apes is that monkeys almost always have tails, but hominoids never do. There are also differences in their teeth and the way they move their arms. 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 other primates. They eat fruits, nuts, seeds, leaves and sometimes other animals. They are generally omnivores, though most of their intake is primarily herbivorous.[3][4]
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