| Themes > Science > Zoological Sciences > Animal classification > Primate Taxonomy > Pongids |
The family Pongidae, generally referred to as the "great apes" contains three genuses, Pongo. Gorilla, and Pan, and four species: Pongo pygmaeus (orangutans), Gorilla gorilla (gorillas), Pan troglodytes (chimpanzees), and Pan paniscus (bonobos, also known as pygy chimpanzees). OrangutansOrangtans are included in a single species (Pongo pymaeus), which almost exclusively limited to the forest habitats of Borneo in Indonesia. They are generalized climbers and are among the most solitary of the primates. Their basic social organization form, consists of isolated females and their immature offspring, who engage in casual matings with a male. A male's territorial will encorporate those of several females.
6.10.2 GorillasGorillas (Gorilla gorilla) are by far the largest of all primates. They inhabit the forest regions of Africa and are predominant dependent upon a diet of leaves. They spend a good deal of their time on the ground, where their major form of locomotion is knuckle walking. Gorillas live in single male/multi female troups, or harems, in which a male has exclusive relationships with a group of females and excludes rival males. This structure has resulted in an extreme form of sexual dimorphism because of the premium placed on male size and strength. 6.10.3 ChimpanzeesLike the gorillas, chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) inhabit the African forests but spend a good deal of their time on the ground and are specially adapted for knuckle walking. Chimpazees live in large complex social groupings focused on a group of related males, who are permanently associated. Males cohabit and mate with a number of permanent female group members, and sexual competition within the group seems to be minimized, as males tolerate intercourse between females and potential rivals within the group. Chimpanzees on occasion exhibit behaviours, such as group hunting, food sharing, and tool making, that were once thought exclusive to humans, thus exhibiting a close anatomical and behavioural kinship to our species.
6.10.4 BonobosBonobos (Pan paniscus) were formerly included as variety of chimpanzee and referred to as pygmy chimpanzees. Current taxonomies classify them as a separate species with the chimpanzee genus. Certain aspects of the social and sexual behaviour are similar to human forms and some primatologist use the bonobo group organization as a model of early hominid patterns. |
|
|