It is a well-known fact that we, humans, and apes have originated from common ancestors, millions of years ago. As a result of evolution, several differences in our common ancestral behavioral aspects occurred. It was mostly influenced by nature, which ultimately led to the complete segregation of our common ancestors to specifically humans and apes. Apes are our closest living relatives since anatomically, we are almost similar. We belong to the category of more evolved apes along with chimpanzees, orang-utans, and gorillas. We are just modified ones. There is a separate category of lesser apes including gibbons and siamangs.It does not mean that we have any similarity with monkeys, despite both being primates. The major difference between monkeys and apes (along with humans) is that monkeys have tails, but apes do not.
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Apes
Humanity’s closest living relatives are Apes. In fact, humans share about 98% of their DNA with chimpanzees, and thus, people are actually apes. The non-human types of apes are generally divided into two groups: Great Apes- Orangutans, chimpanzees, bonobos, and gorillas and lesser apes siamangs, and gibbons.
Humans
The species that all other living human beings on this planet belong to is Homo Sapiens. Homo Sapiens evolved in Africa during the time of dramatic climate change around 300,000 years ago. Like early humans that were living at this time,they gathered and hunted for food and evolved behaviors that helped them to respond to the challenges of survival in unstable environments.
Difference between Apes and Humans
There are various differences between apes and humans and some of these are very visible. The differences between apes and humans are tabulated as follows.
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Apes |
Humans |
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The cranial capacity of the Apes ranges from 400cc-600cc. |
Humans have an average cranial capacity of around 1400cc-1500cc. |
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Apps generally have a slanting forehead and a flat nose. |
Humans have a high forehead and an elevated nose. |
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They do not have a chin. |
They have a chin which is very much noticeable. |
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Apps have heavy and protruded eyebrow ridges. |
Humans have inconspicuous eyebrow ridges. |
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Diastema ( the gap between upper and incisors) can be seen in most apesm |
Diastema is not present in humans. |
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Apes have longer arms as compared to their legs which can reach below knees. |
Humans have shorter arms as compared to their legs which are not long enough to reach their knees |
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Having a c shaped spine is common in apes. |
Having an s-shaped spine is common in humans. |
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Apes have opposable hallux (great toes) and they can move it laterally. |
Humans have non- opposable hallux and Lateral movement is restricted. |
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Apes do not have various languages like human beings. |
Humans have numerous languages to communicate among themselves. |
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Quadrupedal locomotion (moving with both legs and hands) is common in Apes. |
Bipedal locomotion (moving with the help of only two legs) is common in humans. |
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There are very few if you can make simple tools and can employ them. |
Humans can make tools of Greater complexity and can employ them. |
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Apes cannot walk upright. |
Humans can walk upright. |
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The volume of the brain is less with a small cranium. |
The volume of the brain is comparatively more in humans and they have a big cranium. |
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Apes have large Jaws. |
Humans have small Jaws. |
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Apps have a narrow pelvic girdle. |
Humans have broad and flattened pelvic girdles. |
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Apes have a V-shaped dental arch. |
Humans have a Crescent-shaped dental arch. |
Apes |
Humans |
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Leads chiefly arboreal life |
Leads terrestrial life |
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Walks semi-erect on outer edges of feet and knuckles of hand |
Works fully erect on the soles of the feet |
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Fore Limbs are comparatively longer than the Hind Limbs |
Hind Limbs are more powerful and developed than the four Limbs |
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Head is balanced on heavy shoulders and is buried |
Head erect and balanced on the neck |
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Foramen and Magnum in their heads is directed backward |
Foramen and Magnum in their head is directed downwards |
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Neck muscles are attached to the back of the brain |
Neck muscles are basically attached below the brain box |
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Face protruding and brow ridges prominent |
Face is somewhat flat and brow ridges inconspicuous |
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Jaw strong without well-marked chain |
Jaw small with the prominent chin |
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Anterior premolar in lower jaw strong and prominent |
Anterior premolar in the lower jaw is small |
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Body covered with long and coarse hair |
Body covered with short and sparse hair |
Humans and apes, along with their differences, share some similarities too. The similarities are discussed below.
Similarities between Apes and Humans
The similarities between apes and humans are as follows.
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Apes have bones and muscles similar to humans. Their nervous system works in the same manner as it does in humans.
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Humans and apes have the same number of fingers and toes.
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The structure of the human female uterus is somewhat similar to a female ape.
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Both humans and apes have an almost similar lifespan.
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Opposable thumbs are something that humans and apes, both of them have in common.
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Although not identical, apes have blood types similar to the human ABO blood group system.
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Both female apes and female humans have regular menstrual cycles.
Therefore, these are some of the similarities between apes and humans.
Did you Know?
Chimpanzees share about 98.6% of our DNA. Genetically, they are closer to us than any other primates. You will be surprised to know that they too have emotions, intelligence, and sentiments like us. However, the expansion of the neocortex which happened during primate evolution, contributed a higher cognitive capacity to humans as compared to the other great apes, specifically the chimpanzees. However, assuming that humans did not evolve from chimpanzees would be incorrect. During evolution, while one of the ancestral lines evolved to become the modern chimpanzees, the other line evolved into the form of early humans and eventually, resulted in Homo sapiens, which is the present us. That is why we share somewhat similar physical features due to common ancestry.
Conclusion
The theory of Man’s evolution from Apes is pretty fascinating. It’s almost like reading a novel that takes you back and forth in time. Survival of the fittest is a tried and trusted phenomenon. Well, Darwin’s theory of Evolution got nothing on Apes. Read it through for a more comprehensive understanding of the subject matter.