Ape

From Encyclopediak

Ape, a name now used to refer 'to members of the Simian Family of monkeys, otherwise called the manlike, or anthropoid, apes. In its broader usage the name has been applied synonymously with the word monkey to all Primates except man and the lemurs; popularly the name suggests only the larger species. Apes differ structurally from man in the form of skull, curve of spine and union of bones in the sacrum. Their frames are stronger and heavier; and their brains are much smaller. The great toe is opposable and acts more like the human thumb, and, therefore, the ape may be said to be four-handed rather than four-footed.

The bodies are clothed with hair except upon the cheeks and palms, and many have a soft shorter fur. Apes live chiefly upon a vegetable diet and are able to climb with ease to seek food or shelter. All are tailless and are inhabitants of the Old World.

The chief classes are the gibbons, chimpanzees, gorillas, orang-utans. The Gibraltar ape, Barbary ape and mandrill, members of the Macaque Family, differ from the others in having cheek pouches for the temporary storage of food. See GIBBON ; CHIMPANZEE ; ORANG-UTAN ; GORILLA ; MONKEY ; MANDRILL.