Compare And Contrast Chimps And Gorillas

Von Beringe discovered the primate on the summits of the Virunga Volcanoes (Berggorilla and Direkthilfe, 2000). The officer described the mountain gorilla as to be a large manlike ape, that was tall in stature (about 1 1/2 meters tall), and weighed over 200 pounds (Schaller, 2010). The mountain gorilla physical characteristics from other subspecies of primate differs by: lengthy hair, jaw, and teeth, as well as shorter arms (http://wwf-congobasin.org/, 2010). The mountain gorilla is one of the most wooly of primates, it has a long thick coat of fur that is necessary for the high cold altitudes. (Hilyard, 2001). Also, when male

Diets will not always be the same between other groups, which also means behaviors wouldn’t be the same either.

Western and Eastern gorillas are more genetically distant from one another than are chimpanzees and bonobos. There are few striking physical differences between the subspecies of gorilla, although differences in dentition and skulls reveal distinguishing morphological characteristics of each subspecies. Mountain gorillas have significantly longer hair than their conspecifics, while western gorillas have brown hair. Eastern gorillas have longer faces and broader chests than western gorillas (Rowe 1996; Nowak 1999). Gorillas have dark brown to black fur and black skin. Dominant adult males who control the group, is called silverbacks because have a prominent sagittal crest and striking silver coloration from their shoulders to rump.

Many attributes found in humans are also found in chimps. Similar to humans, chimps have long childhoods which involve long term affection, bonds and learning. Like humans, chimps display nonverbal communication through Kissing, holding hands and fist shaking. They also show emotion and personality which is thought to be a human attribute (Goodall, 2002). They say we are only 4% smarter than chimps, what defines smart? If we are so smart, why are we destroying our planet? Chimps have been doing the same thing for millions of years without damaging their environment. Maybe we should not ask who is smarter, but who is wiser.

Primates are one of the most interesting mammals on earth, not only because of their complex social structures, but because they hold so many similar characteristics to humans. Primates are often cited as our closest living relatives and on two separate occasions I observed four separate species of primates at the San Diego Zoo that can justify their use of their physical characteristics and behaviors that may be similar as well as different to the other primates and ours.

There are many similarities and differences in primate species.The ones I chose to focus on today was the Philippine tarsier, Mandrill and the gibbon. What made me choose these non- human primates so interesting was the uniqueness and appearance of each primate. I plan to explain the similarities of their teeth structure and purposes and the similarities of their diet and feeding and also the differences of their behaviors.

Although evolution shows how monkeys and humans are similar, it does not contrast the characteristics compared to humans. Humans and chimpanzees differentiate due to the way they communicate, differences in parental care and in stance. Communication is extremely important to humans, but to primates they can only communicate through some sounds and gestures. Parental care, on the other hand, may seem similar but contrast drastically. Most children are indeed closer to their mother than their father, but primate infants learn all of their skills from their mother alone. Chimpanzee infants hold a bond so strong with their mother that they become inseparable. Primates and humans also differ from structures in the face, stance, and characteristics of the body.

Non human primates’ social organization can provide useful information how human social evolution occurs. We will go over main points of how similar and different non human primates such as chimpanzees, orangutans, and gorillas’ society are compared to ours, humans.

Some similarities between the two videos where that the chimpanzees (chimps) both used tools. and they both interacted with humans. and they both used vocales to communicate. some differences are that it the Jane goodall video she was studying the chimpanzees in the wild and the chimpanzees were mainly observed and in the sally boysen video she studied the chimpanzees in the captivity and the chimpanzees were many experimental .

Monkeys and humans have been compared for years, we have all heard the expression “Monkey see, Monkey do”. Analyzing individual primates at the Santa Ana Zoo was quite an experience because when I use to hear monkeys I use to only picture one certain appearance and that was a brown monkey with a light brown face, and a long tail. Moneys are not just monkeys, humans aren’t just humans, and apes aren’t just apes they are all primates which is a mammal that has certain characteristics such as: flexible fingers and toes, opposable thumbs, flatter face than other mammals, have eyes that face forward and spaced close together, large and complex cerebrum, and they are also social

Thus, I was able to observe some similarities among these species. The way the female chimp used tools, and her fingers to grab food, how she used to be on her feet, freeing her hands, groom her child, educate her offspring, sleep with him while snuggling, use a lot of face emotions to convey a message to an individual; she smiled at her baby, laughed when playing, and tickling him, remind me of human. She also has a flat pink face, hands’ palm, and feet sole as humans do. Furthermore, the gorilla was also really human when he protected his eyes from the intense sunrays, following the movement of the sun, and sat in the shade, mated with a female, scratched his head, and bottom, and put his finger in his nose. I think that these humans’ pattern appeared for similar reasons as in the Primates. For instance, when the gorilla scratches his bottom, it is because the area is itchy, and he wants to remove what is indisposing him. In addition, the mother chimp educates her kid to transmit knowledge throughout generation, which is the same for humans, who go to school.

Have you ever wondered about gorillas? A gorilla is a very strong built great ape with a large head and short neck. Gorillas are the largest member of the primate family. Gorillas are quiet, shy, peaceful, and live in central Africa and tropical rainforests. Several thousand years ago, gorillas split from its closest relative the chimpanzees. There are four types of gorillas, being Eastern lowland, Western lowland, mountain, and cross river gorillas. Ecology is how organism interact with one another and the environment. It is the study of relationships between two living organisms.


Humans and non-human primates have many behaviors and characteristics in common. Apes and chimpanzees have been studies and closely watched for many years. Scientist and researchers and found many similarities between the apes and chimpanzees with humans. All three are hard working and work with tools. They also make these tools. Another similarity is the fact that they are very social with others of their breed. This is also true about other primates other than apes and chimpanzees, like lemurs, lorises, pottos, and tarsiers. Apes and chimpanzees are able to learn sign language and elementary math skills. All primates have nails instead of claws on their fingers and toes. Both non-human primates and humans all have opposable thumbs. They use these thumbs to be able to pick up things better and they are thumbs that are able to move and touch other parts of the same hand. Non-human primates, including humans, learn by watching their mothers and other family members. For example, chimpanzees learn to make stick tools to stick into holes to get termites to eat. They do this because the mothers never teach them

According to National Geographic, scientists have sequenced the genome factor of the chimpanzee and found that humans are 98.5% similar to the ape species. The chimpanzee is our closest relative in the animal kingdom; however, some people are not aware of our resembling traits with chimpanzees. Jane Goodall’s, In the Shadow of Man, describes some similar traits humans and chimpanzees have such as their facial expressions and emotions, use of tools, and diet.

Chimpanzees are a genus of the great ape of Africa, with long black hair and log protruding ears. Humans know them for their intelligence and there very similarities. They have developed family ties similar to man. Over the generations they have even had developed tools out of natural materials. Food for chimpanzees is very important to them due to the excessive amount eating.