An amazing discovery was made by anthropologists. These scientists were able to prove the seemingly unthinkable: from an anatomical point of view, chimpanzee hands are more perfect than human hands.
This indicates that the common ancestor of chimpanzees and Homo sapiens did not bear noticeable similarities to modern great apes, which are both humans and chimpanzees. In any case, this is exactly what the scientists themselves said on the pages of the Nature Communications publication.
As Owen Lovejoy, an anatomist from the University of Kent, argues on the Science website, the discoveries made by anthropologists since the discovery of the remains of Ardipithecus have fortunately begun to penetrate the consciousness of large sections of the scientific community, which is gradually accepting that we have in common with The chimpanzee ancestor was not at all like them. After all, chimpanzees are adapted to a lifestyle on high tree branches and eating fruit and therefore can hardly be used as an example of the probable appearance of our common ancestors.
In practice, this statement was proven by a group of paleontologists and anthropologists, led by Sergio Almesihi from the University of Washington. To do this, it was necessary to compare the structure of the hands of Australopithecus sediba, Ardipithecus, humans and chimpanzees, as well as some other modern monkeys and ancient primates.
First of all, scientists were interested in the ratio of length and a number of other anatomical features of the thumb and other parts of the hand. This made it possible to quite accurately not only trace, but also restore the various evolutionary connections that exist between different species of primates.
Thanks to these anatomical characteristics, paleontologists demonstrated that it was the human hand, and not the chimpanzee hand, that was closer in structure to the hand of Ardipithecus, Australopithecus and other ancient anthropoids. Therefore, anatomically, our hands are more primitive than the hands of chimpanzees.
As scientists emphasize, this conclusion not only does not refute Darwin’s theory of evolution, but, on the contrary, further confirms it. This is explained by the fact that, with sufficient prosperity, many species of living beings begin to specialize in a certain ecological niche, acquiring, as a result, highly specialized adaptations and at the same time losing universal features, since it is the above-mentioned highly specialized adaptations that help them survive in specific conditions.
Chimpanzees are a good example of this mechanism, in particular their short thumbs and long hands, which are superbly adapted for life on tree branches.
At the same time, chimpanzees are almost incapable of efficiently performing some tasks that are familiar to us, for example, accurately throwing stones.
At the same time, it is the human hand, although it is more primitive and, accordingly, more universal, that gives him the opportunity to confidently solve a lot of different problems, without being capable of performing those specialized tasks that chimpanzees face.
The hands of modern apes may have arisen after the human type of hand was formed in the evolution of our common ancestors.
Man differs from chimpanzees, his closest evolutionary relatives, not only in brain size and almost complete absence of hair. For example, our hands and theirs are structured differently: in humans, the thumb is relatively long and strongly opposed to its neighbors, and the rest are short; in chimpanzees, on the contrary, the thumb is shortened, and the rest are noticeably longer than in humans. This arrangement of the limb helps monkeys climb trees; as for the human hand, it is believed that it is ideally suited for wielding tools and a variety of fine work. That is, the fact that we can draw, play the piano and hammer nails is the result of a long evolution of human anatomy, which began 7 million years ago, when the predecessors of humans split off from their common ancestor with chimpanzees.
Chimpanzee hand. (Photo by DLILLC/Corbis.)
Reconstruction of the limb of Ardipithecus ramidus. (Photo: Euder Monteiro/Flickr.com)
The human hand, despite its antiquity, turned out to be a very multifunctional tool. (Photo by Marc Dozier/Corbis.)
However, William Youngers ( William L. Jungers) and his colleagues from the State University of New York at Stony Brook believe that the human hand has not evolved that much and has remained a fairly simple anatomical “device.” The earliest tool created by man dates back to 3.3 million years ago, however, if you look at the skeleton of Ardipithecus Ardipithecus ramidus, who lived 4.4 million years ago and belonged to the evolutionary group of people, we will see that his hand resembles the hand of a modern person rather than the hand of a chimpanzee. In other words, the human hand acquired its characteristic appearance even before our ancestors learned to use it. Moreover, a hypothesis has emerged that it was like this in our most ancient predecessors, who had just diverged in evolution from chimpanzees.
To test this assumption, anthropologists compared the hand and finger anatomy of a variety of living primates, including common apes, great apes, and humans themselves. Several extinct species were added to them: Ardipithecus, Neanderthals (that is, real people, albeit of a different variety than modern ones), Australopithecus Australopithecus sediba, who lived about 2 million years ago and is considered by many to be a direct ancestor Homo, and apes of the genus Proconsul, whose remains are 25 million years old.
This means that the human hand type is actually older than that of chimpanzees and orangutans, whose limbs adapted to an arboreal lifestyle. But why did our ancient ancestors need a hand with a long thumb opposed to the rest - a hand that would be convenient for making and grasping tools, if they existed then? According to the authors of the work, a good grasping hand helped not with tools, but with food: ancient primates ate a wide variety of food, and in order to take and hold pieces of it, just such a hand was needed.
On the other hand, some anthropologists generally doubt that this work makes sense: in their opinion, it is impossible to draw such conclusions based only on the analysis of the skeleton of the hands, and in order to talk about what kind of hand our ancient ancestor, more data is needed.
Here we cannot help but recall another study that we wrote about in 2012: its authors, employees of the University of Utah, came to the conclusion that the hand of the first people was intended not so much for performing complex manipulations, but rather for (which, by the way, other primates cannot do). Although in that article the authors adhered to the hypothesis that it was the monkey hand that turned into the human hand, and not vice versa, here they also dispensed with tools as the driving force in the formation of the human hand. One way or another, no matter how our ancestors used their hands, they turned out to be quite well adapted for complex and subtle manipulations with objects.
There is a common belief among people that Homo Sapiens is one of the most advanced species among numerous animals. As the results of the latest research published in the journal Nature Communications show, human hands are evolutionarily more primitive than those of chimpanzees.
A team of paleoanthropologists led by Sergio Almesija from Stony Brook University conducted a comparative analysis of the hand bones of humans, chimpanzees, orangutans, as well as early apes such as Proconsul Primate, and early humans, including Ardipithecus and Australopithecus sediba.
Scientists have concluded that since the last common ancestor of humans and chimpanzees, who lived on our planet about 7 million years ago, the proportion of the human hand has remained virtually unchanged, but the hands of chimpanzees and orangutans have evolved. Thus, from the point of view of evolutionary development, the structure of the hand of modern man retained its primitive character, although traditionally scientists believed that it changed for the use of stone tools.
“Human hands have not changed much since the common ancestor of apes and humans. The human thumb is relatively long compared to the rest of the fingers, a trait often cited as one of the reasons for the success of our species, as it allows us to hold a variety of tools. It is much more difficult for monkeys to hold objects; they cannot reach the rest with their thumbs - but the structure of their palms and fingers allows them to climb trees. Chimpanzees' hands are much longer and narrower, but the thumb is not as long as ours."
In addition to humans, gorillas inherited a more primitive structure of hands; their feet are also similar to humans.
Almesija and his colleagues hypothesized that primates managed to survive the mass extinction at the end of the Miocene, 5-12 million years ago, because they specialized in certain habitats. While chimpanzees and orangutans became tree-climbing specialists, humans evolved to walk on the ground, just like gorillas.
A new study suggests that the small changes in the structure of the human hand occurred with the transition of hominids to upright walking, and not with the use of stone tools. Most likely, the ability to use tools in human ancestors was associated not with the structure of the hands, but with neurological changes and the evolution of the brain. It was the development of the brain that allowed hominids to learn to precisely coordinate the movements of the forelimbs, to comfortably grasp tools and subsequently master complex fine motor skills.
Monkeys are considered primates. In addition to the usual ones, there are, for example, semi-monkeys. These include lemurs, tupayas, and short-heeled lemurs. Among ordinary monkeys, they resemble tarsiers. They separated in the Middle Eocene.
This is one of the eras of the Paleogene period, which began 56 million years ago. Two more orders of monkeys emerged in the late Eocene, about 33 million years ago. We are talking about narrow- and broad-nosed primates.
Tarsier monkeys
Tarsiers - species of small monkeys. They are common in southeast Asia. Primates of the genus have short forepaws, and the heel region on all limbs is elongated. In addition, the tarsier's brain is devoid of convolutions. In other monkeys they are developed.
Sirichta
Lives in the Philippines, is the smallest of the monkeys. The length of the animal does not exceed 16 centimeters. The primate weighs 160 grams. With these sizes, the Philippine tarsier has huge eyes. They are round, convex, yellow-green and glow in the dark.
Philippine tarsiers are brown or grayish. The fur of the animals is soft, like silk. Tarsiers take care of their fur coat by combing it with the claws of their second and third toes. Other claws are deprived.
Bankan tarsier
Lives in the south of the island of Sumatra. The bank tarsier is also found in Borneo, in the rain forests of Indonesia. The animal also has large and round eyes. Their irises are brownish. The diameter of each eye is 1.6 centimeters. If you weigh the visual organs of a Bankan tarsier, their mass will exceed the weight of the monkey's brain.
The Bankan tarsier has larger and more rounded ears than the Philippine tarsier. They are hairless. The rest of the body is covered with golden brown hairs.
Tarsier ghost
Included in rare species of monkeys, lives on the islands of Greater Sangihi and Sulawesi. In addition to the ears, the primate has a bare tail. It is covered with scales, like a rat's. There is a woolen brush at the end of the tail.
Like other tarsiers, the ghost acquired long and thin fingers. With them the primate clasps the branches of trees, where it spends most of its life. Among the foliage, monkeys look for insects and lizards. Some tarsiers even attack birds.
Broad-nosed monkeys
As the name suggests, the monkeys of the group have a wide nasal septum. Another difference is 36 teeth. Other monkeys have at least 4 fewer of them.
Broad-nosed monkeys are divided into 3 subfamilies. These are capuchinoides, callimicos and clawedes. The latter have a second name - marmosets.
Capuchin monkeys
Otherwise called cebids. All monkeys of the family live in the New World and have a prehensile tail. It seems to replace the fifth limb for primates. Therefore, the animals of the group are also called tenacious-tailed.
Crybaby
It lives in the north of South Africa, in particular in Brazil, Rio Negro and Guiana. Crybaby enters monkey species, listed in the International Red. The name of primates is associated with the drawn-out sounds they make.
As for the name of the clan, Western European monks who wore hoods were called Capuchins. The Italians called the cassock with it “capucio”. Seeing monkeys with light faces and a dark “hood” in the New World, Europeans remembered the monks.
Crybaby is a small monkey up to 39 centimeters long. The animal's tail is 10 centimeters longer. The maximum weight of a primate is 4.5 kilograms. Females are rarely larger than 3 kilos. Females also have shorter fangs.
Favi
Otherwise called brown. Primates of the species inhabit the mountainous regions of South America, in particular the Andes. Mustard-brown, brown or black individuals are found in different areas.
The body length of the favi does not exceed 35 centimeters, the tail is almost 2 times longer. Males are larger than females, gaining almost 5 kilograms of mass. Occasionally there are individuals weighing 6.8 kilos.
White-breasted Capuchin
The second name is common capuchin. Like the previous ones, it lives on the lands of South America. The white patch on the primate's chest extends to the shoulders. The muzzle, as befits capuchins, is also light. The “hood” and “mantle” are brown-black.
The white-breasted capuchin's "hood" rarely extends over the monkey's forehead. The degree to which the dark fur is raised depends on the sex and age of the primate. Typically, the older the capuchin, the higher his hood is raised. Females “raise” it while still young.
Saki monk
In other capuchins, the length of the coat is uniform throughout the body. The Saki monk has longer hairs on his shoulders and head. Looking at the primates themselves and their photo, species of monkeys you begin to distinguish. Thus, the saki’s “hood” hangs over the forehead and covers the ears. The fur on the capuchin's face hardly contrasts in color with the headdress.
The Saki monk gives the impression of a melancholy animal. This is due to the downturned corners of the monkey's mouth. She looks sad and thoughtful.
There are 8 species of capuchins in total. In the New World, these are the smartest and most easily trained primates. They often feed on tropical fruits, occasionally chewing rhizomes, branches, and catching insects.
Marmoset monkeys
Monkeys of the family are miniature and have claw-shaped nails. The structure of the feet is close to that of tarsiers. Therefore, species of the genus are considered transitional. Marmosets belong to the higher primates, but among them they are the most primitive.
Wistity
The second name is ordinary. The length of the animal does not exceed 35 centimeters. Females are about 10 centimeters smaller. Upon reaching maturity, primates acquire long tufts of fur near their ears. The decoration is white, the center of the muzzle is brown, and its perimeter is black.
Marmosets have elongated claws on their big toes. Primates use them to grab branches, jumping from one to another.
Pygmy marmoset
It does not exceed 15 centimeters in length. A plus is the 20-centimeter tail. The primate weighs 100-150 grams. Externally, the marmoset appears larger because it is covered with long and thick fur of a brown-golden color. The red hue and mane of hair make the monkey look like a pocket lion. This is an alternative name for the primate.
The pygmy marmoset is found in the tropics of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. With sharp incisors, primates gnaw the bark of trees, releasing their juices. This is what the monkeys eat.
Black tamarin
It does not descend below 900 meters above sea level. In mountain forests, black tamarins have a twin in 78% of cases. This is how monkeys are born. Fraternal children are born only in 22% of cases.
From the name of the primate it is clear that it is dark. The length of the monkey does not exceed 23 centimeters, and weighs about 400 grams.
Crested tamarin
Otherwise called pinche monkey. On the head of the primate there is an erokeus-like crest of white, long hair. It grows from the forehead to the neck. During times of unrest, the crest stands on end. In a good-natured mood, the tamarin is smoothed.
The crested tamarin's muzzle is bare right down to the area behind the ears. The rest of the 20cm long primate is covered in long hair. It is white on the chest and front legs. The fur on the back, sides, hind legs and tail is reddish-brown.
Piebald tamarin
A rare species, lives in the tropics of Jurasia. Outwardly, the piebald tamarin is similar to the crested tamarin, but does not have the same crest. The animal has a completely bare head. The ears appear large against this background. The angular, square shape of the head is also emphasized.
Behind it, on the chest and front legs, there is long white hair. The tamarin's back, legs, hind legs and tail are reddish-brown.
The piebald tamarin is slightly larger than the crested tamarin, weighs about half a kilogram, and reaches a length of 28 centimeters.
All marmosets live 10-15 years. Their size and peaceful disposition make it possible to keep representatives of the genus at home.
Callimico monkeys
They were recently allocated to a separate family; previously they were classified as marmosets. DNA tests showed that Callimiko is a transitional link. There is a lot from the capuchins. The genus is represented by a single species.
Marmoset
Included in the little-known, rare species of monkeys. Their names and features are only rarely described in popular science articles. The structure of the teeth and, in general, the skull of the marmoset is similar to that of the capuchin. The face looks like a tamarin's face. The structure of the paws is also marmoset.
The marmoset has thick, dark fur. On the head it is elongated, forming something like a cap. Seeing her in captivity is good luck. Marmosets die outside their natural environment and do not produce offspring. As a rule, out of 20 individuals in the best zoos in the world, 5-7 survive. At home, marmosets live even less often.
Narrow-nosed monkeys
Among the narrow-nosed there are monkey species of india, Africa, Vietnam, Thailand. Representatives of the genus do not live. Therefore, narrow-nosed primates are commonly called Old World monkeys. These include 7 families.
Monkeys
The family includes small and medium-sized primates, with forelimbs and hindlimbs of approximately equal length. The first fingers of the hands and feet of apes are opposed to the remaining fingers, like those of humans.
Representatives of the family also have ischial calluses. These are hairless, worn-out areas of skin under the tail. The faces of the ape-like creatures are also bare. The rest of the body is covered with fur.
Hussar
Lives south of the Sahara. This is the limit of the monkeys' range. On the eastern borders of the Hussars' dry, grassy territories, their noses are white. Western representatives of the species have black noses. Hence the division of hussars into 2 subspecies. Both are included in species of red monkeys, because they are colored orange-scarlet.
Hussars have a slender, long-legged body. The muzzle is also elongated. When the monkey grins, powerful, sharp fangs are visible. The long tail of a primate is equal to the length of its body. The weight of the animal reaches 12.5 kilograms.
Green monkey
Representatives of the species are common in the west. From there, monkeys were brought to the West Indies and the Caribbean islands. Here the primates blend in with the greenery of the tropical forests, with coats that have a swampy tint. It is distinct on the back, crown, and tail.
Like other monkeys, green monkeys have cheek pouches. They resemble those of hamsters. Macaques carry food supplies in their cheek pouches.
Cynomolgus macaque
Otherwise called a crabeater. The name is associated with the macaque's favorite food. His fur, like that of the green monkey, has a grassy tint. Expressive brown eyes stand out against this background.
The length of the Javan macaque reaches 65 centimeters. The monkey weighs about 4 kilograms. Females of the species are approximately 20% smaller than males.
Japanese macaque
Lives on the island of Yakushima. There is a harsh climate, but there are hot and thermal springs. The snow melts next to them and primates live. They bask in hot waters. The leaders of the packs have the first right to them. The lower “links” of the hierarchy are freezing on the shore.
Among the Japanese, the largest is the others. However, impressions are deceiving. If you cut off the thick, long, steel-gray fur, the primate will be of medium size.
Reproduction of all monkeys is associated with sexual skin. It is located in the area of the ischial callus and swells and turns red during ovulation. For males, this is a signal to mate.
Gibbons
They are distinguished by elongated forelimbs, bare palms, feet, ears and face. On the other body, the fur, on the contrary, is thick and long. Like macaques, there are ischial calluses, but less pronounced. But gibbons do not have a tail.
Silver gibbon
It is endemic to the island of Java and is not found outside its borders. The animal is named after the color of its fur. She is grey-silver. The bare skin on the face, arms and feet is black.
Silver is medium in size, does not exceed 64 centimeters in length. Females often stretch only 45. The weight of the primate is 5-8 kilograms.
Yellow-cheeked crested gibbon
You cannot tell from the females of the species that they are yellow-cheeked. More precisely, females are completely orange. On black males, golden cheeks are striking. It is interesting that representatives of the species are born light, then darken together. But during puberty, females return to basics, so to speak.
Yellow-cheeked crested gibbons live in the lands of Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos. Primates live there in families. This is a feature of all gibbons. They form monogamous couples and live together with children.
Eastern hoolock
The middle name is the singing monkey. It lives in India, China, and Bangladesh. The males of the species have stripes of white fur above their eyes. On a black background they look like gray eyebrows.
The average weight of a monkey is 8 kilograms. The primate reaches 80 centimeters in length. There is also a Western hoolock. He has no eyebrows and is a little larger, weighing about 9 kilos.
Siamang compound-toed
IN great monkey species not included, but is the largest among gibbons, gaining 13 kilograms of mass. The primate is covered with long, shaggy black hair. It fades to gray near the monkey's mouth and chin.
There is a throat pouch on the siamang's neck. With its help, primates of the species amplify sound. Gibbons have a habit of calling each other between families. This is why monkeys develop their voice.
Pygmy gibbon
It cannot be heavier than 6 kilograms. Males and females are similar in size and color. At all ages, monkeys of the species are black.
Once on the ground, dwarf gibbons move with their arms behind their backs. Otherwise, long limbs drag along the ground. Sometimes primates raise their arms up, using them as balancers.
All gibbons move through trees by alternating their forelimbs. The manner is called brachiation.
Orangutans
Always massive. Male orangutans are larger than females, with hooked fingers, fatty growths on the cheeks, and a small guttural pouch, like gibbons.
Sumatran orangutan
Belongs to the red monkeys, has a fiery coat color. Representatives of the species are found on the islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan.
Sumatran is included in species of apes. In the language of the inhabitants of the island of Sumatra, the primate’s name means “forest man.” Therefore, it is incorrect to write "orangutaeng". The letter "b" at the end changes the meaning of the word. In the Sumatran language, this is already a “debtor”, and not a forest person.
Bornean orangutan
It can weigh up to 180 kilos with a maximum height of 140 centimeters. Monkeys of the species are like sumo wrestlers, covered with fat. The Bornean orangutan also owes its large weight to its short legs against the backdrop of its large body. The monkey's lower limbs, by the way, are crooked.
The arms of the Bornean orangutan, as well as others, hang below the knees. But the fat cheeks of representatives of the species are especially fleshy, significantly expanding the face.
Kalimantan orangutan
It is endemic to Kalimantan. The monkey is slightly taller than the Bornean orangutan, but weighs 2 times less. The fur of primates is brownish-red. Bornean individuals have a distinctly fiery fur coat.
Among monkeys, orangutans of Kalimantan are long-lived. The age of some ends in the 7th decade.
All orangutans have a concave skull at the front. The general outlines of the head are elongated. All orangutans also have a powerful lower jaw and large teeth. The chewing surface is clearly raised, as if wrinkled.
Gorillas
Like orangutans, they are hominids. Previously, scientists used this name only for humans and their ape-like ancestors. However, gorillas, orangutans and also chimpanzees have a common ancestor with humans. Therefore, the classification was revised.
Coast gorilla
Lives in equatorial Africa. The primate is approximately 170 centimeters tall and weighs up to 170 kilograms, but often around 100.
Males of the species have a silver stripe running down their back. Females are completely black. Representatives of both sexes have a characteristic red marking on the forehead.
Lowland gorilla
Found in Cameroon, Central African Republic and Congo. There the lowland one settles in mangroves. They are dying out. Along with them, the gorilla species is disappearing.
The dimensions of the lowland gorilla are comparable to those of the coastal gorilla. But the color of the coat is different. Lowland individuals have brown-gray fur.
Mountain gorilla
The rarest, listed in the International Red Book. There are less than 200 individuals left. Living in remote mountainous areas, the species was discovered at the beginning of the last century.
Unlike other gorillas, the mountain gorillas have a narrower skull and thick and long hair. The forelimbs of the monkey are much shorter than the hind limbs.
Chimpanzee
All live in Africa, in the Niger and Congo river basins. Monkeys of the family are not taller than 150 centimeters and weigh no more than 50 kilograms. In addition, in chipanzees, males and females differ little; there is no occipital carina, and the supraorbital carina is less developed.
Bonobos
Considered the smartest monkey in the world. In terms of brain activity and DNA, bonobos are 99.4% close to humans. Working with chimpanzees, scientists taught some individuals to recognize 3 thousand words. Five hundred of them were used by primates in oral speech.
Height does not exceed 115 centimeters. The standard weight of a chimpanzee is 35 kilograms. The wool is dyed black. The skin is also dark, but the bonobo's lips are pink.
common chimpanzee
Finding out how many species of monkeys belong to chimpanzees, you recognize only 2. In addition to bonobos, the common one belongs to the family. He's bigger. Individual individuals weigh 80 kilograms. Maximum height is 160 centimeters.
There are white hairs on the coccyx and near the mouth of the common one. The rest of the fur is brown-black. White hairs fall out during puberty. Before this, older primates consider children to be marked and treat them condescendingly.
Compared to gorillas and orangutans, all chimpanzees have a straighter forehead. At the same time, the brain part of the skull is larger. Like other hominids, primates walk only on their feet. Accordingly, the chimpanzee's body position is vertical.
The big toes are no longer opposed to the others. The length of the leg exceeds the length of the palm.
So we figured it out, what types of monkeys are there. Although they are related to humans, the latter are not averse to feasting on their younger brothers. Many aboriginal peoples eat monkeys. The meat of prosimians is considered especially tasty. Animal skins are also used to make bags, clothes, and belts.
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