Not all people know the differences between monkey and apes. There was no debate so far and the terms have been used interchangeably, even though they are actually very different animals.
Monkeys can live side by side, or look similar, but after some research, it is obvious that there are a number of differences between these two groups.
Let’s explore deeper about the things that make monkeys and apes significantly different!
- Apes Don’t Have any Tails
Have you ever wondered before that apes have no tails? That could be the easiest way to distinguish apes from monkeys. With a couple of exceptions, almost 260 species of monkeys have tails, but no single ape has tail.
Monkey’s tails are used to grasp or hold objects, such as a tree branch. An example is spider monkey which has a prehensile tail. This tail enables it to be an extraordinary climbers which makes them live in the canopies of forests.
The next part is about the body shape. Monkeys diverged from the human evolutionary line long before apes. It means apes have a body shape and skeleton that looks much closer to humans than monkeys do.
Apes are larger and heavier than monkeys. They have broad chests along with shoulder joints which allow them to swing from trees to trees.
On the other hand, monkeys are more like mammals in the body shape than apes. They are smaller in size with narrow chests. Their skeletal system is similar to a mid-sized mammal, such as cats and dogs.
We all know that monkeys move from trees to trees. However, they are less upright body position than apes. Apers are able to walk comfortably by using their two hind legs. Apes can also move from trees to trees by using their arms.
This movement is known as brachiating. They are equipped with evolved shoulder joints that help them to do this.
Meanwhile, monkeys are also moving from trees to trees but they sometimes run on tree branches instead of swinging.
You cannot tell this just by looking. However, apes are known to have larger brain to body size ratio, which means they are more intelligent. In facts, they are listed as one of the most intelligent animals in the world.
Apes are able to think through and solve problems in their environment. A good example is the chimpanzee. Chimpanzees are able to use tools to help them access food. No wonder, chimpanzee is listed as one of the smartest animals on Earth.
Monkeys are able to communicate by using sounds and body language. On the other hand, apes have been observed to have more advanced cognitive and language skills than monkeys.
Regarding to the way monkey communicates, you can also learn the way how marmoset monkey learn a new dialect. It is really interesting to know that each animal has a unique way to communicate with each other.
Gorillas, chimpanzees, orangutans for example, don’t have physiological adaptations to produce speech. However, they display extensive language capability. Scientists have been teaching sign language, body movements and even technology to communicate with humans in an effective way.
Unlike monkeys, you won’t be able to find apes in the Americas. Gorillas live in Africa and orangutans live in Asia. The only exception is humans who currently live around the world. Humans evolved out of Africa and inhabited Asia, Africa and Europe are similar to the other apes.
Orangutans, for example, is listed as one of the native animals of Indonesia, but sadly saying it is also one of the animals in Borneo rainforest which is in endangered status.
Monkeys are categorized into two groups: New World monkeys and Old World monkeys. Old World monkeys are found in Africa, Europe and Asia while New World monkeys can be found in Mexico, Central America and South America.
An example of New World monkey is white-faced capuchin. This monkey lives in Central and South America. Another example is tamarins, including the golden lion tamarin in South America. An example of Old World monkey is mandrill which inhabits Africa.
Do you know that Indonesia has several species of monkeys? Read these monkey species in Indonesia, explore their characteristics and get to know them better.
In Indonesia, you can also find some other species of animals besides monkeys. Read more about it in most venomous snakes in Indonesia and dangerous animals in Indonesia. So, if you plan to visit Indonesia, beware of those animals and stay safe!