They have a body that is designed for speed and movement. They also differ from great apes in having longer arms, dense hair, and a throat sac used for amplifying sound. With a genome that has a 96% similarity to humans, the gibbon has a role as a bridge between Old World Monkeys like macaques and the great apes. The original meaning of the term referred to only humans and their closest relatives—what is now the modern meaning of the term "hominin". The dark-handed gibbon (H. agilis), which lives on Sumatra south of Lake Toba and on the Malay Peninsula between the Perak and Mudah rivers, may be either tan or black and has white facial markings. Gibbons - the small, long-armed tree swingers that inhabit the dense tropical forests of Southeast Asia - have become the last of the planet's apes to have their genetic secrets revealed.
Corrections? … The great apes are much more intelligent than monkeys and gibbons. The team found that a jumping DNA element named LAVA transposon (also called gibbon-specific retrotransposon) is unique to the gibbon genome apart from humans and the great apes. The large and entirely black siamang is found alongside white- and dark-handed gibbons on the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra. Knowing that gibbon and orangutan ancestors existed in the same spot together in northern India 13 million years ago, and … In modern usage, however, yuán is a generic word for ape. (2014, September 10). "[24][25], Gibbons are among nature's best brachiators. You may hear them called the Lesser Apes at times too. Adding up, this implies that at least 52 major chromosomal rearrangements are needed to compare the common hominoid ancestor to today’s gibbons. [35] The Kalaweit Project also has gibbon rehabilitation centers on Borneo and Sumatra. Some of the more pronounced differences include having longer arms, dense hair, and a throat sac used for amplifying sound. Gibbons are still widely distributed in the rainforests and monsoon forests of Southeast Asia, but they are more and more under threat as their forest habitat is destroyed. [7] Adaptive divergence associated with chromosomal rearrangements led to rapid radiation of the four genera 5-7 Mya. Gibbons are referred to as small apes along with their siamang cousins. The karyotype of gibbons, however, diverged in a much more rapid fashion from the common hominoid ancestor than other apes. Get exclusive access to content from our 1768 First Edition with your subscription. Gibbons are among the most endangered apes and among the most critically endangered of all non-human primate species. Gibbon, (family Hylobatidae), any of approximately 20 species of small apes found in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/animal/gibbon-primate, gibbon - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), gibbon - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Gibbons differ from great apes in a number of physical ways. Gibbons are small, slender, long-armed, tree-dwelling apes. Living in small family groups, gibbons are mostly monogamous. apes (Hominoidea). The smallest apes are the gibbons. There are about twelve species (kinds) of gibbon, making them the largest group in the ape... Habitat and distribution (where they are found). Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). "Due to a lack of research, we don't know for sure if the small apes; gibbons and siamangs can catch diseases like COVID-19 from humans. [3] Like all apes, gibbons are tailless. Gibbon populations continue to dwindle because of poaching, one of the major threats to these small apes whose bones are commonly used in traditional medicine as ‘monkey bone balm’ or tonic additives. In fact, we shared a common ancestor with gibbons as recently as 16.8 million years ago! They are strongly territorial, and defend their boundaries with vigorous visual and vocal displays. “Today, gibbons and orangutans can both be found in Sumatra and Borneo in Southeast Asia, and the oldest fossil apes are from Africa. Mariani Ramli, known as Bam to her friends, is a Malaysian conservationist and the founder of the Gibbon Protection Society Malaysia (GPSM), the only NGO in Peninsular Malaysia dedicated to conserving their resident gibbons. The sexes look alike in the silvery gibbon (H. moloch) of Java and in the white-bearded (H. albibarbis) and Müller’s (H. muelleri) gibbons, both from different parts of Borneo. The hoolock gibbon (Hoolock hoolock) is found from Myanmar west of the Salween River into Assam, India, and Bangladesh. In addition to extra-pair copulations, pair-bonded gibbons occasionally "divorce. There are 18 different species of gibbons, and each species is different from the next. "The gibbon in China. They are the fastest and most agile of all tree-dwelling, nonflying mammals.[4]. Gibbons are the small apes that are grouped in the family Hylobatidae.The family is divided into four genera based on their diploid chromosome number: Hylobates (44), Hoolock (38), Nomascus (52), and Symphalangus (50). Matsudaira K, Ishida T (2010) Phylogenetic relationships and divergence dates of the whole mitochondrial genome sequences among three gibbon genera. Because they are so agile while moving in the trees, almost no predators can catch them. Gibbons are monogamous (a rare trait among primates) and live in family groups consisting of an adult pair and their young offspring. Omissions? [41], This article is about a family of apes. This greatly reduces the amount of energy needed in the upper arm and torso, while also reducing stress on the shoulder joint. To reach the common gibbon ancestor’s karyotype from today’s various living species of gibbons, it will require up to 28 additional rearrangements. Gibbons' diets are about 60% fruit-based,[27] but they also consume twigs, leaves, insects, flowers, and occasionally bird eggs. Gibbons (/ˈɡɪbənz/) are apes in the family Hylobatidae (/ˌhaɪləˈbætɪdiː/). The smallest of the apes, gibbons are often referred to as ‘lesser apes’. The very high rate of chromosomal disorder and rearrangements (such as duplications, deletions or inversions of large stretches of DNA) due to the moving of this large DNA segment is one of the key features that are unique to the gibbon genome. [32][33], Most species are either endangered or critically endangered (the sole exception being H. leuconedys, which is vulnerable), primarily due to degradation or loss of their forest habitats. The vocal element, which can often be heard for distances up to 1 km (0.6 mi), consists of a duet between a mated pair, with their young sometimes joining in. Because they are so dextrous while moving in the trees, almost no predators can catch them. Zoos often receive gibbons of unknown origin, so they rely on morphological variation or labels that are impossible to verify to assign species and subspecies names, so separate species of gibbons commonly are misidentified and housed together. They are active during the day and live in small monogamous groups that defend territories in the treetops. The black crested gibbon (N. concolor) is found from southern China into northernmost Vietnam and Laos; the northern concolor (N. leucogenys), also known as the Chinese white-cheeked gibbon, and southern concolor (N. siki) gibbons are found farther south; and the red-cheeked gibbon (N. gabriellae) lives in southern Vietnam and eastern Cambodia. [21], Like all primates, gibbons are social animals. [7] The extinct Bunopithecus sericus is a gibbon or gibbon-like ape which, until recently, was thought to be closely related to the hoolock gibbons. This structure can become quite large in some species, sometimes equaling the size of the animal's head. [2][11] There is an extinct fifth genus named Bunopithecus which is either a gibbon or gibbon-like ape. Depending on the species and sex, gibbons' fur coloration varies from dark to light brown shades, and any shade between black and white, though a completely "white" gibbon is rare. Gibbons, like the great apes (gorillas, orangutans, chimpanzees, and bonobos), have a humanlike build and no tail, but gibbons seem to lack higher cognitive abilities and self-awareness. They are part of the ape family and are classified as lesser apes because they are smaller than the great apes. More specifically, they are classified as small apes, because (you guessed it) they are smaller than the great apes — gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos, orangutans and humans. Gibbon genome sequence deepens understanding of primates rapid chromosomal rearrangements. The smaller species (both sexes) weigh about 5.5 kg (12 pounds); others, such the concolor gibbon, weigh about 7.5 kg (17 pounds). Some species such as the siamang have an enlarged throat sac, which inflates and serves as a resonating chamber when the animals call. They eat mostly fruit. According to a study that mapped synteny (genes occurring on the same chromosome) disruptions in the gibbon and human genome, humans and great apes are part of the same superfamily (Hominoidea) with gibbons. Most gibbon species are about 40–65 cm (16–26 inches) in head and body length, but the siamang (Symphalangus syndactylus) can grow up to 90 cm (35 inches). Gibbons are rare, small, slender, long-armed, tree-dwelling apes. …features; the gibbons are called lesser apes. Western Hoolock gibbons, also known as white-browed gibbons, are the only apes that live in the Indian sub-continent. Also called the lesser apes or small apes, gibbons differ from great apes (chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, orangutans and humans) in being smaller, exhibiting low sexual dimorphism, and not making nests. Test your knowledge of mammals by taking this quiz. Apes are way larger than monkeys and unlike monkeys they do not have tails. Gibbons are apes in the family Hylobatidae (/ˌhaɪləˈbætɪdiː/). They may grow to about 66 inches (170 centimeters) in length and weigh 300 to 600 pounds (135 to 275 kilograms). ScienceDaily. Gibbons and Siamangs live in Asia. Gibbons are small apes.. [13], Many gibbons are hard to identify based on fur coloration, so are identified either by song or genetics. The male has a prominent tassel of hair on the front of the lower abdomen. This may have led to the development of a suite of physical characteristics, distinct from their great ape relatives, to adapt to their habitat of dense, canopy forest. Gibbon (surname))[5] originally from an Orang Asli word. All species live east of the Mekong River. A special feature of the LAVA transposon is that it positioned itself precisely between genes that are involved in chromosome segregation and distribution during cell division, which results in a premature termination state leading to an alteration in transcription. Planet of the apes: Gibbons are last ape to have genome revealed. Appearance. The most characteristic vocalization is the “great call,” usually a duet in which the female leads and the male joins in with less-complex notes, used as a territorial marker by both sexes. There are four genera of gibbons. They are found only in the Indo-Malayan region, extending from India and China, down through mainland Southeast Asia and into Indonesia. The primitive opposable anthropoid thumb is reduced as a specialization for this method of locomotion. Gibbons belong to the group of lesser apes. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Both sexes have a large throat sac, and their vocal repertoire includes a very harsh shrieking and booming call. The pileated gibbon (H. pileatus), of southeastern Thailand and western Cambodia, has white hands and feet; the male is black and the female buff with a black cap and chest patch. Said COVID-19 might be one of the apes on 7 December 2020, at 16:46 musical in,. 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