Humans and other members of the family Hominidae
Hominidae
The Hominidae, whose members are known as great apes or hominids, are a taxonomic family of primates that includes eight extant species in four genera: Pongo, the Bornean, Sumatran and Tapanuli orangutan; Gorilla, the eastern and western gorilla; Pan, the common chimpanzee an…
What animals are in the Hominidae family?
Hominidae includes the great apes—that is, the orangutans (genus Pongo), gorillas (Gorilla), and chimpanzees and bonobos (Pan)—as well as human beings (Homo). Formerly, humans alone (with their extinct forebears) were placed in Hominidae, and the great apes were placed in a different family, Pongidae.
What is the difference between hominids and Hominidae?
Hominidae historically included only humans and their near extinct relatives, that is, those more closely related to humans than the other great apes, which were in a separate family. The word hominid, which is used to describe members of the Hominidae family, reflects these two meanings.
How closely related are humans and great apes?
However, morphological and molecular studies now indicate that humans are closely related to chimpanzees, while gorillas are more distant and orangutans more distant still. Since classification schemes aim to depict relationships, it is logical to consider humans and great apes as hominids—that is, members of the same zoological family, Hominidae.
What is the most recent common ancestor of hominids?
Hominidae. The most recent common ancestor of all Hominidae lived roughly 14 million years ago, when the ancestors of the orangutans speciated from the ancestral line of the other three genera. Those ancestors of the family Hominidae had already speciated from the family Hylobatidae (the gibbons), perhaps 15 million to 20 million years ago.
How are humans related to Hominidae?
Formerly, humans alone (with their extinct forebears) were placed in Hominidae, and the great apes were placed in a different family, Pongidae. However, morphological and molecular studies now indicate that humans are closely related to chimpanzees, while gorillas are more distant and orangutans more distant still.
Why are humans classified in the family Hominidae?
Humans have bodies that are genetically and structurally very similar to those of the Great Apes and so we are classified in the Great Apes sub-group which is also known as the hominids (Family Hominidae).
Do humans belong to Hominidae?
The most commonly used recent definitions are: Hominid – the group consisting of all modern and extinct Great Apes (that is, modern humans, chimpanzees, gorillas and orang-utans plus all their immediate ancestors).
What living species share the Hominidae with humans?
Chimps, gorillas, humans, and orangutans make up the family Hominidae; gibbons are separated as the closely related Hylobatidae. Thus constituted, the Hominidae includes 4 genera and 5 species. Its nonhuman members are restricted to equatorial Africa, Sumatra and Borneo.
Who is directly related to man?
The family hominidae consisting of orangutans, gorillas, chimpanzees, and humans, collectively known as the "great apes".
What are some similarities and differences between early humans and modern humans?
Early man and modern man are two stages of human evolution. In summary, the difference between early man and modern man is that the early man emerged from ape-like ancestors while modern man emerged from Denisovan and Neanderthals. Moreover, early man lived a simple life while modern man has a complex lifestyle.
What family do humans belong to?
Great apesHuman / Family
What order do humans belong to?
PrimateTherapsidHuman/Order
Where did the first human come from?
AfricaHumans first evolved in Africa, and much of human evolution occurred on that continent. The fossils of early humans who lived between 6 and 2 million years ago come entirely from Africa.
Do all humans have a common ancestor?
If you trace back the DNA in the maternally inherited mitochondria within our cells, all humans have a theoretical common ancestor. This woman, known as “mitochondrial Eve”, lived between 100,000 and 200,000 years ago in southern Africa.
What animals are humans closely related to?
Humans, chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans and their extinct ancestors form a family of organisms known as the Hominidae. Researchers generally agree that among the living animals in this group, humans are most closely related to chimpanzees, judging from comparisons of anatomy and genetics.
What do all humans have in common?
Human evolution has produced a remarkable set of common characteristics, which is what makes us human. Some are physical, like the skeleton for walking upright, a vocal tract for speech, and dexterity for tool use.
What classification is Hominidae?
MammalGreat apes / ClassMammals are a group of vertebrate animals constituting the class Mammalia, characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in females produce milk for feeding their young, a neocortex, fur or hair, and three middle ear bones. Wikipedia
What family are humans?
Great apesHuman / FamilyThe Hominidae, whose members are known as the great apes or hominids, are a taxonomic family of primates that includes eight extant species in four genera: Pongo; Gorilla; Pan; and Homo, of which only modern humans remain. Wikipedia
What is the taxonomic classification of humans?
MammalHuman / ClassMammals are a group of vertebrate animals constituting the class Mammalia, characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in females produce milk for feeding their young, a neocortex, fur or hair, and three middle ear bones. Wikipedia
What domain does human belong?
EukaryoteHuman / DomainEukaryotes are organisms whose cells have a nucleus enclosed within a nuclear envelope. They belong to the group of organisms Eukaryota or Eukarya; their name comes from the Greek εὖ and κάρυον. The domain Eukaryota makes up one of the three domains of life; bacteria and archaea make up the other two domains. Wikipedia
What is the Hominidae family?
Originally, the Hominidae family only included humans and their extinct ancestors, with all other primates classified as a separate family, the Pongidae. Using molecular biology techniques, the lesser apes were pushed into their own family (Hylobatidae) in the 1960s, with humans remaining in Hominidae and non-human great apes remaining in Pongidae.
What is the meaning of the term "hominidae"?
The Hominidae meaning is that it is a taxonomic family of primates that includes both extant (living) and extinct humans, chimps, gorillas, and orangutans . Family Hominidae is one of two ape families (superfamily Hominoidea) in this taxonomic system, the other being Hylobatidae (the gibbons). Members of the Hominidae family (including humans) are referred to as "great apes," whereas members of the Hylobatidae family are referred to as "lesser apes."
What is the relationship between humans and apes?
Humans and human ancestors after the ape–human separation were previously classified in their own exclusive family, the Hominidae. Members of this taxon were colloquially known as "hominids." However, DNA sequencing and comparative anatomical studies have shown that African apes and humans are more closely related than previously thought, implying that they form a natural classification that excludes orangutans and lesser apes. Humans and African apes have been grouped together in the taxonomic family Hominidae to indicate their newly recognised close relationship. Since chimpanzees, bonobos, and humans are more closely related than gorillas, the family Hominidae is divided into two subfamilies: Gorillaz (which includes the living genus Gorilla and its exclusive ancestors) and Homininae (which includes humans, bonobos, and chimpanzees and their exclusive ancestors).
What is the classification of a great ape?
Originally, the group was limited to humans and their extinct ancestors, with the other great apes grouped in their own tribe, the Pongidae. Many anthropologists and laymen still use this term. However, Pongidae is paraphyletic since at least one great ape species tends to be more closely related to humans than other great apes. Most taxonomists nowadays prefer monophyletic groups, so the usage of Pongidae will have to be limited to one of the great ape groups only. As a result, many biologists consider Hominidae to include Pongidae as the subfamily Ponginae, or limit the latter to orangutans and extinct relatives like Gigantopithecus. The taxonomy depicted here adheres to the monophyletic groupings proposed by the two theories of human-great ape relationships.
What are the ancestors of the gibbons?
Nakalipithecus fossils discovered in Kenya and Ouranopithecus fossils discovered in Greece can represent species related to the last common ancestor of gorillas, chimps, and humans. Molecular evidence indicates that between 8 and 4 million years ago, gorillas (genus Gorilla) and chimps (genus Pan) diverged from the line that led to humans. When single nucleotide polymorphisms are compared, human DNA is approximately 98.4 percent identical to that of chimps. The fossil record of gorillas and chimpanzees, on the other hand, is limited; poor preservation (rainforest soils are acidic and dissolve bone) and sampling bias are most likely to blame.
What is a hominid?
A hominid is a member of the Hominidae family, which includes all great apes, including humans.
Which class of apes are more closely related to humans?
By confining the Pongidae to a subfamily, the other great apes (gorillas, orangutans, and chimps) were able to join humans in the class Hominidae. Following that, it was determined that the African apes (chimps and gorillas) were more closely related to each other than to orangutans, and the chimps and gorillas were transferred into the subfamily Homininae with humans, while orangutans remained in the subfamily Pongidae. Chimpanzees and humans were subdivided into the same group, Hominini, and humans and their extinct ancestors were subdivided into the subtribe Hominina.
How many species are there in the Hominidae?
Thus constituted, the Hominidae includes 4 genera and 5 species. Its nonhuman members are restricted to equatorial Africa, Sumatra and Borneo. Hominid fossils date to the Miocene and are known from Africa and Asia. Hominids range in weight from 48 kg to 270 kg. Males are larger than females.
What family are humans and apes in?
great apes and humans. Until recently, most classifications included only humans in this family; other apes were put in the family Pongidae (from which the gibbons were sometimes separated as the Hylobatidae). The evidence linking humans to gorillas and chimps has grown dramatically in the past two decades, ...
What is the largest primate?
Hominids are the largest primates, with robust bodies and well-developed forearms. Their pollex and hallux are opposable except in humans, who have lost opposability of the big toe. All digits have flattened nails. No hominid has a tail, and none has ischial callosities.
What is the dental formula for Hominids?
The dental formula is the same for all members of the group: 2/2, 1/1, 2/2, 3/3 = 32. Hominids have broad incisors and their canines are never developed into tusks.
Does ADW cover all species?
Disclaimer: The Animal Diversity Web is an educational resource written largely by and for college students. ADW doesn't cover all species in the world, nor does it include all the latest scientific information about organisms we describe. Though we edit our accounts for accuracy, we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts. While ADW staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable, we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control.
Do hominids have tails?
No hominid has a tail, and none has ischial callosities. Numerous skeletal differences between hominids and other primates are related to their upright or semi-upright stance. All members of this family have large braincase. Most have a prominent face and prognathous jaw; again, humans are exceptional.
Is an orangutan an arboreal animal?
Hominids are omnivorous, primarily frugivorous or folivorous. All but humans are good climbers, but only the orangutan is really arboreal. Members of this family are well-known for the complexity of their social behavior. Facial expression and complex vocalizations play an important role in the behavior of hominids.
What is the family of hominids?
Alternative Title: hominid. Hominidae, in zoology, one of the two living families of the ape superfamily Hominoidea, the other being the Hylobatidae ( gibbons ). Hominidae includes the great apes—that is, the orangutans (genus Pongo ), the gorillas ( Gorilla ), and the chimpanzees and bonobos ( Pan )—as well as human beings ( Homo ).
What are the two subfamilies of the Homininae family?
One (called Ponginae) contains only the orangutans, and the other (Homininae) contains humans and the African great apes. Some classifications further subdivide Homininae into two or more “tribes.”.
What about the famous fossil woman Lucy?
What about the famous fossil woman “Lucy”? Test your knowledge of human evolution with this quiz. Hominidae has been a subject of much debate among taxonomists. Formerly, humans alone (with their extinct forebears) were placed in Hominidae, and the great apes were placed in a different family, Pongidae.
What tribe are bonobos in?
Other classifications, however, place chimpanzees and bonobos in their own tribe, called Panini, since they are genetically relatively distant from Gorillini, or place them with human beings in the tribe Hominini, since their ancestors separated from one another within the most recent eight million years.
How old are hominins?
The oldest known fossil hominins—i.e., primates belonging to the human lineage after it separated from lineages going to the apes—are 6 million to 7 million years old, come from Africa, and are known as Sahelanthropus and Orrorin (or Praeanthropus ), which were predominantly bipedal when on the ground but which…
What is the primate family?
primate family. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Hominidae, in zoology, one of the two living families of the ape superfamily Hominoidea, the other being the Hylobatidae ...
Where did the hominins come from?
By 1,000,000 years ago hominins were widely distributed in Africa and Asia, and some finds in Europe may be that early. The earliest securely dated material is from Isernia la Pineta in southern Italy, where stone tools and animal bones were dated to about 730,000 bce. Thereafter the evidence…
Taxonomic History
Classification of Family Hominidae
- Hominidae classification has been revised many times in the last few decades. Originally, the Hominidae family only included humans and their extinct ancestors, with all other primates classified as a separate family, the Pongidae. Using molecular biology techniques, the lesser apes were pushed into their own family (Hylobatidae) in the 1960s, with humans remaining in Homini…
Evolution
- There were several species of arboreally adapted primitive catarrhines from East Africa in the early Miocene, around 22 million years ago; the range indicates a long history of prior diversification. Fossils dating back 20 million years contain traces of Victoriapithecus, the first Old World monkey. Proconsul, Rangwapithecus, Dendropithecus, Limnopithecus, Nacholapithecus, E…
Humans Classified in The Family Hominidae
- Humans and human ancestors after the ape–human separation were previously classified in their own exclusive family, the Hominidae. Members of this taxon were colloquially known as "hominids." However, DNA sequencing and comparative anatomical studies have shown that African apes and humans are more closely related than previously thought, implying ...
Hominids and Hominins
- Before we get into the details, let's clear up some terminology. The word hominid is often used to refer to our species (H. sapiens) as well as all of our extinct ancestors. The explanation for this is that we are all members of the same Hominidae family. However, the advancement of molecular phylogenetics altered the concept of hominids. Although our genus was classified solely on mor…
Fossil
- The fossil remains of genuinely early hominids are frustratingly scarce and incomplete (the zoological family Hominidae—“hominids”—includes Homo sapiens as well as all animals that are more closely related to humans than to living chimps and bonobos). Even the relatively complete, uniquely preserved partial skeleton of "Lucy" from 3.2 million years ago represents only one hum…
Conclusion
- The Hominidae, also known as great apes or hominids, are a taxonomic family of primates composed of eight extant species divided into four genera: Pongo, Gorilla, Pan, and Homo, of which only modern humans remain. Several changes to the classification of the great apes have caused the word "hominid" to be used differently over time. The word "hominid" originally applie…