|
|
|
|
DO APES LIVE IN TREES OR ON THE GROUND? The
answer is: both
As usual, we start with a few key word definitions: arboreal: living in trees brachiation: movement by swinging through tree branches terrestrial: living on the ground Orangutans (the most fully arboreal of the great apes) have specially modified hands to make brachiation easier - their thumb is way up on what would be our wrists if we had oranguntan hands (which are huge, by the way) in order to keep it out of the way during brachiation - so that it doesn't get crushed between fingers and tree branch. Of the great apes, orangutans are considered arboreal and in the wild spend most of their time in the trees, although they are capable of ground-walking (they are also the only member of the great ape group that prefers solitude); chimps and bonobos are considered terrestrial although they do spend a fair amount of time in trees; and gorillas are considered terrestrial, and as adults most are fully terrestrial - too heavy to brachiate. See
also "Talkin' Bout Locomotion"
|