strength of a chimpanzee compared to a human

Size- mostly the same as larger chimpanzees but some evidence suggests slightly larger- along with one 30cm footprint and some skulls found to be larger than those of chimpanzee skulls. Bonobos are strangely very non-aggressive Pan apes- using sex to solve disputes rather than violence.īili Apes (chimpanzees): Little information is known so far, except the following- that they are in fact chimpanzees gene tests indicate they belong to an existing species of chimpanzee with very little genetic difference- however they bear some slight anatomical differences with regular chimpanzees. Typically the largest sizes associated with Bonobos is 3 feet in height- and though I have seen some photos of some very large, stocky bonobos near people, I decided to simply depict the typical specified measurement. Sometimes called pigmy chimpanzees, their size does overlap many typical (albiet smaller) chimpanzee species.

This size is generally the larger typical sizes of most of the larger groups.īonobos: allegedly not a chimpanzee, but share the same genus (Pan). Note the deceptively shaggy coat hides chimpanzee limbs are a fairly consistent thickness from body to hand- and slightly thicker than those of a human's arm overall.

Note the shaggy coat is misleading- Orangutans' limbs are actually quite slender for its size (though still much thicker than human limbs, and possibly slightly thicker than very large chimpanzee).Ĭhimpanzees Chimpanzees have a wide range of sizes typically they can reach almost 3 feet- but can grow to man-sized at about 4 feet, and sometimes larger at about 5. Orangutans- our most distant relative among the great apes and the only great ape that indigenous to Asia rather than Africa Those baggy throats you may see in some are to allow them to call over great distances (handy for a solitary animal). Their 'hump' is mostly muscle- common in animals with powerful jaws needed for hard chewing (they mostly eat tough plant matter). Their great size however is in their wider, thicker body, head and arms- easily weighing well over twice that of a heavy man. Gorillas- actually a lot shorter than people think standing upright, most silverback gorillas' eye-height would barely reach a human's chin. Compared to this, gorillas are a completely separate (tribe) group, and orangutans are a complely different sub-family! Each of these apes are more closely related to each other than gorillas. Humans- we are ourselves great apes- in fact, we actually share a specific ape niche (tribe) with Chimps and Bonobos that no other great ape shares. Also note that many photos of apes flashing their teeth could well be images of them yawning, sneezing etc. Strangely, the most aggressive apes are our immediate 'tribe'- humans and chimpanzees (though this varies immensely between communities, as obviously, many of both are very placid also).

None of these sizes depicted would necessarily be the limit any of the apes would grow to (considerably larger specimens show up now and again- but then again, so do giant humans!)- but is closer to the typical size.Īggression-wise, most apes are very placid.

In other words, they're simply 'bigger' than us where it counts. This is both due to some genetic differences that enhance muscular strength (humans however enjoy the reverse- more endurance to be constantly active)- and of course the simple fact that most of any great ape's muscles are simply larger, and so are many of their bones (especially their joints)- especially on the upper body area. Overall, great apes are incredibly strong for their size (humans being the least so)- for non-human great apes, the minimum being pound-for-pound twice as strong as a human of matching weight in chimpanzees and bonobos, and further in Orangutans and Gorillas. (don't get me started on the false depictions of their aggression or intelligence- I could go on all day)Ī bit of extra info (and any discrepancies): A size comparison chart for the Great Apes!īasically, a bit of a response to the outlandishly disproportionate ape sizes in many movies (not mentioning any names) showing gargantuan-sized CGI/prop gorillas, or the lesser evil, implying some very small chimpanzee proportions with trained juvenile chimpanzees (being easier to work with and less dangerous).

Strength of a chimpanzee compared to a human