Mary Allen
Introduction: The Mysterious Origins of Gorillas
The gorilla is one of the world’s most recognizable and fascinating animals. These intelligent apes are known for their massive size, incredible strength, and complex social structures. But despite our familiarity with gorillas, there is still much that we don’t know about their origins and evolution. In this article, we will explore the current state of research on the history of gorillas, from their place on the evolutionary tree to their physical and behavioral adaptations, diet and habitat, social structure, and communication.
The Evolutionary Tree: Gorillas’ Place Among Primates
Gorillas are part of the family Hominidae, which also includes humans, chimpanzees, and orangutans. Within this family, gorillas are classified as members of the subfamily Homininae, which also includes the genus Homo (humans) and the genus Pan (chimpanzees and bonobos). The closest living relatives of gorillas are chimpanzees and bonobos, with whom they share a common ancestor that lived around 7 million years ago. This ancestor then split into two separate lineages, one of which led to the gorilla, while the other led to the chimpanzees and bonobos. Gorillas are therefore considered to be one of the four extant (living) species of great apes, alongside chimpanzees, bonobos, and orangutans.