The structure of a chimpanzee's hand. The human hand turned out to be older than the monkey's. Differences in behavior

home There is a widespread belief among people that Homo Sapiens

is one of the most advanced species among numerous animals. As the results of the latest research published in the journal Nature Communications show, human hands are evolutionarily more primitive than those of chimpanzees. A group of paleoanthropologists led by Sergio Almesija from Stony Brook University conducted comparative analysis hand bones of humans, chimpanzees, orangutans, as well as early apes such as the proconsul primate, and early people

, including Ardipithecus and Australopithecus sediba. Scientists have concluded that since the last common ancestor man and chimpanzee, who lived on our planet about 7 million years ago, the proportion of the human hand practically did not change, but the hands of chimpanzees and orangutans developed. So from the point of view evolutionary development , hand structure modern man

retained its primitive character, although traditionally scholars believed that it had changed to handle stone tools.

“Human hands have not changed much since the common ancestor of apes and humans. The human thumb is relatively long compared to the rest of the fingers, a trait often cited as one of the reasons for the success of our species, as it allows us to hold a variety of tools. It is much more difficult for monkeys to hold objects; they cannot reach the rest with their thumbs - but the structure of their palms and fingers allows them to climb trees. Chimpanzees' hands are much longer and narrower, but the thumb is not as long as ours."

In addition to humans, gorillas inherited a more primitive structure of hands; their feet are also similar to humans. Almesiha and his colleagues hypothesized that primates managed to survive mass extinction

A new study suggests that the small changes in the structure of the human hand occurred with the transition of hominids to upright walking, and not with the beginning of the use of stone tools. Most likely, the ability to use tools in human ancestors was associated not with the structure of the hands, but with neurological changes and the evolution of the brain. It was the development of the brain that allowed hominids to learn to precisely coordinate the movements of the forelimbs, to comfortably grasp tools and subsequently master complex fine motor skills.

Monkeys are considered primates. In addition to the usual ones, there are, for example, semi-monkeys. These include lemurs, tupayas, and short-heeled lemurs. Among ordinary monkeys they resemble tarsiers. They separated in the Middle Eocene.

This is one of the eras of the Paleogene period, which began 56 million years ago. Two more orders of monkeys emerged in the late Eocene, about 33 million years ago. We are talking about narrow- and broad-nosed primates.

Tarsier monkeys

Tarsiers - species of small monkeys. They are common in southeast Asia. Primates of the genus have short forepaws, and the heel region on all limbs is elongated. In addition, the tarsier's brain is devoid of convolutions. In other monkeys they are developed.

Sirichta

Lives in the Philippines, is the smallest of the monkeys. The length of the animal does not exceed 16 centimeters. The primate weighs 160 grams. With these sizes, the Philippine tarsier has huge eyes. They are round, convex, yellow-green and glow in the dark.

Philippine tarsier brown or greyish. The fur of the animals is soft, like silk. Tarsiers take care of their fur coat by combing it with the claws of their second and third toes. Other claws are deprived.

Bankan tarsier

Lives in the south of the island of Sumatra. The bank tarsier is also found in Borneo, in the rain forests of Indonesia. The animal also has large and round eyes. Their irises are brownish. The diameter of each eye is 1.6 centimeters. If you weigh the visual organs of a Bankan tarsier, their mass will exceed the weight of the monkey's brain.

The Bankan tarsier has larger and more rounded ears than the Philippine tarsier. They are hairless. The rest of the body is covered with golden brown hairs.

Tarsier ghost

Included in rare species monkeys, lives on the islands of Greater Sangihi and Sulawesi. In addition to the ears, the primate has a bare tail. It is covered with scales, like a rat's. There is a woolen brush at the end of the tail.

Like other tarsiers, the ghost acquired long and thin fingers. With them the primate clasps the branches of trees on which it conducts most life. Among the foliage, monkeys look for insects and lizards. Some tarsiers even attack birds.

Broad-nosed monkeys

As the name suggests, the monkeys of the group have a wide nasal septum. Another difference is 36 teeth. Other monkeys have at least 4 fewer of them.

Broad-nosed monkeys are divided into 3 subfamilies. These are capuchinoides, callimicos and clawedes. The latter have a second name - marmosets.

Capuchin monkeys

Otherwise called cebids. All monkeys of the family live in the New World and have a prehensile tail. It seems to replace the fifth limb for primates. Therefore, the animals of the group are also called tenacious-tailed.

Crybaby

It lives in the north of South Africa, in particular in Brazil, Rio Negro and Guiana. Crybaby enters monkey species, listed in the International Red. The name of primates is associated with the drawn-out sounds they make.

As for the name of the clan, Western European monks who wore hoods were called Capuchins. The Italians called the cassock with it “capucio”. Seeing monkeys with light faces and a dark “hood” in the New World, Europeans remembered the monks.

Crybaby is a small monkey up to 39 centimeters long. The animal's tail is 10 centimeters longer. The maximum weight of a primate is 4.5 kilograms. Females are rarely larger than 3 kilos. Females also have shorter fangs.

Favi

Otherwise called brown. Primates of the species inhabit mountainous regions South America, in particular the Andes. Mustard-brown, brown or black individuals are found in different areas.

The body length of the favi does not exceed 35 centimeters, the tail is almost 2 times longer. Males are larger than females, gaining almost 5 kilograms of mass. Occasionally there are individuals weighing 6.8 kilos.

White-breasted Capuchin

The second name is common capuchin. Like the previous ones, it lives on the lands of South America. The white patch on the primate's chest extends to the shoulders. The muzzle, as befits capuchins, is also light. The “hood” and “mantle” are brown-black.

The white-breasted capuchin's "hood" rarely extends over the monkey's forehead. The degree to which the dark fur is raised depends on the sex and age of the primate. Typically, the older the capuchin, the higher his hood is raised. Females “raise” it while still young.

Saki monk

In other capuchins, the length of the coat is uniform throughout the body. The Saki monk has longer hairs on his shoulders and head. Looking at the primates themselves and their photo, species of monkeys you begin to distinguish. Thus, the saki’s “hood” hangs over the forehead and covers the ears. The fur on the capuchin's face almost does not contrast in color with the headdress.

The Saki monk gives the impression of a melancholy animal. This is due to the downturned corners of the monkey's mouth. She looks sad and thoughtful.

There are 8 species of capuchins in total. In the New World, these are the smartest and most easily trained primates. They often feed on tropical fruits, occasionally chewing rhizomes, branches, and catching insects.

Marmoset monkeys

Monkeys of the family are miniature and have claw-shaped nails. The structure of the feet is close to that of tarsiers. Therefore, species of the genus are considered transitional. Marmosets belong to the higher primates, but among them they are the most primitive.

Wistity

The second name is ordinary. The length of the animal does not exceed 35 centimeters. Females are about 10 centimeters smaller. Upon reaching maturity, primates acquire long tufts of fur near their ears. The decoration is white, the center of the muzzle is brown, and its perimeter is black.

Marmosets have elongated claws on their big toes. Primates use them to grab branches, jumping from one to another.

Pygmy marmoset

It does not exceed 15 centimeters in length. A plus is the 20-centimeter tail. The primate weighs 100-150 grams. Externally, the marmoset appears larger because it is covered with long and thick fur of a brownish-golden color. The red hue and mane of hair make the monkey look like a pocket lion. This is an alternative name for the primate.

The pygmy marmoset is found in the tropics of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. With sharp incisors, primates gnaw the bark of trees, releasing their juices. This is what the monkeys eat.

Black tamarin

It does not descend below 900 meters above sea level. In mountain forests, black tamarins have a twin in 78% of cases. This is how monkeys are born. Fraternal children are born only in 22% of cases.

From the name of the primate it is clear that it is dark. The length of the monkey does not exceed 23 centimeters, and weighs about 400 grams.

Crested tamarin

Otherwise called pinche monkey. On the head of the primate there is an erokeus-like crest of white, long hair. It grows from the forehead to the neck. During unrest, the crest stands on end. In a good-natured mood, the tamarin is smoothed.

The crested tamarin's muzzle is bare right down to the area behind the ears. The rest of the 20cm long primate is covered in long hair. It is white on the chest and front legs. The fur on the back, sides, hind legs and tail is reddish-brown.

Piebald tamarin

A rare species, lives in the tropics of Jurasia. Outwardly, the piebald tamarin is similar to the crested tamarin, but does not have the same crest. The animal has a completely bare head. The ears appear large against this background. The angular, square shape of the head is also emphasized.

Behind it, on the chest and front legs, there is long white hair. back, yuoka, hind legs and the tamarin's tail are reddish-brown.

The piebald tamarin is slightly larger than the crested tamarin, weighs about half a kilogram, and reaches a length of 28 centimeters.

All marmosets live 10-15 years. Their size and peaceful disposition make it possible to keep representatives of the genus at home.

Callimico monkeys

They were recently allocated to a separate family; previously they were classified as marmosets. DNA tests showed that Callimiko is a transitional link. There is a lot from the capuchins. Genus presented the only kind.

Marmoset

Included in the little-known, rare species of monkeys. Their names and features are only rarely described in popular science articles. The structure of the teeth and, in general, the skull of the marmoset is similar to that of the capuchin. The face looks like a tamarin's face. The structure of the paws is also marmoset.

The marmoset has thick, dark fur. On the head it is elongated, forming something like a cap. Seeing her in captivity is good luck. Marmosets are dying outside natural environment, do not give birth. As a rule, out of 20 individuals in the best zoos in the world, 5-7 survive. At home, marmosets live even less often.

Narrow-nosed monkeys

Among the narrow-nosed there are monkey species of india, Africa, Vietnam, Thailand. Representatives of the genus do not live. Therefore, narrow-nosed primates are commonly called Old World monkeys. These include 7 families.

Monkeys

The family includes small and medium-sized primates, with forelimbs and hindlimbs of approximately equal length. The first fingers of the hands and feet of apes are opposed to the remaining fingers, like those of humans.

Representatives of the family also have ischial calluses. These are hairless, worn-out areas of skin under the tail. The faces of the ape-like creatures are also bare. The rest of the body is covered with fur.

Hussar

Lives south of the Sahara. This is the limit of the monkeys' range. On the eastern borders of the Hussars' dry, grassy territories, their noses are white. U Western representatives kind of noses are black. Hence the division of hussars into 2 subspecies. Both are included in species of red monkeys, because they are colored orange-scarlet.

Hussars have a slender, long-legged body. The muzzle is also elongated. When the monkey grins, powerful, sharp fangs are visible. A long tail primate is equal to the length of its body. The weight of the animal reaches 12.5 kilograms.

Green monkey

Representatives of the species are common in the west. From there monkeys were brought to the West Indies and Caribbean islands. Here primates blend into the greenery tropical forests, having fur with a swamp tint. It is distinct on the back, crown, and tail.

Like other monkeys, green monkeys have cheek pouches. They resemble those of hamsters. Macaques carry food supplies in their cheek pouches.

Cynomolgus macaque

Otherwise called a crabeater. The name is associated with the macaque's favorite food. His fur, like that of the green monkey, has a grassy tint. Expressive brown eyes stand out against this background.

The length of the Javan macaque reaches 65 centimeters. The monkey weighs about 4 kilograms. Females of the species are approximately 20% smaller than males.

Japanese macaque

Lives on the island of Yakushima. There is a harsh climate, but there are hot ones, thermal springs. The snow melts next to them and primates live. They bask in hot waters. The leaders of the packs have the first right to them. The lower “links” of the hierarchy are freezing on the shore.

Among the Japanese, the largest is the others. However, impressions are deceiving. If you cut off the thick, long, steel-gray hair, the primate will be of medium size.

Reproduction of all monkeys is associated with sexual skin. It is located in the area of ​​the ischial callus and swells and turns red during ovulation. For males, this is a signal to mate.

Gibbons

They are distinguished by elongated forelimbs, bare palms, feet, ears and face. On the other body, the fur, on the contrary, is thick and long. Like macaques, there are ischial calluses, but less pronounced. But gibbons do not have a tail.

Silver gibbon

It is endemic to the island of Java and is not found outside its borders. The animal is named after the color of its fur. She is grey-silver. The bare skin on the face, hands and feet is black.

Silver is medium in size, does not exceed 64 centimeters in length. Females often stretch only 45. The weight of the primate is 5-8 kilograms.

Yellow-cheeked crested gibbon

You cannot tell from the females of the species that they are yellow-cheeked. More precisely, females are completely orange. On black males, golden cheeks are striking. It is interesting that representatives of the species are born light, then darken together. But during puberty, females return to basics, so to speak.

Yellowcheeks live crested gibbons on the lands of Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos. Primates live there in families. This is a feature of all gibbons. They form monogamous couples and live together with children.

Eastern hoolock

The middle name is the singing monkey. It lives in India, China, and Bangladesh. The males of the species have stripes of white fur above their eyes. On a black background they look like gray eyebrows.

Average weight a monkey is equal to 8 kilograms. The primate reaches 80 centimeters in length. There is also a Western hoolock. He has no eyebrows and is a little larger, weighing about 9 kilos.

Siamang compound-toed

IN great monkey species not included, but is the largest among gibbons, gaining 13 kilograms of mass. The primate is covered with long, shaggy black hair. It fades to gray near the monkey's mouth and chin.

There is a throat pouch on the siamang's neck. With its help, primates of the species amplify sound. Gibbons have a habit of calling each other between families. This is why monkeys develop their voice.

Pygmy gibbon

It can't be heavier than 6 kilograms. Males and females are similar in size and color. At all ages, monkeys of the species are black.

Once on the ground, dwarf gibbons move with their arms behind their backs. Otherwise, long limbs drag along the ground. Sometimes primates raise their arms up, using them as balancers.

All gibbons move through trees by alternating their forelimbs. The manner is called brachiation.

Orangutans

Always massive. Male orangutans are larger than females, with hooked fingers, fatty growths on the cheeks, and a small guttural pouch, like gibbons.

Sumatran orangutan

Belongs to the red monkeys, has a fiery coat color. Representatives of the species are found on the islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan.

Sumatran is included in species of apes. In the language of the inhabitants of the island of Sumatra, the primate’s name means “forest man.” Therefore, it is incorrect to write "orangutaeng". The letter "b" at the end changes the meaning of the word. In the Sumatran language, this is already a “debtor”, and not a forest person.

Bornean orangutan

It can weigh up to 180 kilos with a maximum height of 140 centimeters. Monkeys of the species are like sumo wrestlers, covered with fat. The Bornean orangutan also owes its large weight to its short legs against the backdrop of its large body. Lower limbs By the way, the monkey has curves.

The arms of the Bornean orangutan, as well as others, hang below the knees. But the fat cheeks of representatives of the species are especially fleshy, significantly expanding the face.

Kalimantan orangutan

It is endemic to Kalimantan. The monkey is slightly taller than the Bornean orangutan, but weighs 2 times less. The fur of primates is brownish-red. Bornean individuals have a distinctly fiery fur coat.

Among monkeys, orangutans of Kalimantan are long-lived. The age of some ends in the 7th decade.

All orangutans have a concave skull at the front. The general outlines of the head are elongated. All orangutans also have a powerful lower jaw and large teeth. The chewing surface is clearly raised, as if wrinkled.

Gorillas

Like orangutans, they are hominids. Previously, scientists used this name only for humans and their ape-like ancestors. However, gorillas, orangutans and also chimpanzees have a common ancestor with humans. Therefore, the classification was revised.

Coast gorilla

Lives in equatorial Africa. The primate is approximately 170 centimeters tall and weighs up to 170 kilograms, but often around 100.

Males of the species have a silver stripe running down their back. Females are completely black. Representatives of both sexes have a characteristic red marking on the forehead.

Lowland gorilla

Found in Cameroon, Central African Republic and Congo. There the lowland one settles in mangroves. They are dying out. Along with them, the gorilla species is disappearing.

The dimensions of the lowland gorilla are comparable to those of the coastal gorilla. But the color of the coat is different. Lowland individuals have brown-gray fur.

Mountain gorilla

The rarest, listed in the International Red Book. There are less than 200 individuals left. Living in remote mountainous areas, the species was discovered at the beginning of the last century.

Unlike other gorillas, the mountain gorillas have a narrower skull and thick and long hair. The forelimbs of the monkey are much shorter than the hind limbs.

Chimpanzee

All live in Africa, in the Niger and Congo river basins. Monkeys of the family are not taller than 150 centimeters and weigh no more than 50 kilograms. In addition, in chipanzees, males and females differ little; there is no occipital carina, and the supraorbital carina is less developed.

Bonobos

Considered the smartest monkey in the world. In terms of brain activity and DNA, bonobos are 99.4% close to humans. Working with chimpanzees, scientists taught some individuals to recognize 3 thousand words. Five hundred of them were consumed by primates in oral speech.

Height does not exceed 115 centimeters. The standard weight of a chimpanzee is 35 kilograms. The wool is dyed black. The skin is also dark, but the bonobo's lips are pink.

common chimpanzee

Finding out how many species of monkeys belong to chimpanzees, you recognize only 2. In addition to bonobos, the common one belongs to the family. He's bigger. Individual individuals weigh 80 kilograms. Maximum height is 160 centimeters.

There are white hairs on the coccyx and near the mouth of the common one. The rest of the fur is brown-black. White hairs fall out during puberty. Before this, older primates consider children to be marked and treat them condescendingly.

Compared to gorillas and orangutans, all chimpanzees have a straighter forehead. At the same time, the brain part of the skull is larger. Like other hominids, primates walk only on their feet. Accordingly, the chimpanzee's body position is vertical.

The big toes are no longer opposed to the others. The length of the leg exceeds the length of the palm.

So we figured it out, what types of monkeys are there. Although they are related to humans, the latter are not averse to feasting on their younger brothers. Many aboriginal peoples eat monkeys. The meat of prosimians is considered especially tasty. Animal skins are also used to make bags, clothes, and belts.

Often we are forced to believe that man descended from apes. And that science has discovered such a similarity between human and chimpanzee DNA that leaves no doubt about their origin from a common ancestor. Is it true? Are humans really just evolved apes? Let's look at the differences between monkeys and humans.

It is noteworthy that human DNA allows us to make complex calculations, write poetry, build cathedrals, walking on the moon while chimpanzees catch and eat each other's fleas. As information accumulates, the gap between humans and apes becomes increasingly clear. The following are just a few of the differences that cannot be explained by minor internal changes, rare mutations, or survival of the fittest.

1 Tails - where did they go? There is no intermediate state between having a tail and not having a tail.

2 Our newborns are different from baby animals. Their sense organs are quite developed, the weight of the brain and body is much greater than that of monkeys, but with all this, our babies are helpless and more dependent on their parents. Gorilla babies can stand on their feet 20 weeks after birth, while human babies can stand only after 43 weeks. During the first year of life, a person develops functions that baby animals have before birth. Is this progress?

3 Many primates and most mammals produce their own vitamin C. We, as the “strongest,” apparently lost this ability “somewhere along the way to survival.”

4 Monkeys' feet are similar to their hands - their big toe is movable, directed to the side and opposed to the rest of the fingers, resembling the thumb of a hand. In humans, the big toe is directed forward and not opposed to the rest, otherwise we could, having taken off our shoes, easily lift objects with the help of thumb or even start writing with your foot.

5 Monkeys have no arch in their feet! When walking, our foot, thanks to the arch, absorbs all loads, shocks and impacts. If man descended from ancient monkeys, then the arch of his foot should have appeared from scratch. However, a spring vault is not just a small part, but a highly complex mechanism. Without him, our life would be completely different. Just imagine a world without upright walking, sports, games and long walks!

6 A person does not have a continuous coat of hair: if a person shares a common ancestor with monkeys, where did the thick hair go from the monkey’s body? Our body is relatively hairless (disadvantage) and completely devoid of tactile hair. There are no other intermediate, partially hairy species known.

7 Human skin is rigidly attached to the muscular frame, which is characteristic only of marine mammals.

8 Humans are the only land creatures that can consciously hold their breath. This seemingly “insignificant detail” is very important, since an essential condition for the ability to speak is a high degree of conscious control of breathing, which we do not share with any other animal living on land. Desperate to find land " missing link” and based on these unique human properties, some evolutionists have seriously proposed that we evolved from aquatic animals!

9 Among primates, only humans have blue eyes and curly hair.

10 We have a unique speech apparatus, providing the finest articulation and articulate speech.

11 In humans, the larynx occupies a much lower position in relation to the mouth than in monkeys. Due to this, our pharynx and mouth form a common “tube” that performs important role speech resonator. This ensures better resonance - necessary condition to pronounce vowel sounds. Interestingly, a drooping larynx is a disadvantage: unlike other primates, humans cannot eat or drink and breathe at the same time without choking.

12 The thumb of our hand is well developed, strongly opposed to the rest and very mobile. Monkeys have hook-shaped hands with a short and weak thumb. No element of culture would exist without our unique thumb! Coincidence or design?

13 Only humans have true upright posture. Sometimes, when monkeys are carrying food, they can walk or run on two limbs. However, the distance they travel this way is quite limited. In addition, the way monkeys walk on two legs is completely different from how humans walk on two legs. The unique human approach requires a complex integration of the many skeletal and muscular features of our hips, legs and feet.

14 Humans are able to support our body weight on our feet while walking because our hips meet at our knees, forming a unique 9-degree bearing angle with the tibia (in other words, we have “knees”). Conversely, chimpanzees and gorillas have widely spaced, straight legs with a bearing angle of almost zero. When walking, these animals distribute the weight of their body on their feet, swaying their body from side to side and moving using the familiar “monkey gait”.

15 The complexity of the human brain is much greater than that of monkeys. It is approximately 2.5 times larger than the brain of great apes in volume and 3–4 times larger in mass. Humans have a highly developed cortex cerebral hemispheres brain, where the most important centers of the psyche and speech are located. Unlike monkeys, only humans have a complete Sylvian fissure, consisting of the anterior horizontal, anterior ascending and posterior branches.

Based on site materials

A pygmy chimpanzee shows off its paw.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Anthropologists from George Washington University have found that according to some morphological features hand structure Homosapiens closer to the common ancestor of chimpanzees and humans than the hand of chimpanzees themselves, that is, the human hand is more primitive than that of its closest living relatives. The work was published in the journal NatureCcommunications.

Scientists have measured the proportions of the thumb in relation to the other four fingers in a variety of living primates, including modern humans and other apes. In addition, they used several already extinct species of monkeys for comparison, for example, proconsuls ( Proconsul), Neanderthals, as well as Ardipithecus ( Ardipithecus ramidus), close in structure to the common ancestor of chimpanzees and humans, and Australopithecus sediba ( Australopithecus sediba), which some anthropologists consider to be the direct predecessor of the genus Homo.

To analyze the resulting proportions, the researchers used morphometric analysis taking into account phylogeny and sophisticated statistical methods, such as testing several models of alternative evolutionary options. Taken together, these methods made it possible not only to estimate the magnitude of variability in the length and position of the fingers, but also made it possible to determine the direction of their evolution.

It turned out that the common ancestor of chimpanzees and humans had a relatively long thumb and rather short other fingers, which is very similar to the existing ratio of finger sizes in Homosapiens. Thus, humans retained a more conservative variant inherited directly from an ancestor, while chimpanzees and orangutans continued to evolve toward a shortening of the thumb and lengthening of the other four fingers, which made it possible to more effectively grasp and move between tree branches. In other words, the structure of the hand of humans is evolutionarily more primitive than that of other apes (with the exception of gorillas, which, due to their terrestrial lifestyle, have finger proportions similar to humans).

Humans and chimpanzees split from a common ancestor seven million years ago. Among many other differences between the genera, one of the main ones is the setback and long thumb in humans, which allows them to touch the phalanges of any of the other four fingers and make precise and subtle grasping movements. At the same time, chimpanzees' fingers are longer, while the thumb is short and pressed against the palm. For a long time It was believed that the structure of the human hand is a rather late aromorphosis (a progressive change in structure), which became one of the factors in the development of tool activity and, as a consequence, influenced the enlargement of the brain in human ancestors. A new study contradicts this hypothesis.

The scientists’ conclusions are indirectly confirmed by the structure of the hand of Ardipithecus, who lived 4.4 million years ago, which is much closer to that of humans. As well as a study by the same group of anthropologists, published in 2010, which substantiates the ability of their closest predecessors, the Orrorin ( Orrorin), making precise grasping movements and manipulations already 6 million years ago, that is, a relatively short time after the separation of chimpanzees and humans.

According to what has just been carried out genetic research, between man and monkey there are incomparably great differences.

Remarkably, human DNA allows us to perform complex calculations, write poetry, build cathedrals, walk on the moon, while chimpanzees catch and eat each other's fleas. As information accumulates, the gap between humans and apes becomes increasingly clear. The following are just a few of the differences that cannot be explained by minor internal changes, rare mutations, or survival of the fittest.

1 Tails - where did they go? There is no intermediate state between having a tail and not having a tail.

2 Our newborns are different from baby animals. Their sense organs are quite developed, the weight of the brain and body is much greater than that of monkeys, but with all this, our babies are helpless and more dependent on their parents. Gorilla babies can stand on their feet 20 weeks after birth, while human babies can stand only after 43 weeks. During the first year of life, a person develops functions that baby animals have before birth. Is this progress?

3 Many primates and most mammals produce their own vitamin C. We, as the “strongest,” apparently lost this ability “somewhere along the way to survival.”

4 Monkeys' feet are similar to their hands - their big toe is movable, directed to the side and opposed to the rest of the fingers, resembling the thumb of a hand. In humans, the big toe is directed forward and not opposed to the rest, otherwise we could, having taken off our shoes, easily lift objects with the help of the big toe or even start writing with our feet.

5 Monkeys have no arch in their feet! When walking, our foot, thanks to the arch, absorbs all loads, shocks and impacts. If man descended from ancient monkeys, then the arch of his foot should have appeared from scratch. However, a spring vault is not just a small part, but a highly complex mechanism. Without him, our life would be completely different. Just imagine a world without upright walking, sports, games and long walks!

Differences between monkeys and humans

6 A person does not have a continuous coat of hair: if a person shares a common ancestor with monkeys, where did the thick hair go from the monkey’s body? Our body is relatively hairless (disadvantage) and completely devoid of tactile hair. There are no other intermediate, partially hairy species known.

7 Human skin is rigidly attached to the muscular frame, which is characteristic only of marine mammals.

8 Humans are the only land creatures that can consciously hold their breath. This seemingly “insignificant detail” is very important, since an essential condition for the ability to speak is a high degree of conscious control of breathing, which we do not share with any other animal living on land. Desperate to find a land-based "missing link" and based on these unique human properties, some evolutionists have seriously proposed that we evolved from aquatic animals!

9 Among primates, only humans have blue eyes and curly hair.

10 We have a unique speech apparatus that provides the finest articulation and articulate speech.

11 In humans, the larynx occupies a much lower position in relation to the mouth than in monkeys. Due to this, our pharynx and mouth form a common “tube”, which plays an important role as a speech resonator. This ensures better resonance - a necessary condition for pronouncing vowel sounds. Interestingly, a drooping larynx is a disadvantage: unlike other primates, humans cannot eat or drink and breathe at the same time without choking.

12 The thumb of our hand is well developed, strongly opposed to the rest and very mobile. Monkeys have hook-shaped hands with a short and weak thumb. No element of culture would exist without our unique thumb! Coincidence or design?

13 Only humans have true upright posture. Sometimes, when monkeys are carrying food, they can walk or run on two limbs. However, the distance they travel this way is quite limited. In addition, the way monkeys walk on two legs is completely different from how humans walk on two legs. The unique human approach requires a complex integration of the many skeletal and muscular features of our hips, legs and feet.

14 Humans are able to support our body weight on our feet while walking because our hips meet at our knees, forming a unique 9-degree bearing angle with the tibia (in other words, we have “knees”). Conversely, chimpanzees and gorillas have widely spaced, straight legs with a bearing angle of almost zero. When walking, these animals distribute the weight of their body on their feet, swaying their body from side to side and moving using the familiar “monkey gait”.

15 The complexity of the human brain is much greater than that of monkeys. It is approximately 2.5 times larger than the brain of great apes in volume and 3–4 times larger in mass. A person has a highly developed cerebral cortex, in which the most important centers of the psyche and speech are located. Unlike monkeys, only humans have a complete Sylvian fissure, consisting of the anterior horizontal, anterior ascending and posterior branches.