Chimpanzees and Monkeys: Are They Same?
If you belong to the breed of people who considers chimps and monkeys to be the same, then your whole life is a lie. However hard we may try to lump chimpanzees and monkeys into the same category, scientific evidence suggests otherwise. Let's take a look at some points which will prove that chimpanzees are not monkeys, and give Darwin a much needed high-five.
Size matters: Monkeys are smaller than chimps. While the largest monkey can reach a height of 3 ft, chimpanzees tower above them by crossing 5 ft. Well, that's one difference.
Human connection: Humans are not related to monkeys. We share similarities with chimpanzees instead, with almost 5% difference in our DNA! So, don't be upset the next time someone calls you a monkey; you are a chimp after all!
Brains, anyone?: The brain of a chimpanzee is larger than that of a monkey's. Well, that was obvious, wasn't it?
I don't need a lift, I will walk: Monkeys are quadrupedal, they don't walk like humans. Also, they tend to use their tail as an extra limb. Who's the boss now? But then, chimpanzees are both quadrupedal and bipedal. So, point one for Team Chimp.
Tales of tails: Monkeys have tails. Their long, shiny, majestic tails add that extra glamour quotient on the otherwise banal existence. But you won't find tails on a chimpanzee.
Use of tools: Unlike monkeys, chimpanzees actually use a variety of tools to go about their daily chores. This was first discovered by Jane Goodall. And that is not all, some chimpanzees actually carry a tool kit with them! Now that's some monkey business, or chimp business right there!
Eating monkeys!: You heard that right. Chimpanzees hunt down monkeys for food! Well, this should be enough for us not to put two of them in a same cage, thinking they are the same.
It's a common, yet serious matter to mistakenly consider chimpanzees and monkeys to be the same. Monkeys are intelligent, but chimpanzees on the other hand are found to be much more inquisitive than monkeys. They have a complex social system, unlike monkeys, and use various gestures to communicate. Even their life span differs greatly, and chimps in captivity can live for more than fifty years. We may not be monkeys, but we are still old world monkeys (catarrhines like chimps and humans) scrolling through this article, because we are confused about monkeys and chimpanzees.
Post Written by - Lopamudra
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