Pongidae
Encyclopedia
Pongidae is a taxonomical family which is no longer in use.
- Originally, until the last few years of the 20th century, Pongidae comprised all the extant species in the current family HominidaeHominidaeThe Hominidae or include them .), as the term is used here, form a taxonomic family, including four extant genera: chimpanzees , gorillas , humans , and orangutans ....
, excluding Homo sapiens and sometimes including the family Hylobatidae (gibbonGibbonGibbons are apes in the family Hylobatidae . The family is divided into four genera based on their diploid chromosome number: Hylobates , Hoolock , Nomascus , and Symphalangus . The extinct Bunopithecus sericus is a gibbon or gibbon-like ape which, until recently, was thought to be closely related...
s). - Currently pongid may refer to the subfamily PonginaePonginaePonginae is a subfamily in the hominidae family. It contains a number of genera, all but one extinct:*Pongo *†Gigantopithecus*†Sivapithecus*†Lufengpithecus*†Ankarapithecus*†Ouranopithecus*†Griphopithecus...
included in the family Hominidae and comprising only the extant two species of orangutanOrangutanOrangutans are the only exclusively Asian genus of extant great ape. The largest living arboreal animals, they have proportionally longer arms than the other, more terrestrial, great apes. They are among the most intelligent primates and use a variety of sophisticated tools, also making sleeping...
s: Pongo abelii and Pongo pygmaeus.