Chimpanzee versus humans: similarities and differences The chimpanzee, one of the great apes, lives in the forests of central and western Africa. Their long arms and legs adapt them to life in areas such as lowland jungles and mountainous regions. Humans are classified in the order Primates and the Hominad family. Also placed within this family are human beings, our closest living relatives, the African apes. Although in some classification standards, monkeys are placed in the family Pongidae. The defining characteristic of hominids is their ability to walk bipedally, using two feet and walking upright. This form of movement leads to numerous adaptations within the Hominid skeleton. There are noticeable changes in the spinal cord, pelvic bones and legs. The chimpanzee has the ability to walk upright and does so, but it spends most of the time walking on four limbs. It uses its arms as its front legs and walks on its knuckles. Our brain capacity is approximately twice that of chimpanzees. Humans have a brain capacity of 1,300 to 1,500 cc, while chimpanzees have a capacity of around 600 to 800 cc. However, it is thanks to scientists that the size of our brains has increased over time, as we have evolved to make complex tools and become more and more sophisticated. The human skull is slightly different from that of our primate ancestors...

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