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ATH 210 Milestone One Gorillas are the largest living primates and are very adaptable, like Koko, the gorilla who learned sign language, and that is why they would make a fascinating museum exhibit. Gorillas have two species, the eastern gorilla ( gorilla beringei ) and the western gorilla ( gorilla gorilla ) with about four subspecies, the western lowland gorilla ( G. g. gorilla ), Cross River gorilla ( G. g. dielhi ), mountain gorilla ( G. b. beringei ), and Grauer’s gorilla ( G. b. graueri ) (Tuttle, 2014, p. 30). It is said that gorillas, along with other primates have evolved because they are competing with each other in an expanding population of monkeys (Hunt, 2016). One of the major trends that appear in the gorilla is that they are quadrupedal knucklewalking primates, and it is led to believe that they evolved to knucklewalking because of ecological changes and challenges that were faced (Hunt, 2016). Some differences are observed through the subspecies because they are from different environments. Mountain gorillas have shorter limbs and a less opposable big toe whereas western lowland gorillas have larger clavicles and stronger forearms which help them climb and hang from trees (Ruff et al., 2022, p. 502). Gorilla shoulders are adapted for suspension so that it is easier to keep the arms in an overhead position without too much tension on the socket. The shoulder is also able to support their larger body weight (van Beesel et al., 2021). The longer limbs found in western lowland gorillas are an example of an arboreal adaptation, and the shorter limbs, metapodials, and phalanges are an example of a terrestrial adaptation in these gorillas (Ruff et al., 2022, p. 516). The mountain gorillas found in colder temperatures were relatively smaller in body mass, and the impact of this could be the colder areas have less food for the mountain gorillas, which stunts their growth. These gorillas have more fur to keep them warm during freezing temperatures (Ruff et al., 2022, p. 521) The different subspecies of gorillas are found in different habitats and can show us the

different adaptations that they have overcome. These primates can teach us a lot about evolution in different aspects. They have continued to evolve to adapt to their environments. The anatomy of a gorilla allows for survival in different environments. They have opposable thumbs on their hands, and semi-opposable thumbs on their feet that help them grab and climb easier. Gorilla bones contain subchondral tissue at the ends for frictionless walking (Real Science, 2023). And they also have denser bones to support their large bodies. They can weigh anywhere from 300-450lbs, and when standing bipedally they can be up to 6 feet tall. Gorillas also have an arm span of about 8 feet in length. Their skulls also contain a thicker supraorbital ridge to support their eating habits which also allows them to bite into harder food items, like biting through a coconut. You would think a large animal would have a larger brain, but the gorilla’s brain is only about a third of the size of a human brain. The structure of their skull doesn’t allow much room for the brain to be larger (Gorilla Fund, 2019). Gorillas also have a larger gut to support their high-fiber diet. Their digestive tract is much longer than humans to break down the fibers, and that is why their stomachs stick out so much (Real Science, 2023). The behavior that gorillas express is very human-like. They are also peaceful and are not violent animals. Gorillas and other primates are even known to show sentimental feelings. Because their brain is larger than other mammals, but still not as large as humans, they have more brain function, which allows them to have higher skill sets. Gorillas also do things like chest beating to show dominance, to be playful, or to release anxiety (Explore Documentary Films, 2015). And because of their higher skill sets and human-like hands, there was a gorilla named Koko from the San Francisco Zoo who learned sign language, unfortunately, she passed away in 2018 (Real Science, 2023).

The fossil records show the evolutionary split of apes and monkeys by analyzing their teeth, and if there is a tail. The old-world monkeys' dental fossils show that their molars are more triangularly shaped than the apes. There are also many differences in the cusps and crests along the occlusal, chewing surfaces of the teeth. Apes do not have tails, whereas monkeys do. The split of apes and monkeys happened during a powerful change in climate, environment, and tectonics in East Africa (Balter, 2013). The fossil records between humans and apes are also separated by their bipedalism structure and their teeth. One of the differences is the roots of the molars are found fused together in pre-human teeth, but not in apes. Primates generally have 10 fingers and 10 toes with fingerprints and nails instead of claws, their collar bones and shoulders are greatly developed, and greater vision. Their vision is one of their greater senses, and because of that, their sense of smell is not as good compared to other mammals, which is also why primates have smaller noses. Scientists believe that the earliest primates lived in trees, and that is why they have all of these features which have evolved throughout the years in the changes of environment (Wayman, 2012). Humans have a larger brain which contributes to their higher skill sets especially communicating by speaking. Unless an animal cannot survive in the wild, ethically I do not think it should be kept captive. But I do believe it is still important to analyze primates in person or have a live feed in their natural habitat to express their behavior. The ethics behind going to their habitat is to make sure that we do not harm or endanger the primates in any way. It’s also important to preserve their habitat so that we don’t interfere with natural selection. Another way to learn is to replicate the anatomy of a gorilla. We can have life-size replicas of gorillas at all stages of their lives. To analyze their behavioral changes it is best to observe gorillas in their natural habitat, and we can also observe gorillas in zoos to compare any differences in behavior in different environments.

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References: [Explore Documentary Films]. (2015, April 1). Gorilla Documentary - Gorillas: 98.6% Human | Explore Films [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdE7bANJIz0 [Real Science]. (2023, February 28). The Insane Biology of: The Gorilla [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXnCCq6dkm8 Balter, M. (2013, May 15). Fossils May Pinpoint Critical Split Between Apes and Monkeys. Science.org. https://www.science.org/content/article/fossils-may-pinpoint-critical-split- between-apes-and-monkeys Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund (2019, November 15). Gorilla anatomy. Gorilla Fund. https://gorillafund.org/uncategorized/gorilla-anatomy/ Hunt, K.D. (2016), Why are there apes? Evidence for the co-evolution of ape and monkey ecomorphology. Journal of Anatomy, 228: 630-685. https://doi- org.ezproxy.snhu.edu/10.1111/joa.12454 Ruff, C. B., Junno, J., Burgess, M. L., Canington, S. L., Harper, C., Mudakikwa, A., & McFarlin, S. C. (2022). Body proportions and environmental adaptation in gorillas. American Journal of Biological Anthropology, 177(3), 501–529. https://doi- org.ezproxy.snhu.edu/10.1002/ajpa.24443 Tuttle, R. H. (2014). Apes and Human Evolution. Harvard University Press. van Beesel, J., Hutchinson, J.R., Hublin, J.-J. and Melillo, S.M. (2021), Exploring the functional morphology of the Gorilla shoulder through musculoskeletal modeling. Journal of Anatomy, 239: 207-227. https://doi-org.ezproxy.snhu.edu/10.1111/joa.13412 Wayman, E. (2012, October 29). Why are humans primates? Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/why-are-humans-primates-97419056/

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