Allegation:
One image shows an original monkey skeleton, showing similarities between humans and other apes.
Evaluation:
Context:
The image in question is real and features a gibbon, a primate known as the “little monkey.” Humans are also considered primates, but they belong to a subset of species known as “great apes.” Living hominoids are generally divided into two families: Hylobatidae (gibbons) and Hominidae (gorillas, chimpanzees, and humans).
A skeleton is shown with a human-like skull and arms reaching almost to the ground. image Posted on X (formerly Twitter) in April 2024, it claimed to show that “humans are monkeys”. At the time of this writing, the photo had received more than 830,000 views.
In the comments section, social media users argued whether the skeleton really resembled a human and to what extent the common features suggested in the post showed that “humans are monkeys”.
Snopes performed a reverse image search to find the source of the image. tineye. It turns out the photo has been shared online for more than a decade. Wikimedia Commons.
It was stated on the page in question that the photograph showed the skeleton of an unidentified monkey species, a monkey species. The photo was said to have been taken on 20 September 2006, and the specimen was reportedly stored in the Department of Zoology at the National University of Ireland in Galway. Snopes has reached out to the agency for more information about the sample and will update this article accordingly.
Similar images of gibbon skeletons can be found published by other reputable publications and institutions. New Scientist, Edinburgh University And University College London.
We rated this claim as “True” because the image originally shows a gibbon skeleton and both humans and gibbons are considered monkeys.
We need to clarify the relationship between gibbons and humans and what this means for evolutionary history. Although humans are primates (a group that includes monkeys and apes), our species is not descended from any other primates on Earth today. Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.
Gibbons are classified in a group known as “lesser apes”, while humans belong to another subgroup known as “greater apes”. Apes, or living hominoids, are generally divided into two families: Hylobatidae (gibbons) and Hominidae (gorillas, chimpanzees, and humans).
(Public property)
The Smithsonian wrote that apes and apes share a distant relative who lived approximately 25 million years ago. Human Origins website.
a fossil described in 2022 Journal of Human Evolution He determined that a species of gibbon was present in the forests of southern China more than 7 million years ago. Although the exact timing of human evolution continues to evolve within the scientific community, research Released in 2021 suggested that people differ from others monkeys existed between 6.5 million and 9.3 million years ago.
A wide variety of species evolved from this common ancestor, and many early humans are thought to have lived at the same time. But today, ours is the only surviving species of early humans. homo sapiens
Great apes are so named because of our large bodies and well-developed brains. Australian Museum Wrote. Apes, including humans, are also characterized by their lack of external tails. Gibbons is in the family hylobatidae There are approximately 20 species. International Fund for Animal Welfare.
Resources:
Almécija, Sergio et al. “Fossil Apes and Human Evolution.” Science, vol. 372, no. 6542, May 2021, p. eabb4363. DOI.org (Cross reference)https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abb4363.
First Gibbon Fossil Reveals Clues to Ape History. https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/news/2022/november/earliest-gibbon-fossil-unlocks-clues-about-the-history-of-apes.html. Access date: 29 April 2024.
Frequently Asked Questions | Smithsonian Institution’s Human Origins Program. July 11, 2022, http://humanorigins.si.edu/education/frequently-asked-questions.
—. July 11, 2022, http://humanorigins.si.edu/education/frequently-asked-questions.
“Gibbons: Facts, Habitat, Diet and Conservation.” IFAW, https://www.ifaw.org/animals/gibbons. Access date: 29 April 2024.
Hominoids – Overview | ScienceDirect Topics. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agriculture-and-biological-sciences/hominoids. Access date: 29 April 2024.
—. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agriculture-and-biological-sciences/hominoids. Access date: 29 April 2024.
Ji, Xueping et al. “The Oldest Hylobatid from the Late Miocene of China.” Journal of Human Evolution, vol. 171, October 2022, p. 103251. BilimDirecthttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103251.
News, Opening Hours Mon-Sun: 09:00-21:00 Address 1. William StreetSydney NSW 2010 Australia Phone +61 2. 9320 6000 www australian museum Copyright ©. 2024 Australian Museum ABN 85 407 224 698 View Museum. “Humans and Other Great Apes.” Australian Museum, https://australian.museum/learn/science/human-evolution/humans-are-apes-great-apes/australian.museum/learn/science/human-evolution/humans-are-apes-great-apes/. Access date: 29 April 2024.
Specimen of the Week 213: The Mysterious Gibbon | UCL UCL Culture Blog. https://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/museums/2015/11/09/specimen-of-the-week-213-the-enigmatic-gibbon/. Access date: 29 April 2024.