Hominid
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Insanity Incarnate
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Reverted edits by [[Special:Contributions/75.184.118.232|75.184.118.232]] to last version by Aitias (using [[WP:HG|Huggle]])
A '''hominid''' is any member of the biological family '''[[Hominidae]]''' (the "great apes"), including the extinct and extant [[human]]s, [[chimpanzee]]s, [[gorilla]]s, and [[orangutan]]s. This classification [[Ape#History of hominoid taxonomy|has been revised]] several times in the last few decades. These various revisions have led to a varied use of the word "hominid": the original meaning of Hominidae referred only to the modern meaning of [[Hominina]], i.e. only humans and their closest relatives. The meaning of the [[taxon]] changed gradually, leading to the modern meaning of "hominid," which includes all [[great ape]]s.
The [[primatology|primatological]] term '''hominid''' is easily confused with a number of very similar words:
* A '''hominoid''' or [[ape]] is a member of the superfamily ''[[ape|Hominoidea]]'': extant members are the [[lesser ape]]s ([[gibbon]]s) and [[great ape]]s.
* A '''[[hominid]]''' is a member of the family ''[[great ape|Hominidae]]'': all of the great apes.
* A '''hominine''' is a member of the subfamily ''[[Homininae]]'': gorillas, chimpanzees, humans (excludes [[orangutan]]s).
* A '''hominin''' is a member of the tribe ''[[Hominini]]'': chimpanzees and humans.
* A '''hominan''' is a member of the sub-tribe ''[[Hominina]]'': modern humans and their extinct relatives.
* A '''[[human]]''' is a member of ''[[Homo sapiens]]''. The word is sometimes also used to refer to any extinct member of the genus ''[[Homo (genus)|Homo]]'' or members from other hominan genera.
* A '''[[humanoid]]''' is a vaguely human-shaped entity; the term is typically used in [[science fiction]].
Certain [[Morphology (biology)|morphological]] characteristics are still used conventionally to support the idea that '''hominid''' should only denote humans and human ancestors, namely [[bipedalism]] (walking on two feet) and large [[brain]]s. These points of departure between human beings and the other great apes are important, but according to genetically based [[taxonomy|taxonomic classification]], are not enough to divide us into separate families. [[Genetics]], rather than morphology, is more widely accepted as the critical standard. Many scientists, including [[anthropologist]]s, use the term to mean humans and their direct and near-direct bipedal ancestors.
{{Apes}}
[[Category:Apes]]
[[ar:أسلاف الإنسان]]
[[eo:Prahomo]]
[[he:הומינינים]]