Ape Adaptations:

       



        Western Gorillas' large size means that they have very few natural predators. To support their sturdy bodies, they have relatively thick bones. ⁴ This drawing provides a comparison of the skeleton of a gorilla relative to that of a human, if both were in an bipedal position.







 
    
        The hands of the Western Gorilla have fully opposable thumbs, while the feet each have an opposable hallux (the "big toe); this allows them to dexterously handle small objects and securely hold their infants. These features, along with their large muscles, also make them fairly good at climbing, and they will often do so to reach fruit and to build their nightly nests. Large adults take care to stay near the trunk of trees when climbing. ^3,4

        As in all primates, the Western Gorilla's skull is made up of many bones. Most of these become fused together as a fetus and form the cranium, which houses their relatively large brains. An adult Western Gorilla's brain weighs an average of 17.8 ounces. ¹⁵

        The skull also protects the special sense organs of gorillas. As diurnal animals, they rely heavily on their sense of vision. Large orbits in the skull enclose the eyeballs on every side except the front and provide protection for these important organs. Eyes that face forward and are fairly close together give the Western Gorilla excellent depth perception, which is important when climbing in trees. The anatomy of their eyeballs is very similar to that of humans, with a complex retina containing rods and three types of cone cells packed into the area of the fovea, which allows for keen vision in full color. Olfaction and audition are also important senses in searching for food and in communication.

Site designed by Arika Wussow, Last updated April 2008.