Family Hominidae, the family that we belong to, is also composed of chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans. It is closely related to the other genus of apes, the gibbons, which are in the family Hylobatidae. There are only four genera and six species in this family, but it is a very diverse group. Male hominids are larger than females, and they have opposable thumbs and big toes, except for the humans. Hominids are the largest primates and have developed forearms, but their legs are longer than their arms. Also unique to this family inside the order Primates is that hominids lack a tail, and only the orangutan actually lives in trees. However, all of the species in this family other than humans are very good tree climbers. Hominids also have a unique structure of their teeth, with canines that have not developed into tusks and broad incisors. The hominids are probably the most advanced family in the world. Even aside from humans, other species such as the chimpanzees can learn human sign language and show innovation when solving problems.

Below is a list of the genera and species in the family Hominidae. To learn more about the species Homo sapiens, click on it.

• Gorilla gorilla beringei - Mountain gorilla
• Gorilla gorilla gorilla - Western lowland gorilla
• Homo sapiens - Humans
• Pan paniscus - Bonobo, or pygmy chimpanzee
• Pan troglodytes - Chimpanzee
• Pongo pygmaeus - Orangutan