Numerous skeletal differences between hominids and other primates are related to their upright or semi-upright stance. All members of this family have large braincase . All are catarrhine, with nostrils close together and facing forward and downward. Hominids have broad incisors and their canines are never developed into tusks. The uppers lack lophs connecting labial and lingual cusps and thus, in contrast to cercopithecids, are not bilophodont .
Hominids are omnivorous, primarily frugivorous or folivorous.
All but humans are good climbers, but only the orangutan is really arboreal. Members of this family are well-known for the complexity of their social behavior. Facial expression and complex vocalizations play an important role in the behavior of hominids. All make and use nests. Hominids generally give birth to a single young, and the period of parental care is extended.