Many of these species died out over the course of time. Our species survived. Our common ancestor is the common link that connects us with the other African apes. This ancestor was probably ape-like, but was not the same as humans or gorillas or chimps or any other species we find on the planet today. Humans and apes share many features, some of which can be seen in their bones and muscles.
Primates can hang off of things with their arms.
Apes are not monkeys, though. Apes don't have tails and monkeys do. Our skeleton is shaped differently because we move and use our bodies in different ways. Many of these differences can be seen in bones. These differences in anatomy help define what it means to be human.