Proconsul (SciiFii)

The African gibbon (Proconsul aferensis) is a species of primate that originally lived in Africa during the Miocene as an extinct species of Proconsul and the genus itself was once extinct, but has since been brought back from extinction by SciiFii and introduced throughout the modern tropical rainforests, wetlands, and forests across Africa to help boost biodiversity. Despites its name, the African gibbon is not a member of the gibbon family and may not be a true ape, but rather a primate related to Old World monkeys and apes, and is a member of the family Proconsulidae. The African gibbon has a mixture of Old World monkey and ape characteristics, so its placement in the ape superfamily Hominoidea is tentative, with some scientists placing Proconsul outside it, before the split of the apes and Old World monkeys. The African gibbon's monkey-like features include pronograde postures, including a long flexible back, curved metacarpals, and an above-branch arboreal quadrupedal positional repertoire. The primary feature linking the African gibbon with apes is its lack of a tail; other "ape-like" features include its enhanced grasping capabilities, stabilized elbow joint and facial structure. However, the African gibbon can not hang effortlessly from tree branches like gibbons and other nonhuman apes do. The African gibbon reaches an average length of about 1 meter (3.3 feet) long, with the males weighing about 24 pounds on average and the average females weighing 19 pounds. The African gibbon is an omnivore that primarily feeds on vegetation such as fruits, although it is known to feed on insects and, occasionally, smaller vertebrates. The African gibbon lives typically in groups of five to twenty-five animals, and occasionally in groups of up to seventy-five animals. Smaller groups have only a single adult male, while larger groups have up to four adult males. However, adult females always outnumber adult males by about 4:1. Young adult males are forced to leave their birth group upon maturity, sometimes forming bachelor groups before seeking a connection to an existing adult mixed gender group. Communication consists of various sounds and gestures; such as the presentation of the long eyeteeth while grimacing, a clear threatening gesture. The African gibbon is promiscuous, with both males and females mating multiple times with multiple partners. The receptivity of the females is clearly indicated by an extreme tumescence (swelling) and redness of their buttocks which, in contrast to the brownish-tan skin color, is particularly noticeable. The gestation time is 174 days, and the birth of the usually single offspring happens in the spring when food is more plentiful. Young animals are nursed for approximately one year, becoming fully mature in three to four years, females somewhat sooner than males. The conservation status of the African gibbon is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts, the African gibbon's wide range and its tolerance to many of the human activities.
Category:Animals
Category:Species
Category:SciiFii