Orangutan

This page is about a genus that contains extinct and extant species; species marked with † are extinct.

## Statistics

### Synonyms

*Hemanthropus*
*Boreopithecus*
*Pan vet*

### Diet

Omnivorous

*Pongo*, or commonly known as an orangutan, is a genus of primate that has lived in Asia since the Pleistocene.

## Description

Modern orangutans are large arboreal apes with long orange fur and pale grayish skin. Males has extensive skin structures around their necks and faces, which females lack. Around the face of males are flanges, which females lack. Orangutans are known for their independency, only congregating to breed. Most bonds exist between a mother and her offspring. Orangutans have extremely long limbs adapted for effectively climbing and orientating in trees, with long digits on their hands and feet to help grasp objects. Tool usage in orangutans is similar to other great apes. They use stripped sticks to probe in spaces, craft nests (high in the trees, unlike other hominids) and have even been observed using leaves to shelter in rain. These are viewed as complex for non-human animals, especially since they have knowledge of construction and utilize materials best for specific situations

## Classification

All extant *Pongo* species are the only remaining taxa of Ponginae, which once included *Lufengpithecus*, *Indopithecus*, *Meganthropus*, *Sivapithecus*, *Khoratpithecus* and *Gigantopithecus*. Their range was much larger, spanning China, Thailand, India, Pakistan, Vietnam, Sundaland, Cambodia and (likely) more locations. These, compared to extant species, were cooler and drier. Some of the earliest *Pongo* is from Early Pleistocene Chongzuo, with teeth assigned to *Pongo weidenreichi*. It is part of the faunal complex in Vietnam Pleistocene cave assemblages alongside *Gigantopithecuss*. Additionally, *Pongo hooijeri* lived in Vietnam, with fossil subspecies from southeast Asia. However, they may belong to *P. pygmaeus*, *P. abelii* or distinct taxa. *Pongo* sp. teeth from Peninsular Malysia (60,000 years old) are known. By the end of the Pleistocene, their range had significantly contracted due to forest reduction during the Last Glacial Maximum. Though, they may have survived into the Holocene in Cambodia and Vietnam.

## Species

* *P. pygmaeus* (Bornean orangutan)
	+ *P. p. pygmaeus* (Northwest orangutan)
	+ *P. p. morio* (Eastern orangutan)
	+ *P. p. wurmbii* (southwest orangutan)
	+ †*P. p. kahlkei*?
	+ †*P. p. ciochoni*?
	+ †*P. p. fromageti*?
* *P. abelii* (Sumatran orangutan)
* *P. tapanuliensis* (Tapanuli orangutan)
* †*P. hooijeri* (Vietnamese orangutan)
* †*P. (pygmaeus?) weidenreichi* (Chinese orangutan)
* †*P. (abelii/pygmaeus) palaeosumatrensis* (Southern Sumatran orangutan)
* †*P. javensis* (Javan orangutan)
* †*P. duboisi*
* †*P. (pygmaeus?) devosi*
* *P. abelii* x *P. pygmaeus* (cocktail orangutan)

## References

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pongo\_hooijeri
* https://eol.org/pages/32001113
* https://www.researchgate.net/publication/260044562\_Fossil\_Pongo\_from\_the\_Early\_Pleistocene\_Gigantopithecus\_fauna\_of\_Chongzuo\_Guangxi\_southern\_China
* https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258427478\_First\_discovery\_of\_Pleistocene\_orangutan\_Pongo\_sp\_fossils\_in\_Peninsular\_Malaysia\_Biogeographic\_and\_paleoenvironmental\_implications
* https://paleobiodb.org/classic/basicTaxonInfo?taxon\_no=40897
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hybrid\_orangutan
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orangutan
* https://www.nature.com/articles/459910a
* https://digitallibrary.amnh.org/bitstream/handle/2246/259/A076a00.pdf?sequence=1