The scientific community refers to the great apes or hominids as part of the taxonomic family known as the Hominidae. This family incorporates eight extant species classified into four distinct genera: Pongo (encompassing the Bornean, Tapanuli, and Sumatran orangutan), Gorilla (encompassing the eastern and western gorilla), Pan (encompassing the bonobo and the chimpanzee), and Homo that includes only the modern humans that exist today.
Typically, the Hominidae family is divided into two subfamilies. The Ponginae mostly comprises orangutans, while the Homininae includes African great apes and humans. Some classifications also suggest the existence of two or more 'tribes' within the Homininae.
The primate order Hominoidea is home to 22 species of apes. These encompass various hominoids like bonobos, chimpanzees, gorillas, and siamangs to name a few. Although humans are a part of the Hominoidea, the term 'ape' is generally used to indicate all non-human hominoids.
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Dive deeper into this fascinating topic to expand your knowledge about our closest relatives in the animal kingdom.