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Gibbon and Siamang
These were 11 species of "lesser apes", all members of the genus Hylobates, sole member of the Hylobatidae; native to Asia, Old Earth, where they lived exclusively in tropical rainforests.
They were the most arboreal and acrobatic of Old Earth's apes, and also the smallest (under seven kilograms even in the largest males). Depending on the species they were buff, white, or black in various patterns. They lived in small family groups (father, mother, and offspring), and were omnivores. Like all other apes they became extinct in the wild during the early Information Age as a result of human actions, and were maintained only in breeding colonies and genetic banks. Several species of gibbon were provolved in the latter part of the Information Age, though these provolves were necessarily made larger than the members of the baseline species so that they could support a sufficiently large brain. Gibbon provolves have since gone on to form several minor spacer clades. It is believed that GAIA has lazurogened the baseline species, though as with other apes there are no unambiguous sightings. The largest confirmed "wild" populations of the baseline species are found at Ao Lai. Space-adapted non-sophont gibbons are common in orwoods.
They were the most arboreal and acrobatic of Old Earth's apes, and also the smallest (under seven kilograms even in the largest males). Depending on the species they were buff, white, or black in various patterns. They lived in small family groups (father, mother, and offspring), and were omnivores. Like all other apes they became extinct in the wild during the early Information Age as a result of human actions, and were maintained only in breeding colonies and genetic banks. Several species of gibbon were provolved in the latter part of the Information Age, though these provolves were necessarily made larger than the members of the baseline species so that they could support a sufficiently large brain. Gibbon provolves have since gone on to form several minor spacer clades. It is believed that GAIA has lazurogened the baseline species, though as with other apes there are no unambiguous sightings. The largest confirmed "wild" populations of the baseline species are found at Ao Lai. Space-adapted non-sophont gibbons are common in orwoods.
Related Articles
- Ape
- Hylobatidae - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
The family of apes that includes gibbons and siamangs.
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Development Notes
Text by Stephen Inniss
Initially published on 01 January 2005.
Initially published on 01 January 2005.
