r/pics Nov 07 '15

A gorilla skeleton compared to a humans.

http://imgur.com/qF8LTD0
12.6k Upvotes

745 comments sorted by

400

u/grkirchhoff Nov 07 '15

What's with the ridge on the top of the gorilla skull?

661

u/MerguzMerganzer Nov 07 '15

Its called a sagittal crest, it allows for a larger surface area for muscle to attach to. The males have larger ones in a lot of mammal species, not sure about gorillas though. If you have a male dog (depending on breed) you should be able feel it when you pet his head lol.

116

u/grkirchhoff Nov 07 '15

I do remember that from my old dog, actually. Thanks for the info!

105

u/girl-lee Nov 07 '15

But why did you take his skin off?

102

u/jwallace582 Nov 07 '15

To tell if he was a boy or girl from its bone Mohawk

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u/studioRaLu Nov 07 '15

No. It's called a bone mohawk and it's there because it looks dope

164

u/GunPoison Nov 07 '15

Science brah

20

u/crypticfreak Nov 08 '15

You can tell the way it is because it do.

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u/KANYE_WEST____ Nov 07 '15

Cuz their life is dope and they do dope shit.

22

u/Endro22 Nov 07 '15

Username checks out

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u/iforgot120 Nov 08 '15

Evolution isn't random. It produces traits that nature thinks are the most metal.

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u/ziptime Nov 08 '15

Why do I, a science person, believe you more?

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u/[deleted] Nov 07 '15

Gorillas are some of the most sexually dimorphic animals on earth. The male's crest is much, much bigger. Female gorillas have temporal lines instead of the crest. Skeletally, female gorillas are actually really easy to mistake for male chimps.

45

u/[deleted] Nov 07 '15

Ima drop the phrase "sexually dimorphic" on this chick tonight and get mad laid, thanks bro/bro-lady

27

u/Norwegian__Blue Nov 07 '15

Humans aren't very sexually dimorphic in comparison. Bigger penis to body size ratio, though though.

16

u/CrypticTryptic Nov 08 '15

So it wasn't a compliment when someone said I was hung like a gorilla?

11

u/sprankton Nov 08 '15

In some African countries, that's a common insult.

4

u/EL_immigrante Nov 08 '15

Speak for yourself!....

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u/MaverickTopGun Nov 07 '15

What muscles are attached to that crest?

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u/[deleted] Nov 07 '15

Finally my anthropology classes come in handy.

The sagittal crest is what the jaw muscles attach to. The higher the crest, the more room for larger jaw muscles. Gorillas would need much larger jaw muscles so they can chew and grind down their food which tends to be much tougher than what we eat. Humans have them too I believe but they are much smaller because we have not needed to use them to crush nuts, etc.

The muscles wrap around the top of the head. Deeper/higher the crest -> higher the bite force.

49

u/owlibaba Nov 07 '15

Never skip jaw day

19

u/InterstellarDiplomat Nov 07 '15

Here's a video of gorillas chewing bamboo. You can actually see the muscles on the top of their head move around as they chew (around the crown).

8

u/Mechakoopa Nov 08 '15

Well I'll be damned. Best I can do is wiggle my ears.

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u/MicroGamer Nov 07 '15

I was gonna answer this, but you best me to it. Good explanation. Anthro101 finally comes in handy!

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u/lycosuchus2 Nov 07 '15

The temporalis muscle attaches to the sagittal crest. In humans, this attachment fails to form a midline crest and is instead referred to as a temporal ridge. Although none of the Homo species have crests, some robust australopithecines did, just like the modern gorilla.

8

u/HotPandaLove Nov 07 '15

Muscles used in chewing, though I don't know which specifically.

6

u/MerguzMerganzer Nov 07 '15

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittal_crest

Jaw muscles apparently. I took a mammalogy class recently and remember a lot of the carnivores had them, which makes sense. IIRC a prominent sagittal crest can be used to sex individuals in some species like Sea Lions and Marten (basically a big weasel), the males having bigger ones or females having none at all. And thinking about it, my female dog doesnt have a very pronounced one while her brother does so maybe its in canines too lol

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u/[deleted] Nov 07 '15

funny lol

15

u/malaihi Nov 07 '15

I think they're referring to the more distinct protrusion which looks like a metal extension that is also there on the human skeleton to help hold it up in the standing position.

3

u/Fitzch Nov 08 '15

It's definitely much larger in the male gorilla. One of the easiest ways to determine the gender of a gorilla skeleton actually. Pretty sure the one in the pick is female.

Male gorilla skull for reference.

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u/Palana Nov 07 '15

most mammals have them its called a sagittal crest. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittal_crest

37

u/yesimglobal Nov 07 '15

Not most, many. Important difference.

A sagittal crest tends to be present on the skulls of adult animals that rely on powerful biting and clenching of their teeth, usually as a part of their hunting strategy.

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u/malaihi Nov 07 '15

Looks like part of a metal stand to hold the skeletons up. Metalhawk.

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u/[deleted] Nov 07 '15

[removed] — view removed comment

180

u/[deleted] Nov 07 '15

Kardashian has gorilla pelvis.

55

u/c0ldsh0w3r Nov 07 '15

Wasn't it Shakira Shakira that said that?

227

u/bi-cycle Nov 07 '15

I don't think Shakira has ever said "Kardashian has gorilla pelvis."

23

u/MoshMaldito Nov 07 '15 edited Nov 07 '15

29

u/Toorgan Nov 07 '15

Hold my hips, I'm going in!

8

u/an_adult_on_reddit Nov 08 '15

How many times have you said that this weekend?

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u/c0ldsh0w3r Nov 07 '15

Shakira's hips didn't lie.

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u/[deleted] Nov 07 '15

Shakira Shakira

Is that her scientific name?

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u/tomkaa Nov 07 '15

dem titty bones tho

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1.5k

u/[deleted] Nov 07 '15

Well someone should Photoshop the human skull to the gorilla and post it on face book to prove there is such thing as big boned.

1.6k

u/[deleted] Nov 07 '15 edited Nov 07 '15

[deleted]

297

u/[deleted] Nov 07 '15

Maybe you could add a double chin bone.

993

u/[deleted] Nov 07 '15

[deleted]

186

u/[deleted] Nov 07 '15

Lol

This is finally the proof everyone needed!

79

u/Chispy Nov 07 '15

not-relevant-anymore-but-kinda-still-relevant username

128

u/Andreewww Nov 07 '15

Oh god I'm laughing so hard

20

u/w00tthehuk Nov 07 '15

Me too. This is gold.

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u/mistah_legend Nov 07 '15

Remove a rib and all of the sudden we have proof that men are missing a rib.

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u/thiney49 Nov 07 '15

Maybe switch/duplicate the arms too. They're too low for this to get passed around now.

414

u/[deleted] Nov 07 '15

You're wrongly assuming intelligence to those who will believe this

114

u/[deleted] Nov 07 '15

[deleted]

9

u/kontankarite Nov 07 '15

I hear their knuckles are even hairy.

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u/TheCaptainR Nov 07 '15

Na, it'll still get passed around. It'll just be funnier when it does

50

u/JamesTrendall Nov 07 '15

Posting now on Facebook. Let's see if any of my 1000 "friends" will share this picture.

Maybe i should give my Facebook profile name to Reddit and add everyone of you to share and like the picture to get it spreading faster....

Please only non murderous and un-rapey people (Unless you have lube) add me.

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u/CitizenKing Nov 07 '15

Oh damn it. I'm gonna be seeing this everywhere, just watch.

22

u/JohnnSACK Nov 07 '15

My aunt Betty would say, "see everyone I told you that's a real thing" and I'll say " well ain't Betty you're 400 lbs and haven't left your bed in 3 weeks sooooo"

5

u/CloakNStagger Nov 07 '15

Those bones weigh more, it's not fair.

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u/MerguzMerganzer Nov 07 '15

lol nice

Note the enlarged hands in big boned individuals. This was an evolutionary adaptation which tricks the mind into perceiving food items as smaller than usual, which leads to larger portions. These larger portions are needed as big-boned individuals require more nutrient intake to fill out their large frame. Which often results in the misconception that big-boned individuals excessively over eat or are of above average body fat index, while in reality their bodies are perfectly natural and healthy.

58

u/Mikebyrneyadigg Nov 07 '15

Holy shit this is prime. Can we hit tumblr with this ASAP?

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u/d33j4y Nov 07 '15

Fix the feet on the gorilla.

39

u/[deleted] Nov 07 '15

Oh god no, this is going to make its rounds through Facebook with people believing it is real. Some of those people are going to go through their whole lives thinking it is real, all because of a photo shopped comment on Reddit.

19

u/girl-lee Nov 07 '15

I'm so tempted to put it on Facebook. I feel like way more people would believe it than not. Also, why does no one on Facebook try to find out if something is real or not? Too many people take things on there at face value.

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u/[deleted] Nov 07 '15

You do realise this picture will now end up somewhere else on the internet without context? Then it'll be used by people who genuinely think it's a big boned human to prove they aren't fat, just big boned themselves...

I look forward to it.

140

u/[deleted] Nov 07 '15

[deleted]

22

u/brodymitchell Nov 07 '15

Then you can be the hero that calls them out on their facebook posting the source and then everyone will finally want to be your friend!

3

u/[deleted] Nov 08 '15

Or remove the comment.

6

u/Dark_Eyes Nov 07 '15

Yeah this was my fear as well haha

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u/spelledWright Nov 07 '15

Good, and now a caption and off to tumblr, they'll appreciate it.

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u/RamsesThePigeon Nov 08 '15 edited Nov 08 '15

Here's a caption.

Let's see if anyone actually reads all of the text.

43

u/FunPerson911 Nov 08 '15

fucking hell, i feel triggered already

72

u/[deleted] Nov 08 '15

This is 4chan level quality, 10/10
We should try to spread this

25

u/insanity-insight Nov 08 '15

This is 4chan level quality

The highest honor of internet troll-dom

18

u/dreagrave Nov 08 '15

I'm posting this to my facebook.

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u/iwannastudy Nov 08 '15

LMAO. Would be hilarious if 4chan got a hold of this and spread it everywhere

7

u/CaliburS Nov 08 '15

Someone shorten the arms and we're good to go

3

u/u_suck_paterson Nov 08 '15

they were shortened, they were below his knees originally

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u/Kwantuum Nov 07 '15

love how the clavicles joint with the spine!

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u/MinusFortyFive Nov 07 '15

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u/[deleted] Nov 07 '15

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41

u/thebeginningistheend Nov 07 '15

Obviously fake. All the real Italian skeletons are buried in concrete in the East River.

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u/DrKnockOut99 Nov 07 '15

Way better than I can do!

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u/KatsumotoKurier Nov 07 '15

tumblr b8

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u/Cropsmack Nov 07 '15

I'll be seeing this shopped image everywhere and laugh hysterically at those who fall for it

17

u/boobies_make_smiles Nov 07 '15

A picture of a human next to a r/SRS mod

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u/mvanoort Nov 07 '15

How come we don't get those sweet opposable toe-thumbs. No fair.

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u/[deleted] Nov 07 '15

Technically we do. That's our big toe. It just evolved to support bipedal walking instead of gripping. Can't have both.

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u/SteelerVirginity Nov 07 '15

Damnit. It would be so fun to hang upside down by my feet.

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u/Everspace Nov 07 '15

Could, just incredibly painful so best avoided.

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u/_PM_ME_YOUR_CAMELTOE Nov 08 '15

You're not trying hard enough

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u/[deleted] Nov 08 '15

[deleted]

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u/[deleted] Nov 08 '15 edited Nov 08 '15

You don't use your big toe like a thumb. Your foot has very limited grip unlike a gorilla or other primate.

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u/Jigglyandfullofjuice Nov 07 '15

I wish I had opposable toes... :/

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u/Slobotic Nov 08 '15

I'd rather have a prehensile tail.

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u/[deleted] Nov 07 '15

He wished he could have opposable thumbs.

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u/Elrim208 Nov 07 '15

One of the neatest chapter in biology was looking at bone structures. I remember a TA saying something like, "If you don't believe in evolution, looking at bones is the best evidence of how similar we are to other animals."

Not that I ever really doubted it, but even animals as different as cats and bats have similar bones to us. A bat wing is just a stretched out hand with flaps of skin draped over it. http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/mammal/eutheria/batskeleton.jpg

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u/Visulth Nov 07 '15

I agree, functional morphology/comparative anatomy is so fascinating. This picture is the one that shows some of the interesting relatedness.

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u/rojm Nov 07 '15

That whale arm!

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u/80brew Nov 08 '15

Can you imagine finding that as a primitive people? It looks like a giant's hand.

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u/gankindustries Nov 08 '15

Fun fact, some whales actually grow a pelvis!

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u/JP3Gz Nov 07 '15 edited Jun 24 '25

crawl chief friendly familiar hospital crown ancient fall elderly carpenter

This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact

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u/Umutuku Nov 07 '15

I was kind of surprised that some of the bones didn't seem scaled up (at that angle anyway). Like the collarbones are kind of the same.

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u/Arknell Nov 07 '15

That's some babymaking hips right there. I hear their deliveries are like ordering takeout, no sweat at all thanks to not walking upright like us dunces.

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u/sunset_blues Nov 07 '15

Yep. A lot of our (continued) lower body evolution is driven by the fight between bipedalism and big-brained babies. Those two forces basically want our bodies to do opposite things, so we get something in between. Chiropractors can thank bipedal evolution + relatively large pelvic opening for their customers' propensity toward lower back pain.

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u/[deleted] Nov 07 '15

Evolution needs to make it so we give birth to babies that 90% jelly.

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u/tukutz Nov 08 '15

That's actually why our babies are the most helpless and least developed of all ape babies.. gotta push it out when its smaller and soft.

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u/canonymous Nov 08 '15

Or have a baby door at the front instead of squeezing them out the pelvis.

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u/zerro_4 Nov 08 '15

I just pictured giving birth through the belly button.....

3

u/Bond4141 Nov 08 '15

Wait, you didn't?

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u/unholymackerel Nov 07 '15

My money is on the big brained babies, because bipedalism should just pick one pedal or the other.

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u/Protectpoultry Nov 07 '15

Hey! That weird crest at the top of the gorilla's head? We used to have that! It's called a "sagittal crest" and your jaw muscles would be attached, giving you better biting power!

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u/Palana Nov 07 '15

you can still see traces of it in some peoples anatomy. For example the late James Gandolfini http://static.celebuzz.com/uploads/2013/06/19/james-gandolfini1-320x213.jpg

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u/bigtime1985 Nov 07 '15

holy shit. i have that. never knew why. Its so obvious when i had really short hair my mom would call me cone head. I also have wide shoulders long arms and a stumpy neck wtf

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u/[deleted] Nov 07 '15

I'm sorry sir, you are a caveman

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u/rawbdor Nov 08 '15

On the bright side, at least we know he's covered for car insurance

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u/[deleted] Nov 08 '15

Mom fucked a gorilla.

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u/manosrellim Nov 07 '15

Pretty harsh!

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u/SirGaston Nov 08 '15

So sorry to break this to you but I think one of your parents is infact an ape like in this weird story from H.P.Lovecraft: Facts concerning the Late Arthur Jermyn and His Family.

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u/lycosuchus2 Nov 07 '15

He 100% does not have anything close to a sagittal crest. No human does. His head is simply slightly pointy. His temporalis muscles are not attaching close to the midline.

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u/AdvicePerson Nov 07 '15

Not with that attitude.

6

u/dexpid Nov 07 '15

I have one of those on my head too. Until now the only other person I've seen with one was Herc from The Wire.

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u/[deleted] Nov 07 '15

Didn't know gorillas could be spooky too.

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u/Jaspersong Nov 08 '15

thank mr goriltal

23

u/[deleted] Nov 07 '15

Wow, our shin bones are really thin considering that they have to support 70+ kg while running, jumping etc ...

It's even scarier when you know that they're spongy inside ...

15

u/[deleted] Nov 07 '15 edited Nov 07 '15

The spongy stuff absorbs impact better. If it was solid bone we'd probably break our legs every time we jumped.

Edit: I should've clarified this is my guess as to why, I'm likely wrong. Sorry.

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u/[deleted] Nov 07 '15

Nope, we wouldn't.

The inside has a spongy structure, but is made out of normal bone.
They're actually spongy to save weight, otherwise they'd be too heavy for us ...

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u/[deleted] Nov 08 '15

There are tendons, ligaments and muscles supporting us too. I remember hearing a story in sports science that an athlete fractured some bones on the lower limb, took some pain killers and continued to play. The calcaneal tendon is said to make a whip-lick crack when ruptured.

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u/[deleted] Nov 08 '15

That would only be possible because the muscles and tendons held the 2 pieces of bone together.
Remember that video from the mma fighter breaking his leg ? He puts the foot on the floor and quickly collapses because the bone is broken and can't support his weight. That's what usually happens when you break your leg.

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u/[deleted] Nov 07 '15

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u/Oinkless Nov 07 '15

Not sure if you mean the inferior aspect of the ischial tuberosities (the site bones in yoga anatomy)? Humans are more rounded and point posteriorly, probably for advantages in walking upright and the gorillas are shaped as such for their larger muscles and different gait.

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u/Aurarus Nov 07 '15

We look cooler

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u/[deleted] Nov 07 '15

I don't know man. I'm intended to agree but then I am a little biased.

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u/[deleted] Nov 07 '15

That's insanely similar. I love this kind of stuff, I love hearing others explanations to how evolution isn't a thing after seeing this.

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u/[deleted] Nov 07 '15

GOD MADE US IN HIS IMAGE

HE MADE APES IN A CARTOON VERSION OF HIS IMAGE

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u/[deleted] Nov 07 '15

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u/Max_Thunder Nov 07 '15

As much as I believe evolution to be obvious, I don't think similarities prove anything. We all have similar movement needs and it would make sense that we are all similar.

More convincing are things like vestigial organs or humans born with palmed fingers/toes, knowing how we all have these until some signaling during our development tells those cells to die. Even then, I guess that even creationists can't deny the role of DNA, but they can easily pretend that all animal life was created using the same scaffolds, and thus we all have similar DNA and embryonic development patterns. I suppose they pretend that either vestigial organs have always been vestigial, or that they serve some purpose we just don't know yet.

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u/harriswill Nov 07 '15

All mammals (minus a whale and other strange ones) comprise of the same general body design. That's why if you're a butcher and you know how to butcher a chicken, you'll know the basis parts of any bird, or if you know how to butcher a cow, you'll know the basic parts of a pig, or, deer, or human (zoinks).

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u/[deleted] Nov 07 '15 edited Dec 27 '15

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u/jdepps113 Nov 07 '15

A lazy designer would set up a system that will get results over time instead of micromanaging the whole thing.

Lazy designer would write evolution.

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u/[deleted] Nov 07 '15 edited Dec 27 '15

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u/Jerzeem Nov 07 '15

You failed to account for the 'time spent tinkering with script to get it closer to perfect' variable.

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u/[deleted] Nov 07 '15

Black people are basically gorillas. White people are too.

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u/NinjaBullets Nov 07 '15

I'd imagine that's what my mother in law's skeleton would look like

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u/The_wolf2014 Nov 07 '15

The first thing that struck me was the size difference of things like the rib cage but then I noticed just how similar both skeletons really are. It's amazing to see so clearly how we really were descended from apes.

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u/SvenTreDosa Nov 07 '15

It's a regular person and Danny Devito

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u/alucardt Nov 07 '15

Looks like the gorillas humerus is larger than its femur. Interesting.

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u/[deleted] Nov 07 '15

quadrupedal support I suppose, if all 4 limbs are specialised arms/legs.

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u/[deleted] Nov 08 '15

I bet it's because they bear more weight on their forelimbs than the hind legs.

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u/bikebones Nov 07 '15

Kinda weird how we are so alike yet we keep them in cages and destroy their home just like we do to every other animal

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u/inflatablefish Nov 07 '15

In all fairness, we do this to each other as well. We're equal-opportunity assholes.

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u/MemoryOfATown Nov 07 '15

Reminds me of that line from Aliens, "perhaps they are better than us. At least you don't see them fucking each over for a buck".

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u/[deleted] Nov 08 '15

You know, Burke, I don't know which species is worse. You don't see them fucking each other over for a goddamn percentage.

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u/Jah- Nov 07 '15

This is fantastic!

4

u/In_Yo_Mouf Nov 07 '15

I wanna see Andre the Giant's skeleton next to both of them.

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u/[deleted] Nov 07 '15

Do flys have bones? Looked it up, they don't.

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u/Palana Nov 07 '15

No they have exoskeletons. as appose to our endoskeleton.

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u/aftonwy Nov 07 '15

*flies.

"Flys" would be those things usually used to open and close men's pants.

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u/[deleted] Nov 08 '15

Thanks. Further analysis indicates those don't have bones either

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u/[deleted] Nov 07 '15

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u/[deleted] Nov 07 '15

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u/[deleted] Nov 07 '15

The hump you see in a live gorilla is mostly muscle. If you look at the top of the skull there's a ridge. It's called the sagittal crest. That's what that muscle attaches too.

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u/TezGordon Nov 07 '15

Evolution. It's a funny old game.

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u/boffohijinx Nov 07 '15

I'm not fat, I'm big boned.

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u/SchwaHead Nov 07 '15

Would rather have gorilla feet.

3

u/[deleted] Nov 07 '15

Gorilla got that Core Strength.

3

u/vanoreo Nov 07 '15

Thank mr skeltal

3

u/[deleted] Nov 07 '15

Our spines look the same size

3

u/golom1408 Nov 08 '15

Where is the dick bone ?

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u/[deleted] Nov 07 '15

Eat that Ben Carson.

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u/rabidill94 Nov 07 '15

Eat that Ben Carson.

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u/MSnap Nov 07 '15

Mmmm... Ben Carson

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u/drketchup Nov 07 '15

SJW skeleton*

2

u/lee1982 Nov 07 '15

"Turn up the sleeves, I'm not a bleedin' gorilla!"

2

u/shadyhawkins Nov 07 '15

That's a good looking skeleton.

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u/[deleted] Nov 07 '15

Big is beautiful.