Bonobo

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(CC) Photo: Matthew Bietz; Stephen Ewen
A bonobo.

The Bonobo (pan paniscus) is a part of the [pongidae] family which also includes the [Chimpanzee], the [Gibbon], the [Gorilla], the [Orangutan], and the Human. The Bonobo has commonly been linked to the chimpanzee as a "Pygmy Chimpanzee" however this classification has been deteriorating in use due to the fact that the name gives false implications about the species. The pygmy portion of the name was given after a study of a Chimpanzee's bones and a Bonobo's bones. The study found the latter to be more gracile in comparison to the former's, thus the name was given. However the Bonobo is in fact an entirely seperate species from the Chimpanzee, in fact it is as closely related to them as humans are.

References

1. 1. Leach, Michael (1996). The great apes: our face in nature's mirror. London: Blandford. ISBN 0-7137-2614-8. 
2. 2. Kanō, Takayoshi (1992). The last ape: pygmy chimpanzee behavior and ecology. Stanford, Calif: Stanford University Press. ISBN 0-8047-1612-9.