Gibbon

The Gibbon is one of the species of apes in the Planet of the Apes franchise.

Evolution & Classification

There are several species of gibbons, all of which belong to the family Hylobatidae and are native to the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. The various species of gibbons are classified into four main genera: Hylobates, Hoolock, Nomascus, and Symphalangus. The gibbon lacks the higher cognitive abilities that the great apes exhibit; because of this, it is categorized as a lesser ape. There are an estimated 100,000 to 150,000 gibbons left in the wild, although many species are threatened due to habitat loss and hunting.

Physiology

Gibbons are arboreal and move from branch to branch with speed and great agility by swinging from their arms, brachiating, which involves swinging from branch to branch for distances up to 15 m (50 ft), at speeds as fast as 55 km/h (34 mph) . On the ground, gibbons walk erect with the arms held aloft or behind for balance.

Most gibbon species are about 40–65 cm (16–26 inches) in head and body length, but the siamang (Symphalangus syndactylus) can grow up to 90 cm (35 inches). The smaller species (both sexes) weigh about 5.5 kg (12 pounds); others, such the concolor gibbon, weigh about 7.5 kg (17 pounds). The female siamang weighs 10.5 kg (23 pounds) and the male 12 kg (26 pounds); the siamang is the only gibbon with a significant size difference between the sexes.^[1]

In the Franchise

In Marvel Comics´ Planet of the Apes Magazine, a gibbon named Gilbert accompanies the traveler Lightsmith in the search for the Psychedrome. Gilbert is portrayed as a mute ape.

While not present in The Chronicles of Ashlar Continuity, the unpublished prequel novel to the Tim Burton film, Planet of the Apes: Rule, would have revealed that several gibbons were part of the Oberon´s simian population.^[2]

The first mention of gibbons in the Reboot Series appears in the Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Novelization, which states that gibbons were among the apes inhabiting the San Francisco Ape Colony alongside chimpanzees, gorilla, orangutans, and bonobos. This suggests that the cognitive abilities of some lesser apes may have been affected by the Simian Flu.

In Titan Books´ Tales from the Forbidden Zone, specifficaly in the story "Stone Monkey", the character Sun is introduced. Sun is a siamang who was experimented on by humans in an attempt to achieve immortality before the nuclear holocaust. He led a revolt on the Asian side of the world, guiding other apes to safety. Later, he lived peacefully as a free spirit, traveling from town to town to forget his past, until a gorilla warlord came looking for the so-called “Stone Monkey”.

Sun´s Description: "He was an ape, and more specifically a siamang. His head was nicely round, his body adorned in lustruous black hair. His arms were longer than his legs, and he had thumbs on his feet as well as his hands".

The first miniseries set in the classic The Original Pentalogy since Marvel reacquired the license, Beware the Planet of the Apes, reintroduces the gibbons as an enslaved species in a small community dominated by gorillas. The gibbons were kept as a labor force until Cornelius freed them and convinced them to rise up against their oppressors. In contrast to Gilbert, these Gibbons are able to speak without issues.

In Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes it is revealed that the Order of Caesar kept records of the gibbons’ existence up until 2328, when the last survivor of the order, Raka, recalled to Mae how unfortunate it was that humans didn’t have the same advantages as gibbons.

Outside the franchise

Inspired by the Planet of the Apes franchise, Japan produced the Saru no Gundan (Army of the Apes) / Time of the Apes TV series, which introduced a young female gibbon named Pepe. She plays a role similar to that of Galen from the live action TV Series helping fugitive humans escape from the apes.