Gibbon

Gibbons (/ˈɡɪbənz/) are apes in the family Hylobatidae /ˌhaɪloʊbəˈtaɪdeɪ, -diː/. The family historically contained one genus, but now is split into four genera and 17 species. Gibbons occur in tropical and subtropical rainforests from eastern Bangladesh and northeast India to southern China and Indonesia (including the islands of Sumatra, Borneo, and Java).

Also called the smaller apes, gibbons differ from great apes (chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, orangutans, and humans) in being smaller, exhibiting low sexual dimorphism and not making nests. In certain anatomical details they superficially more closely resemble monkeys than great apes do, but like all apes, gibbons are tailless. Gibbons also display pair-bonding, maintaining the same mate for life, unlike most of the great apes (this has been disputed by Palombit and others, who have found that gibbons might be socially monogamous, with occasional "divorce", but not sexually monogamous). Gibbons are masters of their primary mode of locomotion, brachiation, swinging from branch to branch for distances of up to 15 m (50 ft), at speeds as high as 55 km/h (34 mph). They can also make leaps of up to 8 m (26 ft), and walk bipedally with their arms raised for balance. They are the fastest and most agile of all tree-dwelling, nonflying mammals.

Gibbon (disambiguation)

Gibbons are apes in the family Hylobatidae.

Gibbon may also refer to:

Places

Other uses

See also

Gibbon (comics)

Gibbon is the name of two fictional characters in Marvel Comics.

Publication history

Created by Stan Lee and John Romita Sr., the Gibbon first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #110 (July 1972). The character subsequently appears in Amazing Spider-Man #111, The Spectacular Spider-Man #59-#60 (October–November 1981), #245-246 (April–May 1997), #252-253 (December 1997-January 1998), #256 (June 1998), She-Hulk #6 (May 2006), Punisher War Journal #4 (April 2007), #16 (April 2008), and Marvel Apes #1-4 (September–October 2008). The Gibbon received an entry in the All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #4 (2006)

Fictional character biography

Martin Blank

Martin Blank is a man who was seemingly born a mutant with an ape-like build and agility. Gibbon later joins a circus where he does well as an acrobat while wearing a gibbon suit. His powers are later enhanced by a potion given to him by Kraven the Hunter to "Unleash the Beast within". Martin Blank begins his career as a friend of Spider-Man's. He even wants to be his partner, but Spider-Man laughs at him. Sick of being seen as a freak Martin cannot take further ridicule and lashes out. He then catches the eye of Kraven the Hunter who enhances the Gibbon's powers with a herb broth, also giving him a great animal rage. After Spider-Man defeats him, Martin isn't seen for a while.