Eli5: How do apes like chimps and gorillas have extraordinary strength, and are well muscled all year round – while humans need to constantly train their whole life to have even a fraction of that strength?

Question

It’s not like these apes do any strenuous activity besides the occasional branch swinging (or breaking).

Whereas a bodybuilder regularly lifting 80+ kgs year round is still outmatched by these apes living a relatively relaxed lifestyle.

In: 8644

Answer 1

Different apes are specialized for different things. Chimps and orangutans and bonobos are arboreal. They need strong, powerful limbs for climbing. Gorillas spend more time on the ground, but need to be able to physically repel predators. They also walk on their arms, a high effort activity.

Humans are specialized in.. well, a lot of things. Humans have less muscle mass and hair then other great apes relative to body size, but in return can stay cool while jogging over long distances. Our arms can’t easily haul our body weight up a tree or be used for walking, but can accurately throw things, build tools. Once humans started building tools natural selection greatly preferred the most nimble, flexible hands and arms that could make better tools, and larger brains that make better tools.

Humans are weaker because our hands are hyperspecialized for making and manipulating tools. Long, fragile, sensitive figures and muscles made to make very small, accurate motions. Sure, you can’t punch like a gorilla, but no other apes can make a ship in a bottle.

Oh, and as to your main question: All other apes lose muscle mass and flexibility just like humans if denied exercise. This has been tragically proven with apes in captivity.