The group of primates most closely related to humans. They include the African great apes, the gorillas and chimpanzees; the Asian great apes, the orangutans; and the lesser apes from Asia, the gibbons. The apes can be distinguished from the rest of the primates by a number of anatomical and behavioral traits, which indicate their common origin; thus they are considered a monophyletic group and are called the Hominoidea.