Why do cimpanzees have much higher strength per kg?

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Chimps have been seen lifting over 4 times their own bodyweight, apparently without much effort. There's a recorded incident of a chimp weighing 135lbs registering a one-handed pull of 1260 pounds on a dynamometer, which is in the region of 10 times what a human of that weight could do.

How do they do it? It's not like chimps are massively muscular.

It isn't just chimps, but I had some numbers for them and they're pretty close to human in terms of mass.
 
I would imagine if you did everything on all 4 limbs you'd be considerably stronger than you are now :p

EDIT: I don't know if this is the reason but its late so meh :p
 
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Different muscle mass ratios, they are considerably stronger lb for lb because they are still at a basic stage in evolution where they rely on tree-climbing etc for survival.

(IMO)
 
well they hang around in trees all day, so HAVE to be able to lift their own body weight around. Jumping from branch to branch the dynamic weigh will be several times their body weight.


Humans are not evolved to be strong. Our evolutionary niche is intelligence and tool-making. Our stronger ancestor brothers died out.
 
Actually, Chimps have A LOT of muscle. A lot denser than ours, this gives them their "freakish" strength. Also I think their bones are much thicker compared to their size. Something like that anway, will need to get my bio anthropology notes from last year out.
 
Simple really, while we are sat in front of the keyboard they are out swinging through trees. They don't go to the gym for an hour they just swing all day.
 
My question was open to two interpretations, which I didn't realise. I was interested in the physical differences, not in the different evolution that led to them. It can't be as simple as living conditions, because a 10st human is not going to match a 10st chimp for strength even if the human lives like a chimpanzee.
 
My question was open to two interpretations, which I didn't realise. I was interested in the physical differences, not in the different evolution that led to them. It can't be as simple as living conditions, because a 10st human is not going to match a 10st chimp for strength even if the human lives like a chimpanzee.

a human would easily kill a chimp, click, bang,

AND THE DIRT IS GONE
 
My question was open to two interpretations, which I didn't realise. I was interested in the physical differences, not in the different evolution that led to them. It can't be as simple as living conditions, because a 10st human is not going to match a 10st chimp for strength even if the human lives like a chimpanzee.
there is going to be a difference in muscle density, but i think you'd be surprised at how similar they could get
 
I would imagine if you did everything on all 4 limbs you'd be considerably stronger than you are now :p

This is pretty much exactly what I thought... they use their limbs a hell of a lot more than we all do. Hanging from things, jumping around and pulling themselves up, all with there arms... Human's dont really do that sort of thing any more :)
 
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