External body dimensions of Pan paniscus and Pan troglodytes chimpanzees

Postcranial skeletal studies have demonstrated that Pan paniscus is a more gracile animal than Pan troglodytes, with different arm to leg proportions. Published data on external body dimensions are extremely rare for Pan paniscus, however. We present here a series of such measures for a sample of paniscus, and we compare these to similar measures for Pan troglodytes. This comparison further clarifies the morphological distinctions between the two chimpanzee species, and indicates that bonobos have longer legs and smaller chest girths relative to overall body height than do Pan troglodytes chimpanzees.