gorilla 39Gorilla facts. About five million years ago, African apes - gorillas, chimpanzees and bonobos or pygmy chimps - evolved from a common ancestor to form the family Hominidae. GorillasThe genus Gorilla is divided into two species: the eastern gorilla and the western gorilla, ... [39] The oldest living male gorilla is Guhonda, aged 54 years, 143 days. Distribution and habitat.