Final answer:
The driving force behind the constriction of ape habitats to Southeast Asia and Africa during the end of the Miocene epoch was primarily human activity, including hunting and environmental exploitation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The driving force behind the constriction of ape habitats to Southeast Asia and Africa during the end of the Miocene epoch was primarily human activity. Human colonization into previously people-free areas, such as islands and continents, coincided with a rapid wave of extinction events resulting from the sudden arrival of novel consumers. The extinctions were often precipitated by human hunting and environmental exploitation.