Macaque
| Macaca | |
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| Toque macaque (Macaca sinica) | |
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| Genus: | Macaca
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The macaques are a genus (Macaca) of Old World monkeys of the subfamily Cercopithecinae.[1] The 22 species of macaques live in sub-Saharan Africa, and more widely in Asia. One species is the well-known Gibraltar 'ape'. Macaques are of some interest to human researchers for their social structures, and their usefulness in animal testing, particularly regarding eyesight.
Social behavior
[change | change source]Macaques have a very intricate social structure and hierarchy. If a macaque of a lower level in the social chain has eaten berries and none are left for a higher-level macaque, then the one higher in status can, within this social organization, remove the berries from the other monkey's mouth.[2]
Copyright test case
[change | change source]In 2014 selfies taken by a crested black macaque seemed to establish a legal precedent, after the Wikimedia Foundation rejected a copyright claim.
The photos had been sold widely by David Slater, a professional nature photographer, whose camera was temporarily carried away by a group of macaques. After the photos were uploaded to Wikipedia, the organisation refused to delete them, claiming "This file is in the public domain, because as the work of a non-human animal, it has no human author in whom copyright is vested.[3][4]
References
[change | change source]- ↑ Groves C.P. 2005. Wilson D.E. & Reeder D.M, eds. Mammal Species of the World, 3rd ed, Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, pp. 161–165. OCLC 62265494. ISBN 0-801-88221-4
- ↑ The Life of Mammals, presented by David Attenborough, 2003 British Broadcasting Corporation. BBC Video.
- ↑ "Wikimedia refuses to remove animal selfie because monkey 'owns' the photo". Fox8 News. Fox8 News. 2014-08-06. Archived from the original on 2014-08-06. Retrieved 2014-08-06.
- ↑ Sparkes, Matthew (2014-08-06). "Wikipedia refuses to delete photo as 'monkey owns it'". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 2014-08-06.
