Monkey
| Monkeys Temporal range:
| |
|---|---|
| |
| Bonnet macaqueMacaca radiata
Mangaon, Maharashtra, India | |
Scientific classification
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Primates |
| Suborder: | Haplorhini |
| Infraorder: | Simiiformes [a] |
| Groups included | |
| Cladisticallyincluded but traditionally excluded taxa | |
Monkeysare tree-dwelling (arboreal)simians.They are in theprimateorder.Monkeys areintelligent,social animals. Monkeys have atail,even if it is a short one.[2]
The word "monkey" is a common-language term. It includes two different groups of primates. The big difference is betweenOld World monkeysandNew World monkeys.Some examples of monkeys aremacaques,baboons,and guenons.
- Old World monkeys:Cercopithecidae.Apesare the descendants of Old World monkeys.[3]
- New World Monkeys:PlatyrrhiniorCeboidea(same thing in effect)
Both groups are in the infraorderSimiiformes.That infraorder also includes thegreat apesandhumans.[4]
The simians (monkeys) are a sister group to thetarsiers– the two members in the suborderHaplorhinidiverged some 60 million years ago. New World monkeys and catarrhine monkeys appeared within the simians roughly 30 million years ago. Old World monkeys and apes emerged within the catarrhine monkeys about 70 million years ago.
Lifestyle[change|change source]
Some monkeys live almost entirely intrees.Others live partly on the ground. Monkeys are mainlyvegetarian,with a strong preference for fruit. However, they may eat a wide range of other food, such as insects. Monkeys can live in forests andsavannahs,but not in deserts. Some can live in snowy mountains, but more live inrainforests.There are none in the rainforests ofAustraliaandNew Guinea.Apparently, they never reached either of those huge islands.
Some monkeys are small, about 15 cm (5.9 in) long and 120 g (4.2 oz) in weight. Other monkeys are much larger, about 1 m (3 ft 3 in) long and 35 kg (77 lb) in weight. A group of monkeys is called a "troop" of monkeys or a "tribe" of monkeys.
The two groups of monkeys live in different places: theNew World MonkeysinSouth Americaand theOld World Monkeyslive mainly inAfricaandAsia.[5]New World Monkeys are often smaller than Old World Monkeys.[6]Monkeys have long arms and legs to help them swing from trees. The monkeys often climb with the help of their tails. Some monkeys' tails can wrap tightly around branches, almost like a "fifthlimb".[6]This type of tail is 'prehensile'.
The smallest known monkey is thepygmy marmoset.It is between 14 cm (5.5 in) and 16 cm (6.3 in) in size (without the tail). It weighs about 120 g (4.2 oz). It lives in the treetops of rainforests inBrazil,ColombiaandEcuador.The largest known monkey is themandrill.It can grow to about 1 m (3 ft 3 in) in size. Adults weigh up to 35 kg (77 lb), and spend most of their time on the ground.
The wordmonkeymight have come from a popularGermanstory, "Roman de Renart" (Reynard the Fox). In there, the name of the son of Martin the Ape isMoneke.[7]
In Africa, monkeys can be sold as "bushmeat" (meat of wild animals).[8]Monkeybrainsare eaten in some parts of Africa, South Asia, China, and Indonesia.[9][10]
References[change|change source]
- ↑Groves 2008,pp. 92–93.
- ↑"Monkey".kids.britannica.Retrieved31 December2010.
- ↑Dawkins, Richard (2004).The ancestor's tale: a pilgrimage to the dawn of evolution.Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. p. 140.ISBN9780618005833.Retrieved2008-08-24.
- ↑Fleagle, J.; Gilbert, C. Rowe, N.; Myers, M. (eds.)."Primate Evolution: John Fleagle and Chris Gilbert".All the World's Primates.Primate Conservation, Inc.Archivedfrom the original on 12 May 2015.Retrieved18 December2014.
- ↑"Monkeys at Animal Corner".animalcorner.co.uk.Archivedfrom the original on 19 November 2010.Retrieved31 December2010.
- ↑6.06.1"Monkey: facts, pictures, video: Animal Planet".animal.discovery.Archivedfrom the original on 13 January 2011.Retrieved31 December2010.
- ↑"Online Etymology Dictionary".etymonline.Archivedfrom the original on 15 September 2014.Retrieved31 December2010.
- ↑"Primate bushmeat: populations exposed to simian immunodeficiency viruses".sciencedaily.Archivedfrom the original on 24 February 2011.Retrieved31 December2010.
- ↑"7 foods for the fearless eater - foodwine - TODAYshow".today.msnbc.msn.Archived fromthe originalon 26 August 2010.Retrieved31 December2010.
- ↑Paddock, Richard C. (2003-02-25)."Monkey Brains on the Menu".Los Angeles Times.Retrieved2024-02-02.
Notes
- ↑WhenCarl Linnaeusdefined thegenusSimiain the10th edition ofSystema Naturae,it included all non-human monkeys and apes (simians).[1]"Monkey" was never a taxonomic name: it is acommon namefor aparaphyleticgroup. Its members are in the infraorder Simiiformes.
Related pages[change|change source]
Other websites[change|change source]
- "The impossible housing and handling conditions of monkeys in research laboratories",by Viktor Reinhardt, International Primate Protection League, August 2001
- The problem with pet monkeys: reasons monkeys do not make good petsArchived2014-07-12 at theWayback Machine,an article by veterinarian Lianne McLeod on About
- Helping hands: monkey helpers for the disabled,a U.S. national non-profit organization based in Boston Massachusetts that places specially trained capuchin monkeys with people who are paralyzed or who live with other severe mobility impairments.