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Monkeys and apes are both primates, which means they’re both part of the human family tree. As distinguished relatives, we should probably be able to tell them apart. But when you look at a gibbon or a marmoset, how do you know which is a monkey and which is an ape? The quickest way to tell the difference between a monkey and an ape is by the presence or absence of a tail. Almost all monkeys have tails; apes do not. Their bodies are different in other ways too: monkeys are generally smaller and narrow-chested, while apes are larger and have broad chests and shoulder joints that allow them to swing through trees (while some monkeys also have this ability, most of them are built for running across branches rather than swinging). Although you can’t recognize this difference on sight, apes have an appendix and monkeys do not. Apes are generally more intelligent than monkeys, and most species of apes exhibit some use of tools. While both monkeys and apes can use sounds and gestures to communicate, apes have demonstrated higher ability with language, and some individual apes have been trained to learn human sign languages. However, perhaps the best way to remember, like with so many things, is rote memorization. There are only a handful of ape species, while there are hundreds of species of monkeys. If the primate you’re trying to place is not a human, gibbon, chimpanzee, bonobo, orangutan, or gorilla (or a lemur, loris, or tarsier), then it’s a monkey. Humans are members of a particular sub-group of mammals known as the primates (Order Primates). Primate diversityThe first primates appeared more than 60 million years ago. Many different types of primates have evolved over this vast period of time and many of these no longer exist. Others have survived and there are now more than 350 different species of living primates. Almost all of today’s primates live in tropical and subtropical areas of Africa, Madagascar, Asia, Central America and South America. They include lemurs, lorises, tarsiers, monkeys and apes are all primates. Primate featuresPrimates (including humans) are different to all other animals because they are the only mammals that have the following combination of features:
Primitive primates – the strepsirrhinesThe strepsirrhines are, in many ways, the most primitive primates. This group contains about 90 species, most of which are nocturnal (active at night). They include lemurs, lorises, bushbabies and the Aye-aye. Sometimes these primates are grouped in with the tarsiers and are referred to as ‘prosimians’ but it is now known that tarsiers are more advanced than lemurs and lorises and belong in a different group.Most strepsirrhines live in forests in Madagascar but some live in Africa or southern Asia. Strepsirrhines have the following features:
Advanced primates – the haplorrhinesThe more advanced primates are placed together into a group known as the haplorrhines. The primates included in this group are the:
Tarsiers The tiny tarsiers share many features with monkeys and apes but also retain some primitive strepsirrhine-like features. There are more than 10 species and all are nocturnal (active at night). Tarsiers live in forests on parts of Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. They were once grouped with the strepsirrhines as ‘prosimians’ because they share the following primitive features:
Tarsiers are now considered to be close relatives of monkeys and apes because, like monkeys and apes, they have following features which evolved more recently:
New World monkeys There are two major groups of monkeys. One group with about 120 species is known as the New World monkeys and includes the marmosets, tamarins, howler monkeys and spider monkeys. These monkeys are mostly tree-dwellers. New World monkeys are found in Central and South America. New World monkeys differ from other monkeys and apes because they have:
Old World monkeys There are about 130 species of Old World monkeys including baboons, macaques, rhesus monkeys and colobus monkeys. Most live in trees although some live fully or partly on the ground. Old World monkeys are found in Africa, Asia and in southern Europe on the Rock of Gibraltar. Old World monkeys are more closely related to apes than to New World monkeys because, like apes, they have:
Old World monkeys differ from apes because they have:
Apes There are about 20 species of apes and most of these are gibbons. Orang-utans, gorillas, chimpanzees and humans make up the remaining types of apes. Most ape species (other than humans) live in South-east Asia but some species are only found in central Africa. Humans are also classified as apes but unlike other apes, we have an almost world-wide distribution. Apes differ from all other primates because they have:
What is the difference between human ties among parents and offspring and those found among chimpanzees and gorillas?What is the difference between human ties between parents and offspring and those found among other primates such as chimpanzees and gorillas? Humans develop lifelong ties between parents, sons, and daughters, but nonhuman primates generally do not.
Which human characteristic developed appeared first in our evolutionary history?One of the earliest defining human traits, bipedalism -- the ability to walk on two legs -- evolved over 4 million years ago. Other important human characteristics -- such as a large and complex brain, the ability to make and use tools, and the capacity for language -- developed more recently.
Which of these primate groups is most closely related to humans?Humans, chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans and their extinct ancestors form a family of organisms known as the Hominidae. Researchers generally agree that among the living animals in this group, humans are most closely related to chimpanzees, judging from comparisons of anatomy and genetics.
Which of the following traits are present in all primates?Explanation: Characteristics of all primates include four limbs, collarbones, a high degree of mobility in their shoulders, forward facing eyes, relatively dexterous hands, and a high degree of intelligence.
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