In zoology, the term "monkey" is used to name all platyrrhine and catarrhine primates. Colloquially speaking, we use the word to refer to any primate, since in Spanish "monkey" and "ape" are synonyms. It is estimated that there are between 260 and more than 300 living primate species. Although they are all part of the same order, the differences between species are quite notable. To facilitate their study, scientists have classified them into various taxonomic categories.
In this article, we will delve into five of the most important: strepsirrhine primates, haplorhine primates, catarrhine primates, cercopithecid primates or Old World monkeys, and platyrrhine primates or New World monkeys. Continue reading this article to learn more about the types of monkeys that exist.
A strepsirrhine is any primate belonging to the suborder Strepsirrhini. This includes lemurs, like the one pictured, galagids, and lorises. The word "strepsirrhine" can be translated as "curved nose" or "crooked nose." Members of this group are characterized by:
Having a moist nostril similar to that of cats and dogs: the nostril is the hairless area surrounding the nostrils and separating them from the upper lip.
Having sinuous nostrils: comma-shaped, in addition to an incomplete nasal septum.
Having a postorbital bar.
Having a more developed sense of smell and night vision than haplorhines. You might be interested in this other article from Green Ecology about Animals with the Best Sense of Smell.
Having a grooming claw and a non-prehensile tail.
Being predominantly nocturnal.
They have a smaller brain than haplorhines.
They have a bicornuate uterus: with two separate uterine chambers.
They have lower dental combs that allow grooming: these are a group of long, flat, and curved teeth that are close together and arranged like a comb.
Strepsirrhines (living and extinct) and tarsiers (living and extinct) make up a group of primates considered "more primitive" called prosimians.
All catarrhines and platyrrhines (except tarsiers) are part of the infraorder Siimiformes and make up a group of primates considered "more evolved" called apes.
Any primate belonging to the suborder Haplorrhini is called a haplorhine. The word "haplorhine" can be translated as "simple nose." Members of this group are characterized by:
Lacking a rhinary.
Having a postorbital septum.
Having a less developed sense of smell than strepsirrhines.
Being predominantly diurnal.
Having a larger brain than strepsirrhines.
Having a single-chambered uterus: with the exception of tarsiers.
Producing only one young per birth, rarely two.
Lacking vibrissae on their snout.
Haplorhines are divided into two large groups: catarrhines, like the one in the photo, and platyrrhines.
Catarrhines are a group of primates belonging to the parvorder Catarrhini, the infraorder Simiiformes, and the suborder Haplorrhini (with the exception of tarsiers, which belong to the infraorder Tarsiiformes). This group includes all members of the families Cercopithecidae, Hylobatidae, and Hominidae.
The term "catarrhine" can be translated as "downward-facing nose." Members of this group are characterized by:
Having close-set, downward-facing nostrils.
Having a thin nasal septum separating the nostrils.
Having a set of 32 teeth.
Having flat claws.
Having a non-prehensile tail or no tail at all.
Showing sexual dimorphism (in most species).
Forming structured social groups (in most species).
It's important to note that:
Members of the Cercopithecidae family are known as "Old World monkeys."
Members of the Hylobatidae family are often called apes or anthropoids. They are characterized by having long arms in relation to their bodies, moving primarily through brachiation, and being arboreal and monogamous. All species of gibbons and the siamang, like the one in the photo, belong to this group.
Members of the Hominidae family are often called great apes or anthropoids. They are characterized by forming complex social groups, exhibiting sexual dimorphism, having no tail, being omnivorous, having a flat face, large and developed brains, and being large in size compared to all other primates. This group includes humans, bonobos, chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans.
The term "Old World monkey" is used to designate catarrhine primates belonging to the Cercopithecidae family. This group includes all species of mandrills, baboons, colobus monkeys, surilis, langurs (like the one pictured), and macaques. These monkeys are characterized by:
Being the largest extant group of primates.
Having buttocks covered with brightly colored calluses called ischial callosities and not having a prehensile tail.
Being larger than New World monkeys (in most cases).
Being native and endemic to Africa and Asia, considered "the Old World."
Platyrrhines or New World monkeys are all primates belonging to the parvorder Platyrrhini, the infraorder Simiiformes, and the suborder Haplorrhini. The term "platyrrhine" can be translated as "flat-nosed." This group includes callitrichids, cebids, night monkeys, pithecids, and atelids. They are characterized by:
Having wide-set nostrils that open to the sides.
Having flattened snouts.
Being smaller than Old World monkeys (in most cases).
Having a long and (in most cases) prehensile tail.
Being mostly arboreal.
Lacking ischial callosities.
Being native and endemic to the American continent, considered "the New World."
Capuchin monkeys, squirrel monkeys, like the one pictured, tamarins, marmosets, spider monkeys, and howler monkeys belong to this group.
The crested black macaque (Macaca nigra) is a critically endangered catarrhine primate. It is a frugivorous species endemic to the forests of Indonesia, characterized by its jet-black fur, reddish eyes, and a crest of hair on top of its head. It lives in large groups and its life expectancy in the wild is 15 to 20 years.
The drill (Mandrillus leucophaeus) is a catarrhine primate endemic to Cameroon, Nigeria, and Bioko Island. It is characterized by its grayish-brown fur, short tail, and reddish calluses on its rump. It exhibits marked sexual dimorphism and lives in groups of more than 20 individuals. It is an endangered species.
The reddish marmoset (Plecturocebus discolor) is a platyrrhine primate that lives in the jungles of Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador. It is a diurnal, arboreal, and territorial species characterized by its long, dense fur. It lives in groups of 2 to 6 individuals and is monogamous. It also feeds on leaves, fruits, and more than 30 different species of plants.
The black-bearded saki (Chiropotes satanas) is a platyrrhine primate that lives in the jungles and tropical forests of Brazil. It is easily distinguishable thanks to its bushy black beard and tail. It feeds primarily on fruits and seeds, although it occasionally includes flowers and insects. It is an endangered species that lives in large groups of approximately 40 individuals.
The Peruvian spider monkey (Ateles chamek) is a platyrrhine primate that feeds on fruits, flowers, insects, and leaves. It is a polygamous, diurnal species that lives in large groups in the forests and jungles of Brazil, Peru, and Bolivia. It has a prehensile tail, can live up to 20 years in the wild, and is in danger of extinction.
The Abyssinian guereza, or eastern black-and-white colobus monkey (Colobus guereza), is the largest of all colobus monkeys. It is a diurnal, arboreal, catarrhine primate that lives in the forests and wooded grasslands of central and eastern Africa. It is herbivorous, lives in groups of 2 to 10 members, and exhibits sexual dimorphism.
The owl-faced monkey (Cercopithecus hamlyni) is a catarrhine primate endemic to central Africa, specifically the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda. It is herbivorous, arboreal, sexually dimorphic, and lives in groups consisting of one male and several females. According to the IUCN, it is a species vulnerable to extinction.
The silvery tamarin (Mico argentatus) is a platyrrhine primate characterized by its white fur, dark non-prehensile tail, and pink face and ears. It is diurnal and arboreal, weighs between 300 and 400 grams, and feeds on fruits, eggs, insects, and other small animals.
It lives in the Amazon rainforest of Brazil, where it moves very agilely among tree branches thanks to the claws on its hands and feet.
The Francois's langur (Trachypithecus francoisi) is an endangered platyrrhine primate that lives in the rocky forests of northern Vietnam and southern China. It feeds primarily on leaves and lives in groups of up to 50 individuals. As an adult, it has silky black fur and thick, striking white whiskers that run from the ears to the cheeks. Young ones have bright orange fur.
The mantled howler monkey (Alouatta palliata) is a platyrrhine primate that is endangered. It is an arboreal, diurnal species that lives in groups of approximately 15 individuals in the forests of southern Mexico, Central America, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. It has a long, prehensile tail and feeds on leaves, fruits, and flowers.
As the previous examples of monkey types may not have seemed sufficient, here is another, more extensive list of other monkey species that may also interest you.
The monkey species that can be found within the strepsirrhines are:
Aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis).
Ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta).
Lesser pond turtle (Galago senegalensis).
Crowned sifaka (Propithecus coronatus).
Brown lemur (Eulemur fulvus).
White-headed lemur (Eulemur albifrons).
Gray slender loris (Loris lydekkerianus).
Collared brown lemur (Eulemur collaris).
Old World Haplorhine Monkeys
As for the Old World haplorhine monkeys, we can see:
Chacma baboon (Papio ursinus).
Campbell's guenon (Cercopithecus campbelli).
Marbled langur (Pygathrix nemaeus).
Proboscis monkey (Nasalis larvatus).
Mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx).
Lowe's guenon (Cercopithecus lowei).
Olive colobus (Procolobus verus).
Red-tailed guenon (Cercopithecus ascanius).
Tailless macaque (Macaca arctoides).
Olive baboon (Papio anubis).
New World Haplorhine Monkeys
Among the New World haplorhine monkeys, we can find:
Golden lion tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia).
Capuchin monkey (Cebus capucinus).
Geoffroy's spider monkey (Ateles geoffroyi).
Humboldt's squirrel monkey (Saimiri cassiquiarensis).
Cotton-top tamarin (Saguinus oedipus).
Brown spider monkey (Ateles hybridus).
Black-headed spider monkey (Ateles fusciceps).
Caquetá marmoset (Callicebus caquetensis).
Red howler monkey (Alouatta seniculus).
Pygmy marmoset (Cebuella pygmaea).
Haplorhine primates
Among the haplorhine primates are apes and great apes. Among them are:
Western hoolock gibbon (Hoolock hoolock).
Kloss's gibbon (Hylobates klossii).
Siamang (Symphalangus syndactylus).
Bonobo (Pan paniscus).
Eastern gorilla (Gorilla beringei).
Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus).
Common chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes).
Human (Homo sapiens).
If you want to read similar articles to Types of Monkeys, we recommend you visit our Wild Animals category.
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