Monkey

Monkeys are smart animals.

They live in trees or on the ground. Some are very small. Some are very big.

Many monkeys are active during the day. They eat things like fruit, seeds, and nuts. They also eat flowers and eggs. Some monkeys even eat small bugs.

A group of monkeys is called a troop. It is fun to learn about them!

Monkeys are smart animals. They belong to a group called simians. This group includes New World monkeys and Old World monkeys.

New World monkeys live in Central and South America. They often have long tails. Some of these tails can grab things. Old World monkeys live in Africa and Asia. They do not have tails that grab.

Many monkeys live in trees. Others live on the ground, like baboons. Most monkeys are active during the day. They eat fruit, seeds, nuts, and flowers. Some even eat eggs or small bugs. Monkeys vary a lot in size. The pygmy marmoset is very small. The male mandrill is very big.

A group of monkeys is called a troop. Humans and monkeys have many links. Some monkeys have even traveled into space. Others help people with disabilities. A group of monkeys can be a troop or a tribe.

Monkeys are clever animals that belong to a large group called simians. This group includes many different types of living things. Some people use the word monkey to talk about all simians, including apes. Other people use the word to mean only the animals that are not apes.

Most monkeys are very smart, especially the ones from the Old World. They can live in many different places around our planet. Some spend their lives high up in trees. Others, like the baboon, prefer to stay on the ground.

There are two main ways to group these animals. One group is called New World monkeys, which live in South and Central America. They often have long tails that can grab onto branches. This kind of tail is called prehensile. The other group is called Old World monkeys, which live in Africa and Asia. These monkeys have tails that cannot grab things, or they may have no tail at all. . These animals also have different ways of seeing colors. Many Old World monkeys see colors just like humans do.

Scientists have studied these animals for a very long time. In 1758, a man named Linnaeus put tarsiers and monkeys into one group. He called this group Simia. Later, in 1812, Étienne Geoffroy created the name Catarrhini for Old World monkeys. This name means "Old World monkeys" in French. He grouped apes and certain monkeys together. Other thinkers, like the Comte de Buffon, also helped us understand how apes are related to monkeys. This history helps us see how the groups changed over millions of years.

Monkeys come in many different sizes and shapes. The pygmy marmoset is a tiny monkey with a tail. On the other hand, a male mandrill can weigh up to 37 pounds.

They eat many things like fruit, seeds, nuts, and flowers. Some monkeys even eat eggs or small animals like spiders. Scientists say that New World monkeys and Old World monkeys split apart about 35 million years ago. Long before that, some monkeys likely traveled to South America by crossing the ocean. This is how the New World monkeys arrived there.

Humans and monkeys have many interesting connections. A group of monkeys is often called a troop or a tribe. Some monkeys have even been sent into space to help with exploration. For example, a rhesus macaque named Sam flew with NASA in 1959. In the past, some capuchin monkeys were trained to help people with disabilities. They could help with daily tasks like fetching objects. Today, monkeys are also seen in many zoos around the world. They live in special areas called monkey houses or primatariums.

Monkeys are members of the infraorder Simiiformes, also known as simians. This group includes a wide variety of primates with diverse lifestyles. In scientific terms, the classification can be complex. Some scientists use "monkey" to describe all simians, which includes apes. Other definitions exclude apes and only refer to non-hominoid simians. This distinction exists because apes are a sister group to certain monkeys.

This means they share a common ancestor but belong to different branches of the evolutionary tree.

To understand how these animals are related, we must look at their biological features. Monkeys and apes can be distinguished from other primates by specific traits. They typically have only two pectoral nipples. They also possess a pendulous penis and lack sensory whiskers. These physical markers help biologists group them together within the suborder Haplorhini. This suborder also includes tarsiers, which diverged from the simian line about 70 million years ago.

Simians are divided into two primary groups: Platyrrhini and Catarrhini. The Platyrrhini are the New World monkeys found in South and Central America. They emerged roughly 35 million years ago. It is believed they migrated to South America by crossing the ocean. Many New World monkeys have prehensile tails, which means they can use them to grasp branches. They also have varying types of color vision, ranging from trichromatic to monochromatic.

The Catarrhini are the Old World monkeys found in Africa and Asia. This group emerged about 25 million years ago. They include the superfamily Cercopithecoidea and the superfamily Hominoidea, which contains the apes. Unlike New World monkeys, Old World monkeys have non-prehensile tails or no visible tail at all. They also possess trichromatic color vision, similar to humans. Apes are considered part of this group because they are the sister group to the Cercopithecidae monkeys.

Our understanding of these animals has changed through historical discovery. In 1758, Linnaeus placed tarsiers and monkeys into a single genus called "Simia." Later, in the 18th century, Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon, realized the relationship between apes and monkeys. In 1812, Étienne Geoffroy established the name Catarrhini to group apes and Cercopithecidae monkeys together. These discoveries moved science away from seeing primates as a simple series of steps toward humans. Instead, modern cladistics focuses on monophyletic groups, which include all descendants of a common ancestor.

Monkeys exhibit an incredible range of physical sizes and behaviors. The pygmy marmoset is among the smallest, weighing just over two ounces. In contrast, a male mandrill can weigh up to 37 pounds. Most species are diurnal, meaning they are active during the day. While many are arboreal and live in trees, others like baboons live on the ground. Their diets are equally varied. They consume fruit, leaves, seeds, nuts, flowers, eggs, and even small animals like spiders.

Humans have a long and complex history with these primates. Monkeys are often used in scientific research due to their physical and psychological similarities to humans. Between 100,000 and 200,000 non-human primates are used in research globally each year. Some species have even participated in space exploration. For example, a rhesus macaque named Sam flew with NASA in 1959.

In the past, capuchin monkeys were trained as service animals to assist people with disabilities. However, current regulations and medical concerns have changed how these animals are used in society.