Monkey

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Approximate worldwide distribution of monkeys.
Cynomolgus Monkey at Batu Caves, Malaysia
Monkeys, Mori Sosen (1749-1821)

A monkey is any member of two of the three groupings of simian primates. These two groupings are the New World and Old World monkeys of which together there are 264 known extant species. Because of their similarity to monkeys, apes such as chimpanzees and gibbons are sometimes incorrectly called monkeys. Also, a few monkey species have the word "ape" in their common name. Because they are not a single coherent group, monkeys do not have any particular traits that they all share and are not shared with the remaining group of simians, the apes.

Characteristics

Monkeys range in size from the Pygmy Marmoset, at 14-16 cm (5-6 inch) long (plus tail) and 120-140 g (4-5 oz) in weight to the male Mandrill, almost 1 metre (3 ft) long and weighing 35 kg (75 lb). Some are arboreal (living in trees), some live on the savanna; diets differ among the various species but may contain any of the following: fruit, leaves, seeds, nuts, flowers, insects, spiders, eggs and small animals.

Some characteristics are shared among the groups; most New World monkeys have prehensile tails while Old World monkeys do not; some have trichromatic colour vision like that of humans, others are dichromats or monochromats. Although both the New and Old World monkeys, like the apes, have forward facing eyes, the faces of Old World and New World monkeys look very different though again, each group shares some features such as the types of noses, cheeks and rumps. To understand the monkeys, therefore, it is necessary to study the characteristics of the different groups individually.

Name

According to the Oxford English Dictionary The name "monkey" may come from a German version of the Reynard the Fox fable, published in around 1580. In this version of the fable, a character named Moneke is the son of Martin the Ape. The word Moneke may have been derived from the Italian monna, which means "a female ape". The name Moneke persisted over time likely due to the popularity of Reynard the Fox.

A group of monkeys may be referred to as a mission of monkeys or a tribe of monkeys.

Monkeys in captivity

On boats

When the British first began to explore Africa, young monkeys were often captured to provide entertainment during long voyages. Some were later transferred to domestic zoos, and in fact many modern captive monkeys in the UK are descended from individuals captured during the Napoleonic and Victorian eras. According to legend, one of the early British captive monkeys was lost at sea and washed up ashore near Hartlepool, England, where it was mistaken for a Frenchman and hanged. The people of Hartlepool have since borne the nickname "monkey hangers."

As pets

Although they may appear to be friendly and nice and can resemble human babies for some people, many people believe that monkeys should not be kept as, or seen as, pets. While baby monkeys are usually as easy to keep clean as a human infant (by diapering), monkeys that have reached puberty usually remove their diapers and cannot be toilet trained. They require constant supervision and mental stimulation. They usually require a large amount of attention. Monkeys can not handle being away from their owners for long periods of time, such as family trips for example, due to their need of attention. Bored monkeys can become extremely destructive and may even go so far as to smear or throw their own feces. There needs to be a lot of time set aside for cleaning up whatever mess the monkey might make. Most adolescent monkeys begin to bite unpredictably and pinch adults and children. Any surgical means to stem this behavior (such as removing the teeth or fingertips of the monkey) is widely considered cruel, and it is usually difficult to find veterinarians who will treat them: even exotic-animal veterinarians may not be familiar with them. Monkeys eventually have to grow up and may in most cases become wild and not easy to control. The monkeys may also become aggressive even to their owners. They can change from one minute to the next without warning making it hard for the owner to fully understand them.

While a majority of monkey owners find other homes for them, such as zoos and monkey rescues, some people report having long and rewarding relationships with monkeys. Monkeys are known to get attached to their first owner so switching from one to another would not be a good idea. It is not easy for a monkey to get used to their new environment. Monkeys need to be placed in social areas. It might be bad for the monkey to place them in non-social areas which could lead to problems. It is not cheap to bring up a monkey. It becomes very costly when it comes to buying food and housing them. Some monkeys may even have special needs such as diets.

In most large metropolitan areas in the U.S. it is illegal to keep monkeys in the home; even in places where they are legal, a Department of Agriculture permit is usually required. Their legal status as pets varies in other countries. Permits may be issued to those who qualify in the caring of monkeys.

In laboratories

File:Monkey3.jpg
A macaque sits in a cage in a German laboratory. [1]

Macaques, especially Rhesus monkeys, and African green monkeys are widely used in animal testing facilities. This is primarily because of their relative ease of handling, their fast reproductive cycle (compared to apes) and their psychological and physical similarity to humans. In the United States, around 50,000 non-human primates, most of them monkeys, have been used in experiments every year since 1973 [2] (pdf); 10,000 monkeys were used in the European Union in 2004. Highly sociable animals, monkeys are kept in many different environments.

Use of monkeys in laboratories is highly controversial. Many claim that the practice is cruel and produces little information of value, and there have been many protests and instances of vandalism against it. However, defenders of testing on monkeys say that it has led to many important medical breakthroughs, and that the prevention of harm to humans should be a higher priority than the harm done to monkeys. The topic has become a popular cause for animal rights groups.

Classification

Monkeys in Kam Shan Country Park of Hong Kong

The following lists shows where the various monkey families (bolded) are placed in the Primate classification. Note that the smallest grouping that contains them all is the Simiiformes, the simians, which also contains the apes. Calling apes monkeys is incorrect. Calling either a simian is correct.

  • ORDER PRIMATES
    • Suborder Strepsirrhini: non-tarsier prosimians
    • Suborder Haplorrhini: tarsiers, monkeys and apes
      • Infraorder Tarsiiformes
        • Family Tarsiidae: tarsiers
      • Infraorder Simiiformes: simians
        • Platyrrhini: New World monkeys
          • Family Cebidae: marmosets, tamarins, capuchins and squirrel monkeys (56 species)
          • Family Aotidae: night monkeys, owl monkeys, douroucoulis (8 species)
          • Family Pitheciidae: titis, sakis and uakaris (41 species)
          • Family Atelidae: howler, spider and woolly monkeys (24 species)
        • Catarrhini

Monkeys in culture

Sun Wukong and Hanuman, figures prominent in Chinese mythology and Hindu mythology, respectively, are monkeys.

Monkeys are prevalent in numerous books, television programs, and movies. The television series Monkey, the literary characters Monsieur Eek and Curious George are all examples.

However, pop culture often incorrectly labels apes, particularly chimpanzees, gibbons, and gorillas, as monkeys. Terry Pratchett makes use of this trait in his Discworld novels, in which the Librarian of the Unseen University is an orangutan who gets very violent if referred to as a monkey.

Zodiac

The Monkey is the ninth in the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. The next time that the monkey will appear as the zodiac sign will be in the year 2016.

References
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Old World monkeys
Old World monkeys
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Suborder: Haplorrhini
Superfamily: Cercopithecoidea
Gray, 1821
Family: Cercopithecidae
Gray, 1821
Subfamilies

Cercopithecinae - 11 genera
Colobinae - 10 genera


The Old World monkeys or Cercopithecidae are a group of primates, falling in the superfamily Cercopithecoidea in the clade Catarrhini. From the point of view of superficial appearance, they are unlike apes in that most have tails (the family name means "tailed ape"), and unlike the New World monkeys in that their tails are never prehensile. Technically, the distinction of catarrhines from platyrrhines depends on the structure of the nose, and the distinction of Old World monkeys from apes depends on dentition.

Several Old World monkeys have anatomical oddities. The colobus monkeys have a stub for a thumb; the Proboscis Monkey has an extraordinary nose while the snub-nosed monkeys have almost no nose at all; the penis of the male Mandrill is colored red and the scrotum has a lilac color, while the face also has bright coloration like the genitalia and this develops in only the dominant male of a multi-male group.

The Old World monkeys are native to Africa and Asia today, but are also known from Europe in the fossil record. They include many of the most familiar species of non-human primates.

Classification

Two subfamilies are recognised, the Cercopithecinae, which are mainly African but include the diverse genus of macaques which are Asian and North African, and the Colobinae, which includes most of the Asian genera but also the African colobus monkeys.

  • Superfamily Cercopithecoidea
    • Family Cercopithecidae: Old World monkeys
      • Subfamily Cercopithecinae
        • Tribe Cercopithecini
          • Genus Allenopithecus
            • Allen's Swamp Monkey, Allenopithecus nigroviridis
          • Genus Miopithecus
            • Angolan Talapoin, Miopithecus talapoin
            • Gabon Talapoin, Miopithecus ogouensis
          • Genus Erythrocebus
            • Patas Monkey, Erythrocebus patas
          • Genus Chlorocebus
            • Green Monkey, Chlorocebus sabaceus
            • Grivet, Chlorocebus aethiops
            • Bale Mountains Vervet, Chlorocebus djamdjamensis
            • Tantalus Monkey, Chlorocebus tantalus
            • Vervet Monkey, Chlorocebus pygerythrus
            • Malbrouck, Chlorocebus cynosuros
          • Genus Cercopithecus
            • Dryas Monkey or Salongo Monkey, Cercopithecus dryas
            • Diana Monkey, Cercopithecus diana
            • Roloway Monkey, Cercopithecus roloway
            • Greater Spot-nosed Monkey, Cercopithecus nictitans
            • Blue Monkey, Cercopithecus mitis
            • Silver Monkey, Cercopithecus doggetti
            • Golden Monkey, Cercopithecus kandti
            • Sykes's Monkey, Cercopithecus albogularis
            • Mona Monkey, Cercopithecus mona
            • Campbell's Mona Monkey, Cercopithecus campbelli
            • Lowe's Mona Monkey, Cercopithecus lowei
            • Crested Mona Monkey, Cercopithecus pogonias
            • Wolf's Mona Monkey, Cercopithecus wolfi
            • Dent's Mona Monkey, Cercopithecus denti
            • Lesser Spot-nosed Monkey, Cercopithecus petaurista
            • White-throated Guenon, Cercopithecus erythrogaster
            • Sclater's Guenon, Cercopithecus sclateri
            • Red-eared Guenon, Cercopithecus erythrotis
            • Moustached Guenon, Cercopithecus cephus
            • Red-tailed Monkey, Cercopithecus ascanius
            • L'Hoest's Monkey, Cercopithecus lhoesti
            • Preuss's Monkey, Cercopithecus preussi
            • Sun-tailed Monkey, Cercopithecus solatus
            • Hamlyn's Monkey or Owl-faced Monkey, Cercopithecus hamlyni
            • De Brazza's Monkey, Cercopithecus neglectus
        • Tribe Papionini
          • Genus Macaca
            • Barbary Macaque, Macaca sylvanus
            • Lion-tailed Macaque, Macaca silenus
            • Southern Pig-tailed Macaque or Beruk, Macaca nemestrina
            • Northern Pig-tailed Macaque, Macaca leonina
            • Pagai Island Macaque or Bokkoi, Macaca pagensis
            • Siberut Macaque, Macaca siberu
            • Moor Macaque, Macaca maura
            • Booted Macaque, Macaca ochreata
            • Tonkean Macaque, Macaca tonkeana
            • Heck's Macaque, Macaca hecki
            • Gorontalo Macaque, Macaca nigriscens
            • Celebes Crested Macaque or Black "Ape", Macaca nigra
            • Crab-eating Macaque or Long-tailed Macaque or Kera, Macaca fascicularis
            • Stump-tailed Macaque or Bear Macaque, Macaca arctoides
            • Rhesus Macaque, Macaca mulatta
            • Formosan Rock Macaque, Macaca cyclopis
            • Japanese Macaque, Macaca fuscata
            • Toque Macaque, Macaca sinica
            • Bonnet Macaque, Macaca radiata
            • Assam Macaque, Macaca assamensis
            • Tibetan Macaque or Milne-Edwards' Macaque, Macaca thibetana
            • Arunachal Macaque or Munzala, Macaca munzala
          • Genus Lophocebus
            • Gray-cheeked Mangabey, Lophocebus albigena
              • Lophocebus albigena albigena
              • Lophocebus albigena osmani
              • Lophocebus albigena johnstoni
            • Black Crested Mangabey, Lophocebus aterrimus
            • Opdenbosch's Mangabey, Lophocebus opdenboschi
          • Genus Rungwecebus
            • Kipunji, Rungwecebus kipunji
          • Genus Papio
            • Hamadryas Baboon, Papio hamadryas
            • Guinea Baboon, Papio papio
            • Olive Baboon, Papio anubis
            • Yellow Baboon, Papio cynocephalus
            • Chacma Baboon, Papio ursinus
          • Genus Theropithecus
            • Gelada, Theropithecus gelada
          • Genus Cercocebus
            • Sooty Mangabey, Cercocebus atys
              • Cercocebus atys atys
              • Cercocebus atys lunulatus
            • Collared Mangabey, Cercocebus torquatus
            • Agile Mangabey, Cercocebus agilis
            • Golden-bellied Mangabey, Cercocebus chrysogaster
            • Tana River Mangabey, Cercocebus galeritus
            • Sanje Mangabey, Cercocebus sanjei
          • Genus Mandrillus
            • Mandrill, Mandrillus sphinx
            • Drill, Mandrillus leucophaeus
      • Subfamily Colobinae
        • African group
          • Genus Colobus
            • Black Colobus, Colobus satanas
            • Angola Colobus, Colobus angolensis
            • King Colobus, Colobus polykomos
            • Ursine Colobus, Colobus vellerosus
            • Mantled Guereza, Colobus guereza
          • Genus Piliocolobus
            • Western Red Colobus, Piliocolobus badius
              • Bay Red Colobus, Piliocolobus badius badius
              • Temminck's Red Colobus, Piliocolobus badius temminckii
              • Miss Waldrone's Red Colobus, Piliocolobus badius waldronae
            • Pennant's Colobus, Piliocolobus pennantii
              • Bioko Red Colobus, Piliocolobus pennantii pennantii
              • Niger Delta Red Colobus, Piliocolobus pennantii epieni
              • Bouvier's Red Colobus, Piliocolobus pennantii bouvieri
            • Preuss's Red Colobus, Piliocolobus preussi
            • Thollon's Red Colobus, Piliocolobus tholloni
            • Central African Red Colobus, Piliocolobus foai
              • Foa Red Colobus, Piliocolobus foai foai
              • Elliot's Red Colobus, Piliocolobus foai ellioti
              • Piliocolobus foai oustaleti
              • Piliocolobus foai semlikiensis
              • Lomami Red Colobus, Piliocolobus foai parmentierorum
            • Ugandan Red Colobus, Piliocolobus tephrosceles
            • Uzyngwa Red Colobus, Piliocolobus gordonorum
            • Zanzibar Red Colobus, Piliocolobus kirkii
            • Tana River Red Colobus, Piliocolobus rufomitratus
          • Genus Procolobus
            • Olive Colobus, Procolobus verus
        • Langur (leaf monkey) group
          • Genus Semnopithecus
            • Nepal Gray Langur, Semnopithecus schistaceus
            • Kashmir Gray Langur, Semnopithecus ajax
            • Tarai Gray Langur, Semnopithecus hector
            • Northern Plains Gray Langur, Semnopithecus entellus
            • Black-footed Gray Langur, Semnopithecus hypoleucos
            • Southern Plains Gray Langur, Semnopithecus dussumieri
            • Tufted Gray Langur, Semnopithecus priam
          • Genus Trachypithecus
            • T. vetulus group
              • Purple-faced Langur, Trachypithecus vetulus
              • Nilgiri Langur, Trachypithecus johnii
            • T. cristatus group
              • Javan Lutung, Trachypithecus auratus
              • Silvery Lutung or Silvered Leaf Monkey, Trachypithecus cristatus
              • Indochinese Lutung, Trachypithecus germaini
              • Tenasserim Lutung, Trachypithecus barbei
            • T. obscurus group
              • Dusky Leaf Monkey or Spectacled Leaf Monkey, Trachypithecus obscurus
              • Phayre's Leaf Monkey, Trachypithecus phayrei
            • T. pileatus group
              • Capped Langur, Trachypithecus pileatus
              • Shortridge's Langur, Trachypithecus shortridgei
              • Gee's Golden Langur, Trachypithecus geei
            • T. francoisi group
              • Francois' Langur, Trachypithecus francoisi
              • Hatinh Langur, Trachypithecus hatinhensis
              • White-headed Langur, Trachypithecus poliocephalus
              • Laotian Langur, Trachypithecus laotum
              • Delacour's Langur, Trachypithecus delacouri
              • Indochinese Black Langur, Trachypithecus ebenus
          • Genus Presbytis
            • Sumatran Surili, Presbytis melalophos
            • Banded Surili, Presbytis femoralis
            • Sarawak Surili, Presbytis chrysomelas
            • White-thighed Surili, Presbytis siamensis
            • White-fronted Surili, Presbytis frontata
            • Javan Surili, Presbytis comata
            • Thomas's Langur, Presbytis thomasi
            • Hose's Langur, Presbytis hosei
            • Maroon Leaf Monkey, Presbytis rubicunda
            • Mentawai Langur or Joja, Presbytis potenziani
            • Natuna Island Surili, Presbytis natunae
        • Odd-Nosed group
          • Genus Pygathrix
            • Red-shanked Douc, Pygathrix nemaeus
            • Black-shanked Douc, Pygathrix nigripes
            • Gray-shanked Douc, Pygathrix cinerea
          • Genus Rhinopithecus
            • Golden Snub-nosed Monkey, Rhinopithecus roxellana
            • Black Snub-nosed Monkey, Rhinopithecus bieti
            • Gray Snub-nosed Monkey, Rhinopithecus brelichi
            • Tonkin Snub-nosed Langur, Rhinopithecus avunculus
          • Genus Nasalis
            • Proboscis Monkey, Nasalis larvatus
          • Genus Simias
            • Pig-tailed Langur, Simias concolor

References

  • C. Groves, "Order Primates," "Order Monotremata," (and select other orders). Page(s) 152-178 in D. E. Wilson and D. M. Reeder, eds., Mammal Species of the World, 3rd edition, Johns Hopkins University Press (2005). ISBN 0801882214.



New World monkeys
New World monkeys
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Suborder: Haplorrhini
Infraorder: Simiiformes
(unranked) Platyrrhini
E. Geoffroy, 1812
Families

Cebidae
Aotidae
Pitheciidae
Atelidae

The New World monkeys are the four families of primates that are found in Central and South America: the Cebidae, Aotidae, Pitheciidae and Atelidae. The four families are ranked together as the Platyrrhini parvorder. They differ from other groupings of monkeys and primates, such as the Old World monkeys and the apes.

Characteristics

All New World monkeys differ slightly from Old World monkeys in many aspects, but the most prominent of which is the nose. This is the feature used most commonly to distinguish between the two groups. The scientific name for New world monkey, Platyrrhini, means "flat nosed", therefore the noses are flatter, with side facing nostrils, compared to the narrow noses of the Old World monkey. Most New world monkeys have long, often prehensile tails. Many are small, arboreal and nocturnal, so our knowledge of them is less comprehensive than that of the more easily observed Old World monkeys. Unlike most Old World monkeys, many New World monkeys form monogamous pair bonds, and show substantial paternal care of young.

Classification

  • ORDER PRIMATES
    • Suborder Strepsirrhini: lemurs, lorises, etc.
    • Suborder Haplorrhini: tarsiers, monkeys and apes
      • Infraorder Tarsiiformes
        • Family Tarsiidae: tarsiers
      • Infraorder Simiiformes
        • Parvorder Platyrrhini: New World monkeys
          • Family Cebidae: marmosets, tamarins, capuchins and squirrel monkeys
          • Family Aotidae: night or owl monkeys (douroucoulis)
          • Family Pitheciidae: titis, sakis and uakaris
          • Family Atelidae: howler, spider and woolly monkeys
        • Parvorder Catarrhini: Old World monkeys, apes and humans

References

  • C. Groves, "Order Primates," "Order Monotremata," (and select other orders). Page(s) 128-152 in D. E. Wilson and D. M. Reeder, eds., Mammal Species of the World, 3rd edition, Johns Hopkins University Press (2005). ISBN 0801882214.

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Credits

New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article in accordance with New World Encyclopedia standards. This article abides by terms of the Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0 License (CC-by-sa), which may be used and disseminated with proper attribution. Credit is due under the terms of this license that can reference both the New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. To cite this article click here for a list of acceptable citing formats.The history of earlier contributions by wikipedians is accessible to researchers here:

The history of this article since it was imported to New World Encyclopedia:

Note: Some restrictions may apply to use of individual images which are separately licensed.