Monkey SVG – one of the most progressive groups of placental mammals, including humans. The group includes more than 400 species.
Ancestors of primates lived on trees in tropical forests. Most modern primates are also associated with trees. Accordingly, they are adapted to three-dimensional habitats.
With the exception of humans, who live on all continents, most primates live in tropical or subtropical areas of the Americas, Africa and Asia. The weight of the primate body varies from 30 g in Microcebus berthae lemur to more than 200 kg in the eastern plain gorilla. According to paleontological data, primate ancestors appeared at the end of the Cretaceous period about 65 million years ago; the oldest primates (representatives of the genus Plesiadapis) are known from the Late Paleocene, 55-58 million years ago. The molecular clock method indicates that primates could have separated from their ancestral forms in the middle of the Cretaceous about 85 Ma.
Apes were traditionally divided into two suborder groups – Semi Monkeys and Monkeys SVG. Primates from the semi-monkey suborder have features typical of the ancient primates. This suborder included, in particular, lemurs, lavender-like and long-tailed apes. Primates from the suborder of monkeys were represented by anthropoids, including human beings and humans. Recently, primates have been classified as Strepsirrhini, or wet primates, and Haplorhini, or dry primates, which include long-lived and monkey-like primates. Monkeys are divided into broad-leaved, or New World monkeys (living in South and Central America), and narrow-leaved, or Old World monkeys (living in Africa and Southeast Asia). The monkeys of the New World include, in particular, capuchins, howlers and saimiri. Narrow-legged monkeys are represented by monkeys (e.g. baboons and macaques), gibbons and large humanoid monkeys. Human beings are the only narrow-nosed monkeys that have spread beyond Africa, South and East Asia, although fossil remnants indicate that many other species previously inhabited Europe. New primate species are constantly being described, with more than 25 species described in the first decade of the twenty-first century, and eleven species described since 2010.
Most primates lead a woody lifestyle, but some, including large Monkeys SVG and baboons, have moved to terrestrial. However, primates that lead a terrestrial lifestyle retain tree climbing aids. Modes of movement include tree-to-tree jumps, walking on two or four extremities, walking on the back extremities with the fingers of the front extremities, and brachia, a movement in which the animal swings on the front extremities.
Primates have a larger brain than other mammals. Of all senses, stereoscopic vision and sense of smell are the most important. These features are more pronounced in monkeys and weaker in lori and lemurs. Some primates are characterized by tricolor vision. Most have a thumb opposed to others; some have a tenacious tail. Many species are characterized by sexual dimorphism, which is manifested in body weight, size of canines, color.
Primates develop and reach maturity more slowly than other mammals of similar size, but live longer. Depending on the species, adults may live alone, in pairs or in groups of up to a hundred.