Which Ones are Primates? (Part 3) Quiz

Answer:

Here are the primates:

The angwantibo is a small nocturnal, arboreal primate found in the rainforests of West Africa. They have orangish-yellow fur on their backs, and light grey fur on their belly, with a distinctive white line running from their forehead to their nose. The Calabar angwantibo is the only primate known to have a functioning third eyelid.

The baboon is one of the most widespread members of the primate order. They are highly intelligent, displaying problem-solving skills, and the ability to use rudimentary tools. They live in complex hierarchical social structures, multi-male, multi-female troops with advanced systems of communication. Being Old World monkeys they are native to Africa and Arabia.

The bald uakari is a small New World monkey native to the Amazon River basin in South America. They have a bright crimson red, bald face-the bright red coloring is a sign of good health and if it were pale, it would be a sign of sickness. They have and a very short, bob-like tail; and a long, shaggy reddish brown fur coat.

Bonobos are so similar to their cousin the chimpanzee that it took as late as 1929 for them to be recognized as separate species. But there are some very significant differences, physically and sociologically. Bonobos have smaller heads than chimpanzees who have larger jaws, and bonobos have longer legs. Bonobo societies are matriarchal and peaceful compared to the male-dominated, more aggressive chimpanzee societies. Bonobos are found only in the Democratic Republic of Congo south of the Congo River, whereas chimpanzees roam a wider breadth of Central and West Africa.

The bush baby, also known as a galago, is a nocturnal, arboreal primate with highly dextrous grasping hands and feet, and nails instead of claws on some digits. Their forward-facing eyes provide excellent depth perception, which helps when leaping through trees at night. Perhaps their most unusual trait is their large, bat-like ears.

"New World" primates are those found in Central and South America, and the capuchin monkey is one of the most well-known and intelligent among them. They are noted for using tools, such as rocks for cracking open nuts, sticks for probing holes and crevices for insects. You've seen capuchins in films and TV shows, being the monkey accompanying an organ grinder. Their high intelligence has also made them preferred subjects for scientific research.

"Old World" primates like the colobus monkey, are those native to Africa, and are closer relatives to humans and apes than the "New World" monkeys. They are also highly dextrous and are unique for having a vestigial thumb (a small, non-opposable stub), which helps them with swinging through trees. They mostly eat leaves and, just like a cow, they have a multi-chambered stomach to ferment and digest the cellulose in leaves.

The guereza is a species of colobus monkey, often called the black-and-white colobus or mantled guereza. They live in groups with complex social structures, and are folivores, meaning they subsist on a leaf-based diet. They are most recognized for their splendent black fur with a long, white area of flowing hair along their sides. They have a large, bushy white tail, and are native to the forests of Central and East Africa.

Lemurs are one of the most ancient and distinctive primates; they are exclusively and naturally found on the island of Madagascar, where they evolved in isolation for millions of years. Lemurs are "wet-nosed" primates, which means they are more distantly related to humans than they are to monkeys and apes. One unusual feature is their special "toilet claw" on the second toe of each foot, used for personal hygienic scratching and grooming.

Sifakas are famous for their unique locomotion among primates, with a bipedal, leaping gait along the ground; in fact, they can't walk on all fours on the ground. They stand upright and hop sideways with their arms held out for balance - you should watch online videos of them - they are at once graceful and funny to watch. They have long legs adapted for leaping from tree trunk to tree trunk in a single bound.

And these are NOT primates:


Like the lemur, the fossa is found only in Madagascar. It is carnivorous mammal that often may look like a cat, but is actually most closely related to the mongoose. The tenrec, mantella, fody, and asity, are also non-primates endemic to Madagascar.