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monkey

World Encyclopedia | Date: 2005

monkey Any of a wide variety of mostly tree-dwelling, diurnal, omnivorous primates that live in the tropics and sub-tropics. Most monkeys have flat, human-like faces, relatively large brains and grasping hands. They fall into two broad groups – Old World monkeys (family Cercopithecidae) and New World monkeys (Cebidae). The 60 Old World species include macaques, baboons, Barbary apes, and langur monkeys. They all have non-prehensile (unable to grasp) tails. They range in distribution from Japan and n China through s Asia and Africa. The 70 species of New World monkeys include capuchin monkeys, spider monkeys, and marmosets. They are all tree dwellers, and most have grasping (prehensile) tails. They live in tropical forests of Central and South America.


© World Encyclopedia 2005, originally published by Oxford University Press 2005.