Primates are placental mammals that include gorillas, monkeys and chimpanzees, as well as humans. Other than humans, primates are found mostly in Central and South America, Africa, and South Asia.
Around 65 million years ago, at the end of a time called the Cretaceous Period, life on Earth was in the midst of a great transformation. The emergence of primates marked a turning point in evolution. Learn about the origins of primates. See more »
Until now, no one has documented a definite case of chimpanzees using tools to hunt in the traditional sense. Find out what a new study on chimpanzees may reveal about human evolution.
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Orangutans might be the most low-key of the world's apes, but that doesn't mean they don't like to socialize. So are these redheads miscast as loners, or are orangutans introverts?
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So far, "Planet of the Apes" is pure fiction. But are chimps capable of learning human language (and eventually taking over the world)?
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Animals may not have access to spice racks, but does that mean they don't enjoy flavorful meals? Have Japanese monkeys discovered the joy of cooking, or is this a culinary myth?
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Monkeys and apes have lots of similarities, but they're not the same animal. In a lot of ways, it all comes down to the tail.
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Monkeys, apes and humans make up the primate animal grouping. Here is where we find our closest genetic relatives that exhibit familiar behaviors, including cultural practices, tool use and language acquisition. What separates primates from lower order animals, and what binds us together? Quit monkeying around and take the primate quiz to find out!
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Their genetic similarity to humans makes chimps great subjects for medical research. But some countries are banning this research because these apelike similarities are a little too close for comfort.
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Besides our genetic similarities, gorillas also share our love of getting a good night's sleep -- except that their alarm clocks come in the form of dangerous predators and poachers.
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Did you know you conserve energy every time you walk across a room? You do, in evolutionary terms at least. Find out how and why humans began walking upright and what this has to do with our body's energy use.
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A long, long time ago, lemurs lived all over the world. But something happened to kill them off -- everywhere except in Madagascar. How did the island protect them from extinction?
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Ape, any of 13 species of tailless primates. The orangutan, gorilla, chimpanzee, and pygmy chimpanzee are the largest apes and are called great apes.
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I'm sitting on a grassy hillside, surrounded by 20 close relatives. No, it's not a family picnic. I'm surrounded by monkeys. Learn about ape culture and conservation.
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Aye-aye, ', a lemur-like primate found only on Madagascar. It is up to 40 inches (1 m) long, including a 24-inch (60-cm) tail.
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Baboon, a large monkey that inhabits savannahs and rocky hills in Africa and southwestern Arabia.
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Capuchin, or Sopajou, a South American monkey. Above its eyes is a hoodlike growth of fur that resembles a monk's cowl.
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Chimpanzee, an ape of equatorial Africa. It is the most intelligent of all apes, capable of using tools and of learning complicated tasks.
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Drill, a West African monkey. The animal weighs up to 60 pounds (28 kg), grows up to 38 inches (95 cm) in height, and has a four-inch (10-cm) tail.
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Gibbon, the smallest ape. Of the nine species, most are found in Southeast Asia and the Malay Archipelago.
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Gorilla, the largest primate. There are three subspecies. The western lowland gorilla inhabits the rain forests of Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, the extreme southwestern Central African Republic, and extreme southeastern Nigeria.
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Howler Monkey, a New World monkey. There are six species. Howler monkeys are the largest of the New World monkeys; they are about three feet (90 cm) long, including the prehensile (grasping) tail.
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