Primates Honor

Nature Study

Requirements

  1. What are the main characteristics of primates?

    Answer: Primates are characterized by: hands (and generally feet) with five fingers and an opposable thumb, which allows grasping; nails instead of claws, in most cases; sharp and binocular vision (eyes facing forward), with good depth and color perception; a large brain that is developed relative to the body; and, in general, a social life with prolonged care of the young. — Prehensile hands, frontal vision, and a developed brain are the marks that define the primate group.

  2. Answer the items below:
    • What is the largest primate species in the world? What is the largest in your country? Present photos/images;
    • How many species of monkeys exist in your country?
    • What are the smallest lemur species in the world? Present photos/images;
    • What are the common names of the Brachyteles arachnoides monkey?
    • What are the three types of spider monkey?
    • Which species of Brazilian monkey was nearly driven to extinction because they were killed to extract their tails to make dusters that were exported to Europe?
    • What is the only primate in the Americas capable of using objects as tools to obtain food?
    • What is the percentage of primates found in the Amazon compared to the world?

    Answer: 1) Largest primate in the world: the gorilla (genus Gorilla); in Brazil, the largest is the muriqui (Brachyteles, the woolly spider monkey). 2) Country with the greatest primate diversity in the world: Brazil (more than 100 species). 3) The smallest primates in the world are the mouse lemurs (genus Microcebus), from Madagascar. 4) Common names for Brachyteles arachnoides: southern muriqui or woolly spider monkey. 5) The spider monkey (coatá) is the genus Ateles, with a long prehensile tail; among the types are the black-faced spider monkey, the red-faced spider monkey, and the white-fronted spider monkey. 6) The highly threatened Brazilian species that was hunted to use its tail in making feather dusters exported to Europe is the muriqui (woolly spider monkey). 7) The only primate in the Americas that uses objects as tools to obtain food is the capuchin monkey (genus Sapajus), which cracks nuts with stones. — Knowing the records and curiosities of primates, especially the Brazilian ones, helps to value and protect this fauna.

  3. Explain the etymology of the word monkey.

    Answer: The word 'macaco' (monkey) has African origin, probably from Bantu languages (from the term 'makaku', plural of 'kaku'), brought to Portuguese by African peoples. It was with this name that primates came to be designated, especially those of the New World. — The very African origin of the word 'macaco' (monkey) shows the influence of African languages on Portuguese.

  4. Cite the names of the monkey species typical of your country.

    Answer: Typical Brazilian species: golden lion tamarin, marmoset (common marmoset), capuchin monkey, howler monkey (guariba), spider monkey, muriqui (woolly spider monkey), titi monkey, and white uakari. — Brazil is the country with the richest primate diversity in the world — knowing its species helps to value and protect this fauna.

  5. What is the main difference between monkeys and apes?

    Answer: The main difference is the tail: monkeys generally have a tail, while apes (the great primates, such as gorilla, chimpanzee, orangutan, gibbon, and the human being) do NOT have a tail. Apes are also generally larger, with a more developed brain and longer arms, adapted to hanging. — The rule of thumb: if it has a tail, it is a monkey; if it has no tail and is large, it is an ape (anthropoid).

  6. What are the benefits and harms of monkeys to human beings?

    Answer: Benefits: they disperse seeds (helping to regenerate forests), balance the ecosystem, have scientific and ecotourism value, and serve as sentinels for diseases (e.g., yellow fever). Harms/risks: they can transmit zoonoses, attack crops when they lose their habitat and, when fed by people, lose their fear and cause accidents. — Monkeys provide important ecological services; the 'harms' generally arise when human beings invade or unbalance their environment.

  7. What is the name of the field of science that studies primates?

    Answer: The field of science that studies primates is Primatology. — Knowing the name of Primatology situates the Pathfinder in the field that researches these animals.