Are monkeys mammals?

Monkey (scientific name: zoology) is one of the three animals, apes and primates, which are distributed in warm areas of Asia, Africa and America. Monkeys generally have developed brains, eyes facing forward, narrow orbital spacing, feet, toes (fingers) separated, flexible thumbs, and most of them can hold hands with other toes (fingers). Monkeys do not form a "natural group", and there are about 262 known species of monkeys.

gingkgo

monkey

eye

head

Latin scientific name

zoological

suborder

Protomonkey suborder, simian suborder

Another name

monkey

The branch of academic or vocational research.

Including 1 1 family.

boundary

animal kingdom

door

Chordata

belong to

On the genus 5 1

subdivide

Vertebrate subfamily

summary

mammal

subclass

eutheria

Distribution area

Warm zones of Asia, Africa and America.

Existing species

264 species

English name

monkey

bale

Appearance characteristics

Monkeys are medium-sized, with equal limbs or slightly longer hind limbs, long or short tails, cheek pouches and calluses on their arms. They live in arboreal or terrestrial life, which is also the same characteristic of monkeys. Most of the skulls of monkeys are large and spherical, which is caused by the shortening of jaws and the flattening of faces. The posterior orbital process develops to form a bony eye ring or a closed eye socket; Most species have short noses, and their sense of smell is not as good as sight, touch and hearing. Some lower species have highly developed olfactory centers in their brains, and they rely heavily on the sense of smell. Some lemurs have long noses. The nasal bones of snub-nosed monkeys and dolphin-tailed langurs degenerate, forming upturned nostrils. The nose of a proboscis bird is big and long. These special types

It is formed by the development of muscle or cartilage. The big toe of the foot can abut against the other toe, making the hands and feet become grasping organs. The five fingers of primitive monkeys can only be flexed and extended at the same time, and cannot be used alone. The palm is bare, with finger and toe lines, and the patterns are different. The foot pads are very soft or wide, except for black apes, they all crawl. Most fingers and toes have flat nails. Generally, there is little difference in the length of front and rear limbs.

Only gibbons and scarabs have much longer forelimbs than hind limbs. Apes and humans have no tails. In species with tails, the tail length varies greatly, from only one protrusion to exceeding the body length. The tail of most species in the family Cephalaenidae has the function of grasping and is called the "fifth hand". Some old world monkeys (such as baboons) have brightly colored faces, buttocks or breasts, especially during the breeding season. The buttock has a hard lump composed of hard skin, which is called the buttock callus.

1 nipple in most species is located in the chest or armpit, while 1 nipple in monkeys is located in the abdomen. Male penises droop, most of which have penile bones, but tarsiers, marmosets, humans and some species do not. The testicles are wrapped in a bag. The female body has a double horn uterus or a single horn uterus. Body coat, some soft and thin, some thick and hard, or local long, or hair with different colors of links. Some hair on the top of the head is very long, forming a tufted crown, or short, flat-topped, or bald and hairless. Some are on the cheeks or chin.

Monkeys, like people, belong to the "primate" in zoology. Compared with other mammals, the main characteristics of primates are:

1. The limbs are long and the division of labor is clear, the joints are flexible, the thumb can be held with other four fingers, and both hands have certain operating functions;

2. Have the ability to distinguish colors;

3. Binocular eyes are similar to human beings and grow in front of the head, which has the function of "diplopia" and can accurately judge the distance;

4. The upper and lower jaws are short, the brain cavity is large, the brain is developed and the intelligence is high.

Widely distributed all over the world. According to the degree of evolution, it can be divided into three categories: low, medium and high. The lower classes are lemurs, finger monkeys, young monkeys, tree bears, lazy monkeys, glasses monkeys, etc. Medium-sized monkeys, such as marmosets, jointed-tailed monkeys, capuchin monkeys and various monkeys with cheek pouches, are omnivorous and vegetarian; The higher class, also known as "apes", includes gibbons, fingered apes and great apes (commonly known as gorillas). According to physical characteristics, those with tails are called "monkeys" and those without tails are called "apes". From the point of view of intellectual development, apes have greater advantages. The monkeys distributed in China include macaque, golden monkey, red-faced monkey, macaque, Taiwan macaque, langur, white-headed langur and so on. Apes include black gibbon, white-browed gibbon, white-palm gibbon, white-narrow gibbon, brown ape (orangutan) and so on. Monkeys in nature are quick-thinking, naughty and funny, with strong imitation ability, and have very similar habits with humans. They are the most proud "stars" of circuses and monkey-jugglers. They also beg for food from pedestrians and play with people, which is embarrassing. If monkeys are trained, they can help people accomplish many simple tasks, such as grazing, picking fruits, delivering letters, and some can even learn to feed bedridden patients with spoons, open refrigerators to get drinks, and turn on and off electric lights. Therefore, monkeys have received human attention, love and protection. Summary of Primates: Among more than 4,000 species of mammals in the world, about 300 species are primates (also known as primates), which was first named by the Swedish biologist Linnaeus, meaning "the spirit of all beings, the length of all beings". Primates include all kinds of monkeys, tailless apes and us humans. Man is a kind of primate. Like all species in the world, he also has a Latin scientific name, HomoSapiens, that is, Homo sapiens.

Species classification

From the perspective of historical evolution, primates include three categories.

1. Lower primitive monkeys: lemurs, sloths, young monkeys, finger monkeys, tarsiers, etc. * * * 17 genera, with more than 30 species;

2. Moderately evolved monkeys: all kinds of marmosets, capuchin monkeys and other omnivorous monkeys with cheek pouches and vegetarian monkeys with compound stomachs belong to 30 genera, with nearly 150 species.

3. Highly evolved apes: gibbons, syndactylus, anthropoids (including humans and various orangutans), * * * five genera and fifteen species. Geographically, primates include:

① Asia: Three species of tarsiers, three species of sloths, more than ten species of macaques, four species of golden monkeys, twenty species of langurs, eleven species of gibbons, one species of orangutans and more than fifty species.

② Africa: 5 young monkeys, 1 golden bear monkey, 1 tree bear monkey, 1 macaque, 5 baboons, 2 mandrills, 1 red monkey, 20 long-tailed monkeys, 5 white-eyelid monkeys,/kloc-

③ Madagascar: one lemur, more than ten lemurs, three Japanese lemurs, three rat lemurs, four giant lemurs, more than twenty real lemurs, leading lemurs, ferrets and tame lemurs.

④ South America: there are more than ten species of marmosets, one species of Japanese marmosets, more than ten species of golden lions, one species of jointed-tailed monkeys, four species of capuchin monkeys, one species of night monkeys, seven species of squirrel monkeys, two species of monk-faced monkeys, three species of bald monkeys, three species of tufted-tailed monkeys, six species of howler monkeys, five species of spider monkeys and three species of marmosets.

From the point of view of exercise mode, primates include

1. Tree jumping type: young monkey, tarsier, big lemur, ferret lemur, etc.

2. Tetrapod: most monkeys in the old and new world, such as lazy monkeys and macaques;

3. Finger support type: chimpanzee, gorilla;

4. Swing arm type: mainly gibbons and orangutans;

5. Erect biped: human.

In terms of feeding habits, primates include

1. Insects mainly include: young monkeys, mouse lemurs, marmosets, cynomolgus monkeys, tarsiers and so on. And most of them are nocturnal;

2. The main herbivores are langurs [2], colobus monkeys, howler monkeys, snub-nosed monkeys and gorillas. And most of them are daytime;

3. Omnivorous food: Most primates are active during the day.

In terms of mating types, primates include

1. Monogamy types: big lemur, marmoset, capuchin monkey, monkey, night monkey, tarsal monkey, long-tailed monkey, some langurs, all gibbons and humans;

2. Polygamy: long-tailed langur, gorilla, red monkey, white-eyelid monkey, ferret lemur, etc.

3. Solitary type: orangutan, tree bear monkey, baby monkey, finger monkey, lazy monkey, Japanese lemur, etc.

Other species

monkey

Just as the mysteries of nature can never be exhausted, new ape species were discovered in the 20th century. 1988 Tatsuo lemur found in Madagascar, Gabon long-tailed monkey found in Central Africa. 1990, black face was found in Lachi Island, Su Pei, Brazil, only 65km away from Sao Paulo. On June 23, 2002, the international animal protection organization announced that two new species of monkeys had been discovered in the Amazon river basin in central Brazil. These two kinds of monkeys were discovered by Dutch zoologists. One of them has dark orange cheeks, chest and limbs, reddish-brown back, black tail and white top. Its head and body are 37.5cm long, its tail is 55cm long and its average weight is 950g. The other is a silver monkey with a black forehead and red cheeks, chest and inner limbs. The head is 27.5 cm long, the tail is 42 cm long, and the average weight is 690 grams. This is the 37th and 38th species discovered since 1990.

Jurassic rafters

Among about 200 species of monkeys known all over the world, the Jurassic is the smallest. When the great ape grows up, its height is only a little more than 12 cm, its weight is between 48 and 79 grams, and its tail is 25 to 40 cm long. Jurassic marmosets are as thick as silk and usually have tufts of hair on their ears, which are not as big as squirrels. So the Jurassic is not only the smallest monkey in the world, but also the smallest primate.

Jurassic monkeys mainly lived in the tropical jungles of the United States. They live in trees, are quick and agile, and move in small groups at night. Besides eating plants, it also catches moths, flies, spiders and so on. It is an omnivore. Interestingly, Jurassic also liked to suck sap. Jurassic monkey is an inferior monkey, and its insect-eating habit is an atavistic genetic phenomenon, because its ancestors were insect-eaters.

Living habits

habitat

Most primates live in different forms of arboreal or semi-arboreal, and only ring-tailed lemurs, baboons and marmosets live in land or rock areas. Usually small groups, but also large groups. Most people can walk upright, but not for long. Most of them are active during the day, and at night they are refers to monkeys, some big lemurs and night monkeys. Japanese lemurs and Japanese lemurs sleep for several days to weeks in the hot and dry summer season.

food

Monkeys are mostly omnivorous, mainly plants, and do not give up readily available meat. There are different ways to choose food and feed. For example, monkeys are good at picking bugs in tree holes or crevices. Orangutans eat a lot and spend most of their time foraging. The stomach of colobus monkeys has a special structure, and most species eat plant food containing a lot of crude fiber.

Growth and reproduction

Monkeys give birth to one baby every six months, each with 1-3 babies. Larvae grow slowly. Crawling on the mother's chest and abdomen or riding on her back during lactation, carried by her mother. Sexually mature females have menstruation, and males can mate at any time. Only lower monkeys, such as lemurs, sloths and lynxes, have a certain mating and breeding season.

The life span of monkeys is generally about 20 years. 1988, 10 In July, a male white monkey named Bobo died. He was the oldest monkey in the world at the age of 53.

hierarchy

In the monkey kingdom, there is a unique and strict hierarchy, which is divided into monkey king, two monkey kings (leaders of small societies) and ordinary people. Zoological experts told reporters that the monkey king has supreme power in the monkey group and is mainly responsible for protecting the safety of the monkey group; Second, the Monkey King is equivalent to the prime minister, managing everything in the monkeys. In the world of monkeys, being the monkey king has many advantages. Not only can you eat delicious food first and have fun, but you can also choose a "wife" among monkeys at will. Except the Monkey King, other male monkeys are not allowed to "fall in love".

Because of this, the Monkey King always faces the challenge of "subjects" in his prime. Once the Monkey King is defeated, it will be miserable or killed in battle. Those who are lucky enough to survive can only play the lowest role in the monkeys. The winner will naturally be promoted to a new generation of the Monkey King.

distribution range

Monkey is a common name, and many animals in primates are called monkeys. Primates, an order of mammals, belong to the highest class in the animal kingdom and have developed brains. The track faces forward and the track spacing is narrow; The toes (fingers) of hands and feet are separated, and the thumb is flexible, and most of them can hold other toes (fingers). Including prosimia and simian suborder. Protomonkey suborder has a fox-like face; No cheek pouch and buttock callus; Forelimbs are shorter than hind limbs; The thumb and big toe are developed and can be opposite to other fingers (toes); The tail can be curled or missing. Ape suborder has a human face; Most of them have cheek pouches and hip calluses; Forelimbs are mostly longer than hind limbs; Degeneration of big toe; Tails are long, some can be curled, and some have no tails. According to the geographical distribution or nostril structure, the suborder simian is divided into wide-nosed monkeys, also known as new world monkeys; Narrow-nosed monkeys, also known as old world monkeys. The order includes 1 1 family, about 5 1 genus and 180 species, which are mainly distributed in warm areas of Asia, Africa and America, and most of them live in forest areas. The largest primate is a gorilla, weighing 275 kilograms, and the smallest is a bonobo, weighing only 70 grams. The skull characteristics of the tree family are very similar to those of some primitive monkeys. Many anatomists and paleontologists have listed it as a primate, but its external morphology and ecological habits are very different from those of primates. Therefore, modern taxonomists have classified it as a tree order independently.

Primate fossils are found in Paleocene to Oligocene strata in North America, Europe and Asia, Miocene strata in Africa and Europe, and Pleistocene strata in South America, Africa and Madagascar. Primates have evolved for 60 million years. Early primate fossils found all over the world belong to primitive monkeys, of which more than 60 genera are now extinct. There are no primitive monkeys in America, but there are still a few species that are very similar to the primitive monkeys 50 million years ago on some islands in Africa and Asia, Madagascar and the Indian Ocean. The history of apes can be traced back to 30-50 million years ago. About 65,438+0,500-20 million years ago, the ancestors of apes had spread all over Europe, Asia and Africa, but today they only remain in tropical Asia and Africa.

In China's ancient books, monkeys were nicknamed Yu, and sure enough, Du, Yi and so on. According to "White Tiger Pass", "A monkey is also good at waiting. When he saw a man standing on a food machine, he was far-sighted, looking around and being good at waiting. " Waiting means waiting and watching.

In the northern mountainous area of kalimantan island, May 7th is the Monkey Festival every year. In the mountainous area of northern Thailand, the annual 165438+ 10/month is the "Monkey Sports Festival".

Breeding mode

When the British began to explore Africa, little monkeys were often captured for entertainment on long-distance voyages. Some monkeys were later sent from the zoo in China. Nowadays, most of the monkeys trapped in Britain originated from the Napoleonic Wars and individual capture in Victorian era. At that time, it was said that a monkey caught by the British in the early days was lost in the sea. Later, the monkey was washed to the shore near Poole, hartle, England. Because the monkey was wearing a French military uniform, the local people mistakenly thought it was a French spy and sentenced him to hang. Later, people in hartle called it a "monkey hanger".

Although monkeys are generally considered friendly and gentle, some people think they are more like human babies, so many people think they can be kept as pets. Young monkeys are as easy to clean as human babies (diapers can be used), but monkeys usually take off diapers when they reach puberty, but they don't know how to go to the toilet. They need constant supervision and moral support. There are also monkeys who cannot live without their owners for a long time. For example, it is difficult for families with monkeys to take family trips because they usually need a lot of care.

In addition, depressed monkeys can become extremely destructive or throw their droppings everywhere. So it takes a lot of time to clean up the mess made by these monkeys. Most adolescent monkeys suddenly bite and pinch people. In order to prevent these things from happening, some monkeys will undergo operations (such as pulling out teeth or nails), but some people think these operations are too cruel, so it is difficult to find a veterinarian to do these operations, and wildlife veterinarians are not familiar with them. When monkeys grow up, many will become violent and difficult to tame, or they may become very aggressive, even to their owners. In some cases, they will suddenly go crazy in a short time without any warning, which makes it more difficult for their owners to fully understand and control them.

In this case, most owners will find other places for them, such as zoos or other places to help monkeys, but some people say that they can have a long-term good relationship with monkeys. Monkeys generally prefer their first owners, so when they are transferred to their new owners, they will cause certain psychological trauma to monkeys and aggravate their behavior problems. It can be seen that it is quite difficult for monkeys to adapt to the new environment. In addition, monkeys live in groups, and if they are put in separate places, some problems will also occur. And taking care of monkeys is also very expensive-accommodation, food and veterinary expenses may be expensive. Some monkeys have special needs, such as diet.