Monkey: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 03:55, 26 February 2007

Latest revision as of 20:14, 14 September 2025

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{{Short description|Animal of the "higher primates", excluding apes}}

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{{excessive citations|date=July 2025}}

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{{For-multi|the monophyletic clade|Simian|other uses}}

{{Expert-subject|Primates}}

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{{otheruses}}

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[[Image:Monkeysdistributionmap.gif|right|thumb|Approximate worldwide distribution of monkeys.]]

{{Paraphyletic group

[[Image:Monkey_batu.jpg|right|thumb|[[Cynomolgus Monkey]] at [[Batu Caves]], Malaysia]]

| name = Monkeys

| fossil_range = {{Geological range|Late Eocene | Present|ref=<ref>{{cite web |url=http://alltheworldsprimates.org/john_fleagle_public.aspx |title=Primate evolution |last1=Fleagle |first1=J. |last2=Gilbert |first2=C. |website=All the World's Primates |editor-last1=Rowe |editor-first1=N. |editor-last2=Myers |editor-first2=M. |publisher=Primate Conservation, Inc. |access-date=18 December 2014}}</ref>}}

| image = Bonnet_macaque_(Macaca_radiata)_Photograph_By_Shantanu_Kuveskar.jpg

| image_caption = [[Bonnet macaque]] ''Macaca radiata'' Mangaon, Maharashtra, India

| auto = yes

| parent = Simiiformes

| authority = {{efn|name=Monkey_vs_Ape|When [[Carl Linnaeus]] defined the [[genus]] ''Simia'' in the [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|10th edition of ''Systema Naturae'']], it included all non-human monkeys and apes ([[simian]]s).{{Sfn|Groves|2008|pp=92–93}} Although "monkey" was never a taxonomic name, and is instead a [[vernacular name]] for a paraphyletic group, its members fall under the infraorder Simiiformes.}}<!-- [[Ernst Haeckel|Haeckel]], 1866 -->

| includes = :[[Platyrrhini]]

:[[Cercopithecidae]]

:†[[Parapithecidae]]

:†[[Proteopithecidae]]

:†[[Oligopithecidae]]

:†[[Amphipithecidae]]

:†[[Eosimiidae]]

:†[[Propliopithecoidea]]

:†[[Pliopithecoidea]]

| excludes = :[[Hominoidea]]

}}

'''Monkey''' is a common name that may refer to most mammals of the [[infraorder]] [[Simiiformes]], also known as simians. Traditionally, all animals in the group now known as simians are counted as monkeys except the [[ape]]s. Thus monkeys, in that sense, constitute an incomplete [[Paraphyly|paraphyletic]] grouping; alternatively, if apes (Hominoidea) are included, ''monkeys'' and ''simians'' are synonyms.

In 1812, [[Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire|Étienne Geoffroy]] grouped the [[Ape|apes]] and the [[Cercopithecidae]] group of monkeys together and established the name [[Catarrhini]], "Old World monkeys" ("''singes de l'Ancien Monde''" in [[French language|French]]).<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire |first=M.É. |date=1812 |title=Tableau des Quadrumanes, ou des animaux composant le premier Ordre de la Classe des Mammifères |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/23270#page/107/mode/1up |journal=Annales du Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle |___location=Paris |volume=19 |pages=85–122}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Martin |first=W.C.Linnaeus |url=https://archive.org/details/generalintroduct00martrich |title=A General Introduction the Natural History Mammiferous Animals, With a Particular View of the Physical History of Man, III the More Closely Allied Genera of the Order Quadrumana, or Monkeys |publisher=Wright and Co. printers |year=1841 |___location=London |pages=340, 361}}</ref><ref name=":32">{{Cite book |last=Buffon |first=Georges Louis Leclerc comte de |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wOwEAAAAYAAJ&dq=sapajous+sagoins+buffon+regarder&pg=PA61 |title=Oeuvres complètes de Buffon: avec les descriptions anatomiques de Daubenton, son collaborateur |date=1827 |publisher=Verdière et Ladrange |pages=61 |language=fr}}</ref> The extant sister of the Catarrhini in the monkey ("singes") group is the [[Platyrrhini]] (New World monkeys).<ref name=":0" /> Some nine million years before the divergence between the Cercopithecidae and the apes,<ref>{{Citation |title=Family Cercopithecidae Cercopithecids: Old World Monkeys |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.5040/9781472926920.part-0018 |work=Mammals of Africa : Primates |year=2013 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing (UK) |doi=10.5040/9781472926920.part-0018 |isbn=978-1-4729-2692-0 |access-date=2022-07-13|url-access=subscription }}</ref> the Platyrrhini emerged within "monkeys" by migration to South America {{citation needed span |date=May 2022 |from Afro-Arabia (the Old World),|reason="O'Neill2012" cite says "drifted to South America either from North America or Africa"}}<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Seiffert |first=Erik R. |date=2012-12-19 |title=Early primate evolution in Afro-Arabia |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/evan.21335 |journal=Evolutionary Anthropology: Issues, News, and Reviews |language=en |volume=21 |issue=6 |pages=239–253 |doi=10.1002/evan.21335|pmid=23280921 |s2cid=38884357 |url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Bond |first1=Mariano |last2=Tejedor |first2=Marcelo F. |last3=Campbell |first3=Kenneth E. |last4=Chornogubsky |first4=Laura |last5=Novo |first5=Nelson |last6=Goin |first6=Francisco |date=2015-04-23 |title=Eocene primates of South America and the African origins of New World monkeys |url=http://www.nature.com/articles/nature14120 |journal=Nature |language=en |volume=520 |issue=7548 |pages=538–541 |doi=10.1038/nature14120 |pmid=25652825 |bibcode=2015Natur.520..538B |s2cid=4456556 |issn=0028-0836|hdl=11336/79088 |hdl-access=free |url-access=subscription }}</ref> likely by ocean.<ref name="O'Neill2012" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Kay |first=Richard F. |date=2015-03-06 |title=New World monkey origins |url=https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aaa9217 |journal=Science |language=en |volume=347 |issue=6226 |pages=1068–1069 |doi=10.1126/science.aaa9217 |pmid=25745147 |bibcode=2015Sci...347.1068K |s2cid=206636402 |issn=0036-8075|url-access=subscription }}</ref>{{better source needed |date=May 2022}} Apes are thus deep in the tree of extant and extinct monkeys, and any of the apes is distinctly closer related to the Cercopithecidae than the Platyrrhini are.

A '''monkey''' is a member of either of two of the three groupings of [[simian]] [[primate]]s. These three groupings are the [[New World monkey]]s, the [[Old World monkey]]s, and the [[ape]]s. The New World monkeys are classified within the parvorder [[Platyrrhini]], whereas the Old World monkeys (superfamily [[Cercopithecoidea]]) form part of the parvorder [[Catarrhini]], which also includes the apes. Thus, scientifically speaking, monkeys do not form a "natural group", in that the Old World monkeys are actually more closely related to the apes than they are to the New World species. There are 264 known extant species of monkey. Because of their similarity to monkeys, apes such as [[chimpanzee]]s and [[gibbon]]s are often called monkeys in informal usage, though biologists don't consider them to be monkeys. Conversely, due to its size (up to 1 metre) the [[Mandrill]] is often thought to be an ape, but it is actually an Old World monkey. Also, a few monkey species have the word "ape" in their common name. Because they are [[paraphyly|not a single coherent group]], monkeys do not have any particular traits that they all share and are not shared with the remaining group of simians, the apes.

Many monkey species are tree-dwelling ([[Arboreal locomotion|arboreal]]), although there are species that live primarily on the ground, such as [[baboon]]s. Most species are mainly active during the day ([[Diurnality|diurnal]]). Monkeys are generally [[primate cognition|considered to be intelligent]], especially the Old World monkeys.

==Characteristics==

[[Image:Singes Sosen.jpg|thumb|left|''Monkeys'', Mori Sosen (1749-1821)]] Monkeys range in size from the [[Pygmy Marmoset]], at 14-16 cm (5-6 inch) long (plus tail) and 120-140 g (4-5 oz) in weight, to the male [[Mandrill]], almost 1 metre (3 ft) long and weighing 35 kg (75 lb). Some are [[arboreal]] (living in trees), some live on the [[savannah]]; diets differ among the various species but may contain any of the following: [[fruit]], [[leave]]s, [[seed]]s, [[Nut (fruit)|nut]]s, [[flower]]s, [[insect]]s, [[spider]]s, [[egg (biology)|eggs]] and small animals.

Some characteristics are shared among the groups; most New World monkeys have [[prehensile tail]]s while Old World monkeys do not; some have [[trichromat]]ic [[colour vision]] like that of humans, others are [[dichromat]]s or [[monochromat]]s. Although both the New and Old World monkeys, like the apes, have forward facing eyes, the faces of Old World and New World monkeys look very different though again, each group shares some features such as the types of noses, cheeks and rumps. In order to understand the monkeys, it is necessary to study the characteristics of the different groups individually.

Within suborder [[Haplorhini]], the simians are a sister group to the [[tarsier]]s – the two members diverged some 70 million years ago.<ref name=Pozzi2014>{{cite journal |last1=Pozzi |first1=Luca |last2=Hdgson |first2=Jason A. |last3=Burrell |first3=Andrew S. |last4=Sterner |first4=Kirstin N. |last5=Raaum |first5=Ryan L. |last6=Disotell |first6=Todd R. |title=Primate phylogenetic relationships and divergence dates inferred from complete mitochondrial genomes |journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution |date=28 February 2014 |volume=75 |pages=165–183|doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2014.02.023 |pmid=24583291 |pmc=4059600 |bibcode=2014MolPE..75..165P }}</ref> New World monkeys and catarrhine monkeys emerged within the simians roughly 35 million years ago. Old World monkeys and apes emerged within the catarrhine monkeys about 25 million years ago. Extinct basal simians such as ''[[Aegyptopithecus]]'' or ''[[Parapithecus]]'' (35–32 million years ago) are also considered monkeys by primatologists.<ref name="O'Neill2012">{{Cite web |last=O'Neill |first=Dennis |year=2012 |title=Early primate evolution: the first primates |url=https://www2.palomar.edu/anthro/earlyprimates/early_2.htm |publisher=[[Palomar College]] |access-date=21 October 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Gabbatiss |first=Josh |title=The monkeys that sailed across the Atlantic to South America |url=http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20160126-the-monkeys-that-sailed-across-the-atlantic-to-south-america |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160127084123/https://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20160126-the-monkeys-that-sailed-across-the-atlantic-to-south-america |archive-date=27 January 2016 |url-status=dead |access-date=14 November 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Takai |first1=Masanaru |last2=Shigehara |first2=Nobuo |last3=Aung |first3=Aye Ko |last4=Tun |first4=Soe Thura |last5=Soe |first5=Aung Naing |last6=Tsubamoto |first6=Takehisa |last7=Thein |first7=Tin |date=2001 |title=A new anthropoid from the latest middle Eocene of Pondaung, central Myanmar |journal=Journal of Human Evolution |volume=40 |issue=5 |pages=393–409 |doi=10.1006/jhev.2001.0463 |pmid=11322801 |bibcode=2001JHumE..40..393T |issn=0047-2484}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://paleobiodb.org/classic/checkTaxonInfo?taxon_no=40854|title=Fossilworks: Catarrhini |website=[[Fossilworks]]|access-date=17 December 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Wasson |first=D. A. |date=1868 |title=Epic philosophy |journal=The North American Review |volume=107 |issue=221 |pages=501–542 |jstor=25109409}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last1=Simons |first1=E. L. |title=VII: Cercopithecidae and Parapithecidae |date=1978-12-31 |url=https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.4159/harvard.9780674431263.c8/html |work=Evolution of African Mammals |pages=100–119 |editor-last=Maglio |editor-first=Vincent J. |publisher=Harvard University Press |doi=10.4159/harvard.9780674431263.c8 |isbn=978-0-674-43125-6 |access-date=2022-05-10 |last2=Delson |first2=E. |editor2-last=Cooke |editor2-first=H. B. S.|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

==Name==

According to the [[Oxford English Dictionary]], the word "monkey" may originate in a [[German language|German]] version of the ''[[Reynard the Fox]]'' fable, published circa 1580. In this version of the fable, a character named Moneke is the son of Martin the Ape. The word Moneke may have been derived from the [[Italian language|Italian]] ''monna'', which means "a female ape". The name Moneke likely persisted over time due to the popularity of ''Reynard the Fox''.

[[Lemur]]s, [[Lorisidae|lorises]], and [[galago]]s are not monkeys, but [[Strepsirrhini|strepsirrhine]] primates (suborder Strepsirrhini). The simians' [[sister group]], the tarsiers, are also haplorhine primates; however, they are also not monkeys.{{citation needed|date=September 2023}}

A group of monkeys may be referred to as a ''mission'' or a ''tribe''.

Apes emerged within monkeys as sister of the Cercopithecidae in the Catarrhini, so cladistically they are monkeys as well. However, there has been resistance to directly designate apes (and thus humans) as monkeys, so "Old World monkey" may be taken to mean either the Cercopithecoidea (not including apes) or the Catarrhini (including apes).<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.gibbons.de/main/introduction/chapter_english01.html |title=Die Gibbons (Hylobatidae): Eine Einführung |trans-title=The gibbons (Hylobatidae): an introduction |first=Thomas |last=Geissmann |website=Gibbon Research Lab |access-date=15 March 2019}}</ref><ref name="Osman1953">{{Cite book |title=Primates comparative anatomy and taxonomy I—Strepsirhini |last=Osman Hill |first=W. C. |author-link=William Charles Osman Hill |publisher=Edinburgh University Press |year=1953 |series=Edinburgh Univ Pubs Science & Maths, No 3 |pages=53 |oclc=500576914}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www-personal.umich.edu/~phyl/anthro/cata.html |title=The Old World monkeys |first=Phyllis |last=Meek |publisher=[[University of Michigan]] |access-date=20 March 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.ucdavis.edu/news/reconstruction-ancient-chromosomes-offers-insight-mammalian-evolution |title=Reconstruction of ancient chromosomes offers insight into mammalian evolution |date=21 June 2017 |website=[[University of California, Davis]] |access-date=20 March 2019}}</ref><ref name="Naish2019">{{Cite news |url=https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/tetrapod-zoology/if-apes-evolved-from-monkeys-why-are-there-still-monkeys/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190213030507/https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/tetrapod-zoology/if-apes-evolved-from-monkeys-why-are-there-still-monkeys/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=13 February 2019 |title=If apes evolved from monkeys, why are there still monkeys? |last=Naish |first=Darren |work=Scientific American Blog Network |publisher=[[Scientific American]] |access-date=4 October 2018}}</ref><ref name="Martin1841a">{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/generalintroduct00martrich |title=A general introduction to the natural history of mammiferous animals, with a particular view of the physical history of man, and the more closely allied genera of the order Quadrumana, or monkeys |last=Martin |first=W. C. L. |author-link=William Charles Linnaeus Martin |publisher=Wright and Co. printers |year=1841 |___location=London, UK |pages=340, 361}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Lacoste |first1=Vincent |last2=Lavergne |first2=Anne |last3=Ruiz-García |first3=Manuel |last4=Pouliquen |first4=Jean-François |last5=Donato |first5=Damien |last6=James |first6=Samantha |date=2018 |title=DNA polymerase sequences of New World monkey cytomegaloviruses: another molecular marker with which to infer Platyrrhini systematics |journal=Journal of Virology |volume=92 |issue=18 |pages=e00980–18 |doi=10.1128/JVI.00980-18 |issn=0022-538X |pmc=6146696 |pmid=29976674}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Bugge |first=J. |date=1974 |series=The cephalic arterial system in insectivores, primates, rodents and lagomorphs, with special reference to the systematic classification |title=Chapter 4: Primates Linnaeus 1758 |journal=[[Cells Tissues Organs]] |volume=87 |issue=Suppl. 62 |pages=32–43 |doi=10.1159/000144209 |issn=1422-6405}}</ref><ref>{{Cite thesis |last=Melchionna |first=Marina |date=10 December 2018 |title=Macroevolutionary analysis of Primates with special reference to the genus ''Homo'' |url=http://www.fedoa.unina.it/12586/1/melchionna_marina_31.pdf |access-date=22 November 2020 |publisher=[[Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II]] |type=PhD thesis}}</ref> That apes are monkeys was already realized by [[Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon]] in the 18th century.<ref name="Martin1841b">{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/generalintroduct00martrich |title=A general introduction to the natural history of mammiferous animals, with a particular view of the physical history of man, and the more closely allied genera of the order Quadrumana, or monkeys |last=Martin |first=W. C. L. |author-link=William Charles Linnaeus Martin |publisher=Wright and Co. printers |year=1841 |___location=London, UK |pages=339}}</ref> [[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]] placed this group in 1758 together with the tarsiers, in a single genus "''[[Simia]]''" (sans ''[[Homo]]''), an ensemble now recognised as the Haplorhini.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Linné |first1=Carl von |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/10277 |title=Caroli Linnaei...Systema naturae per regna tria naturae :secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis |last2=Salvius |first2=Lars |date=1758 |publisher=Impensis Direct. Laurentii Salvii |volume=1 |___location=Holmiae}}</ref>

==Classification==

[[Image:Monkeys in kam shan.JPG|300px|thumb|right|Monkeys in Kam Shan Country Park of Hong Kong]]

Monkeys, including apes, can be distinguished from other primates by having only two pectoral nipples, a pendulous penis, and a lack of sensory [[whiskers]].<ref>{{Cite AV media |last=AronRa |author-link=Aron Ra |title=Systematic classification of life - ep39 Simiiformes |date=13 March 2019 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_AuLitAwnI | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211028/-_AuLitAwnI| archive-date=2021-10-28|access-date=17 March 2019}}{{cbignore}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=April 2019}}

The following lists shows where the various monkey families (bolded) are placed in the Primate classification. Note that the smallest grouping that contains them all is the [[Simiiformes]], the simians, which also contains the apes. Calling apes "monkeys" is incorrect. Calling either a simian is correct.

==Historical and modern terminology==

* ORDER [[primates|PRIMATES]]

[[File:Portrait of a father.jpg|thumb|The [[Barbary macaque]] is also known as the Barbary ape.]]

** Suborder [[Strepsirrhini]]: non-tarsier prosimians

According to the ''[[Online Etymology Dictionary]]'', the word "monkey" may originate in a [[German language|German]] version of the ''[[Reynard the Fox]]'' fable, published {{Circa|1580}}. In this version of the fable, a character named Moneke is the son of Martin the Ape.<ref name="Harper">{{cite web |url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=monkey |title=Monkey |last=Harper |first=D. |year=2004 |publisher=Online Etymology Dictionary |access-date=10 April 2013}}</ref> In English, no clear distinction was originally made between "ape" and "monkey"; thus the 1911 ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition|Encyclopædia Britannica]]'' entry for "ape" notes that it is either a synonym for "monkey" or is used to mean a tailless humanlike primate.<ref name=EB11Ape>{{Cite EB1911 |wstitle=Ape |volume=2 |page=160}}</ref> Colloquially, the terms "monkey" and "ape" are widely used interchangeably.<ref name="Webster">{{Cite Merriam-Webster |monkey}}</ref><ref name="CNN-20240323">{{cite news |last=Weisberger |first=Mindy |title=Why don't humans have tails? Scientists find answers in an unlikely place |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/23/world/humans-tails-genetic-mutation-junk-dna-scn/index.html |date=March 23, 2024 |work=[[CNN]] |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20240324031927/https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/23/world/humans-tails-genetic-mutation-junk-dna-scn/index.html |archivedate=March 24, 2024 |accessdate=March 24, 2024 }}</ref> Also, a few monkey species have the word "ape" in their common name, such as the [[Barbary macaque|Barbary ape]].

** Suborder [[Haplorrhini]]: tarsiers, monkeys and apes

Later in the first half of the 20th century, the idea developed that there were trends in [[evolution of primates|primate evolution]] and that the living members of the order could be arranged in a series, leading through "monkeys" and "apes" to humans.<ref name=Dixson1981p13>{{Cite book |last=Dixson |first=A. F. |year=1981 |title=The natural history of the gorilla |___location=London |publisher=Weidenfeld & Nicolson |pages=13 |isbn=978-0-297-77895-0}}</ref> Monkeys thus constituted a "[[grade (biology)|grade]]" on the path to humans and were distinguished from "apes".

Scientific classifications are now more often based on [[monophyly|monophyletic]] groups, that is groups consisting of ''all'' the descendants of a common ancestor. The New World monkeys and the Old World monkeys are each monophyletic groups, but their combination was not, since it excluded hominoids (apes and humans). Thus, the term "monkey" no longer referred to a recognized scientific [[taxon]]. The smallest accepted taxon which contains all the monkeys is the infraorder [[Simian|Simiiformes]], or simians. However this also contains the hominoids, so that monkeys are, in terms of currently recognized taxa, non-hominoid simians. Colloquially and pop-culturally, the term is ambiguous and sometimes monkey includes non-human hominoids.<ref name="ew.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20483133_20488693_20945431,00.html#20945426 |access-date=8 February 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222064050/http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20483133_20488693_20945431,00.html |archive-date=22 February 2014 |title=10 best monkeys at the movies |last=Susman |first=Gary |publisher=[[Entertainment Weekly]]}}</ref> In addition, arguments have been made for a monophyletic usage of the word "monkey" from the perspective that usage should reflect cladistics.<ref name="Naish2019"/><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://paoloviscardi.com/2011/04/21/apes-are-monkeys-deal-with-it/ |title=Apes are monkeys, deal with it |date=21 April 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://evolvingthoughts.net/2012/03/are-humans-apes-monkeys-primates-or-hominims/ |title=Are humans apes, monkeys, primates, or hominims? |date=19 March 2012 |access-date=20 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222082856/http://evolvingthoughts.net/2012/03/are-humans-apes-monkeys-primates-or-hominims/ |archive-date=22 December 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://blog.michael-lawrence-wilson.com/2011/08/10/rehabilitating-monkey/ |title=Rehabilitating "monkey"|date=10 August 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.geol.umd.edu/~tholtz/G204/lectures/204scatterlings.html|title=The fossil record: the scatterlings of Africa: the origins of humanity |first=Thomas R. |last=Holtz |publisher=University of Maryland |access-date=6 February 2019}}</ref>

Several science-fiction and fantasy stories have depicted non-human (fantastical or alien) antagonistic characters refer to [[humans]] as monkeys, usually in a derogatory manner, as a form of [[meta-|metacommentary]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://allthetropes.org/wiki/Son_of_an_Ape |title=Rehabilitating "monkey"|date=22 April 2024 }}</ref>

A group of monkeys may be commonly referred to as a tribe or a troop.<ref name="AskOxford-M">{{Cite web |url=http://www.askoxford.com/asktheexperts/collective/m/ |title=AskOxford: M |access-date=10 April 2013 |website=Collective terms for groups of animals |publisher=Oxford University Press |___location = Oxford, United Kingdom |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081020120740/http://www.askoxford.com/asktheexperts/collective/m/ | archive-date=20 October 2008}}</ref>

Two separate groups of primates are referred to as "monkeys": [[New World monkey]]s (platyrrhines) from South and Central America and Old World monkeys ([[Catarrhini|catarrhines]] in the superfamily Cercopithecoidea) from Africa and Asia. [[Apes]] (hominoids)—consisting of [[gibbon]]s, [[orangutan]]s, [[gorilla]]s, [[Chimpanzee|chimpanzees]] and [[bonobos]], and [[Homo (genus)|human]]s—are also catarrhines but were classically distinguished from monkeys.<ref name="Dobzhansky_etal2012" /><ref name="O'Neill2012" /><ref name="Bajpai_etal2008" /><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6GFGsswTIO8C&q=parapithecids%20monkey&pg=PA547 |title=Encyclopedia of human evolution and prehistory: second edition |last1=Delson |first1=Eric |last2=Tattersall |first2=Ian |last3=Couvering |first3=John Van |last4=Brooks |first4=Alison S. |year=2004 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=9781135582289}}</ref> Tailless monkeys may be called "apes", incorrectly according to modern usage; thus the tailless [[Barbary macaque]] is historically called the "Barbary ape".<ref name="CNN-20240323" />

==Description==

As apes have emerged in the monkey group as sister of the old world monkeys, characteristics that describe monkeys are generally shared by apes as well. Williams et al. outlined evolutionary features, including in stem groupings, contrasted against the other primates such as the [[tarsier]]s and the [[lemuriformes]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Williams |first1=Blythe A. |last2=Kay |first2=Richard F. |last3=Kirk |first3=E. Christopher |year=2010 |title=New perspectives on anthropoid origins |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |volume=107 |issue=11 |pages=4797–4804 |doi=10.1073/pnas.0908320107 |issn=0027-8424 |pmc=2841917 |pmid=20212104 |bibcode=2010PNAS..107.4797W |doi-access=free}}</ref>

Monkeys range in size from the [[pygmy marmoset]], which can be as small as {{Convert|117|mm|in|frac=8|abbr=on}} with a {{Convert|172|mm|in|frac=8|abbr=on}} tail and just over {{Convert|100|g|oz|frac=2|abbr=on}} in weight,<ref name="Nowak1999">{{Cite book |last=Nowak |first=R. M. |year=1999 |title=Walker's mammals of the world |edition=6th |publisher=The Johns Hopkins University Press |___location=Baltimore and London |isbn=978-0801857898}}</ref> to the male [[mandrill]], almost {{convert|1|m|ftin|0|abbr=on}} long and weighing up to {{convert|36|kg|lb|0|abbr=on}}.<ref name="ARKive_Mandrill">{{Cite web |title=Mandrill |publisher=ARKive |year=2005 |url=http://www.arkive.org/mandrill/mandrillus-sphinx/factsheet |access-date=10 April 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130512110726/http://www.arkive.org/mandrill/mandrillus-sphinx/factsheet |archive-date=12 May 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Some are [[arboreal locomotion|arboreal]] (living in trees) while others live on the [[savanna]]; diets differ among the various species but may contain any of the following: fruit, leaves, seeds, nuts, flowers, eggs and small animals (including insects and spiders).<ref name="Fleagle1998">{{Cite book |last=Fleagle |first=J. G. |publisher=Academic Press |title=Primate adaptation and evolution |edition=2nd |year=1998 |isbn=978-0-12-260341-9 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/primateadaptatio0000flea/page/25 25–26] |url=https://archive.org/details/primateadaptatio0000flea/page/25}}{{dead link|date=August 2022}}</ref>

Some characteristics are shared among the groups; most New World monkeys have long tails, with those in the Atelidae family being [[prehensile tail|prehensile]], while Old World monkeys have non-prehensile tails or no visible tail at all.<ref name="CNN-20240323" /> Old World monkeys have [[trichromacy|trichromatic]] [[color vision]] like that of humans, while New World monkeys may be trichromatic, [[dichromacy|dichromatic]], or—as in the [[owl monkey]]s and [[greater galago]]s—[[monochromacy|monochromatic]]. Although both the New and Old World monkeys, like the apes, have forward-facing eyes, the faces of Old World and New World monkeys look very different, though again, each group shares some features such as the types of noses, cheeks and rumps.<ref name="Fleagle1998" />

==Classification==

The following list shows where the various monkey families (bolded) are placed in the classification of living (extant) primates.

* Order [[Primate]]s

** Suborder [[Strepsirrhini]]: [[lemur]]s, [[loris]]es, and [[galago]]s

** Suborder [[Haplorhini]]: [[tarsier]]s, monkeys, and [[ape]]s

*** Infraorder [[tarsier|Tarsiiformes]]

**** Family [[tarsier|Tarsiidae]]: tarsiers

*** Infraorder [[Simian|Simiiformes]]: simians

**** '''Parvorder [[New World monkey|Platyrrhini]]''': New World monkeys

***** '''Family [[CebidaeCallitrichidae]]''': marmosets, tamarins, capuchins[[marmoset]]s and squirrel monkeys[[tamarin]]s (5642 species)

***** '''Family [[AotidaeCebidae]]''': night[[capuchin monkeys,monkey|capuchins]] owland monkeys,[[squirrel douroucoulismonkey]]s (814 species)

***** '''Family [[Pitheciidaenight monkey|Aotidae]]''': titis,[[night sakis and uakarismonkey]]s (4111 species)

***** '''Family [[AtelidaePitheciidae]]''': howler[[titi]]s, spider[[Saki monkey|sakis]], and woolly monkeys[[uakari]]s (2441 species)

***** '''Family [[Atelidae]]''': [[howler monkey|howler]], [[spider monkey|spider]], and [[woolly monkey]]s (24 species)

**** Parvorder [[Catarrhini]]

***** '''Superfamily [[Old World monkey|Cercopithecoidea]]'''

****** '''Family [[Old World monkey|Cercopithecidae]]''': Old World monkeys (135 species)

***** Superfamily [[Ape|Hominoidea]]: apes

****** Family [[Gibbon|Hylobatidae]]: gibbons[[gibbon]]s ("lesser apes") (1320 species)

****** Family [[Hominidae]]: great apes (including humans[[human]]s, [[gorilla]]s, [[Pan (genus)|chimpanzee]]s, and [[orangutan]]s) (78 species)

=== Cladogram with extinct families ===

==Monkeys in captivity==

===Monkeys as pets===

====Historical use as pets by Western Europeans====

When the British first began to explore [[Africa]], young monkeys were often captured to provide entertainment during long voyages. Some were later transferred to domestic zoos, and in fact many modern captive monkeys in the UK are descended from individuals captured during the [[Napoleonic Wars|Napoleonic]] and [[Victorian era|Victorian]] eras. Kent still to this day has the largest population of monkeys in the UK. According to legend, one of the early British captive monkeys was lost at sea and washed up ashore near [[Hartlepool]], [[England]], where it was mistaken for a Frenchman and hanged.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} The people of Hartlepool have since borne the nickname "[[monkey hanger]]s."

Below is a [[cladogram]] with some extinct monkey families.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Nengo |first1=Isaiah |last2=Tafforeau |first2=Paul |last3=Gilbert |first3=Christopher C. |last4=Fleagle |first4=John G. |last5=Miller |first5=Ellen R. |last6=Feibel |first6=Craig |last7=Fox |first7=David L. |last8=Feinberg |first8=Josh |last9=Pugh |first9=Kelsey D. |s2cid=4397839 |title=New infant cranium from the African Miocene sheds light on ape evolution |journal=Nature |volume=548 |issue=7666 |pages=169–174 |doi=10.1038/nature23456 |pmid=28796200 |year=2017 |url=http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/1570349/ |bibcode=2017Natur.548..169N}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Ryan |first1=Timothy M. |last2=Silcox |first2=Mary T. |last3=Walker |first3=Alan |last4=Mao |first4=Xianyun |last5=Begun |first5=David R. |last6=Benefit |first6=Brenda R. |last7=Gingerich |first7=Philip D. |last8=Köhler |first8=Meike |last9=Kordos |first9=László |date=2012 |title=Evolution of locomotion in Anthropoidea: the semicircular canal evidence |journal=Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B: Biological Sciences |volume=279 |issue=1742 |pages=3467–3475 |doi=10.1098/rspb.2012.0939 |issn=0962-8452 |pmid=22696520 |pmc=3396915}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Yapuncich |first1=Gabriel S. |last2=Seiffert |first2=Erik R. |last3=Boyer |first3=Doug M. |date=2017 |title=Quantification of the position and depth of the flexor hallucis longus groove in euarchontans, with implications for the evolution of primate positional behavior |journal=American Journal of Physical Anthropology |volume=163 |issue=2 |pages=367–406 |doi=10.1002/ajpa.23213 |pmid=28345775 |bibcode=2017AJPA..163..367Y |issn=1096-8644 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Generally, extinct non-hominoid simians, including early catarrhines are discussed as monkeys as well as simians or anthropoids,<ref name="Dobzhansky_etal2012">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R2TTBwAAQBAJ&q=the%20Parapithecidae%20are%20monkeylike&pg=PA335|title=Evolutionary Biology |last1=Dobzhansky |first1=Theodosius |last2=Hecht |first2=Max K. |last3=Steere |first3=William C. |date=2012 |publisher=Springer Science & Business Media |isbn=9781468490633}}</ref><ref name="O'Neill2012" /><ref name="Bajpai_etal2008">{{Cite journal |last1=Bajpai |first1=Sunil |last2=Kay |first2=Richard F. |last3=Williams |first3=Blythe A. |last4=Das |first4=Debasis P. |last5=Kapur |first5=Vivesh V. |last6=Tiwari |first6=B. N. |date=2008 |title=The oldest Asian record of Anthropoidea |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |volume=105 |issue=32 |pages=11093–11098 |doi=10.1073/pnas.0804159105 |issn=0027-8424 |pmid=18685095 |pmc=2516236|bibcode=2008PNAS..10511093B |doi-access=free}}</ref> which [[Cladistics|cladistically]] means that Hominoidea are monkeys as well, restoring monkeys as a single grouping. It is indicated approximately how many million years ago (Mya) the clades diverged into newer clades.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://eol.org/pages/42410700/overview |title=Amphipithecidae - overview |website=[[Encyclopedia of Life]] |access-date=12 August 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://eol.org/pages/4526755/overview |title=Eosimiidae - overview |website=[[Encyclopedia of Life]] |access-date=12 August 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://eol.org/pages/42410668/overview|title=Parapithecoidea - Overview |website=[[Encyclopedia of Life]] |access-date=12 August 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Marivaux |first1=Laurent |last2=Antoine |first2=Pierre-Olivier |last3=Baqri |first3=Syed Rafiqul Hassan |last4=Benammi |first4=Mouloud |last5=Chaimanee |first5=Yaowalak |last6=Crochet |first6=Jean-Yves |last7=Franceschi |first7=Dario de |last8=Iqbal |first8=Nayyer |last9=Jaeger |first9=Jean-Jacques |date=2005 |title=Anthropoid primates from the Oligocene of Pakistan (Bugti Hills): Data on early anthropoid evolution and biogeography |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |volume=102 |issue=24 |pages=8436–8441 |doi=10.1073/pnas.0503469102 |issn=0027-8424 |pmid=15937103 |pmc=1150860 |bibcode=2005PNAS..102.8436M |doi-access=free}}</ref> It is thought the New World monkeys started as a drifted "Old World monkey" group from the Old World (probably Africa) to the New World (South America).<ref name="O'Neill2012" />

====Suitability as pets====

{{Unreferenced|date=December 2006}}

[[Image:Indianmonkey.jpg|thumb|200px|An Indian monkey illustration in [[The Graphic]], 1891, being depicted as a "[[Highway robbery|Highway Robber]]" after having stolen food from a vendor.]]

Although they may appear to be friendly, keeping monkeys as pets can be very difficult. While baby monkeys are usually as easy to keep clean as a human infant (by diapering), monkeys that have reached [[puberty]] usually remove their [[diaper]]s and cannot be [[Toilet training|toilet trained]]. They require constant supervision and mental stimulation. They usually require a large amount of attention. Monkeys cannot handle being away from their owners for long periods of time, such as family trips, due to their need of attention. Bored monkeys can become extremely destructive and may, for example, smear or throw their own [[feces]]. There often needs to be a lot of time set aside for cleaning up messes the monkey might make. Most [[Adolescence|adolescent]] monkeys begin to bite unpredictably and pinch adults and children. Any [[Surgery|surgical]] means to stem this behavior (such as removing the teeth or fingertips of the monkey) is widely considered cruel, and it is usually difficult to find [[veterinarian]]s who will carry out such procedures: even exotic-animal veterinarians may not be familiar with them. Monkeys eventually can become wild and difficult to control upon reaching adulthood. The monkeys may also become aggressive even to their owners. In some cases their behavior can change abruptly, making it hard for the owner to fully understand or control them.

{{Clade|{{Clade

Some people do report having long and rewarding relationships with monkeys. Monkeys are known to get attached to their first owner, so switching from one to another can be traumatic to the monkey and may aggravate behavioral problems. It is not easy for a monkey to get used to a new environment. Monkeys need to be placed in social areas. It is also expensive to care for a monkey — housing, food, and veterinary care can become very costly.

|1='''[[Tarsiiformes]]'''

|label2='''[[Simian]]'''

|sublabel2='''(Monkeys, Anthropoids, 47)'''

|2={{Clade

|1=[[Eosimiidae|Eosimiidae s.s.]] (†37)

|2={{Clade

|1=[[Phileosimias]] (†46)

|2={{Clade

|1=[[Amphipithecidae]] (†35)

|label2='''(45)'''

|2={{Clade

|1=[[Parapithecidae|Parapithecoidea]] (†30)

|2={{Clade

|1=[[Proteopithecidae]] (†34)

|label2='''[[Simian|Crown]]'''

|sublabel2='''[[Simian]]s (40)'''

|2={{Clade

|label1='''[[Platyrrhini]] (30)'''

|1={{Clade

|label1=(29)

|1={{Clade

|1=[[Chilecebus]] (†20)

|label2=(26)

|2={{Clade

|1=[[Tremacebus]] (†20)

|label2=(24)

|2={{Clade

|1=[[Homunculus patagonicus|Homunculus]] (†16)

|2=[[Dolichocebus]] (†20)

}}

}}

}}

|2='''[[Platyrrhini|Crown Platyrrhini (New World Monkeys)]]'''

}}

|label2='''[[Catarrhini]] (35)'''

|2={{Clade

|1=[[Oligopithecidae]] (†34)

|label2='''(35)'''

|2={{Clade

|1=[[Propliopithecoidea]] (†30)

|label2='''(34)'''

|2={{Clade

|1=[[Pliopithecoidea]] (†6)

|label2='''(32)'''

|2={{Clade

|1=Micropithecus (†15)

|label2='''[[Catharrhini|Crown]]'''

|sublabel2='''[[Catharrhini]] (31)'''

|2={{Clade

|label1='''[[Hominoidea]] (30)'''

|1={{Clade

|1=[[Proconsulidae]] (†18)

|label2='''(29)'''

|2={{Clade

|1=[[Equatorius]] (†16)

|label2='''(29)'''

|2={{Clade

|label1=[[Afropithecidae]] (28)

|1={{Clade

|1=[[Morotopithecus]] (†20)

|label2=(28)

|2={{Clade

|1=[[Afropithecus]] (†16)

|2=[[Nyanzapithecus pickfordi|Nyanzapithecinae]] (†7)

}}

}}

|label2='''[[Hominoidea|Crown Hominoidea]] (22)'''

|2={{Clade

|1='''[[Hominidae]]'''

|2='''[[Hylobatidae]]'''

}}

}}

}}

}}

|label2='''(29)'''

|2={{Clade

|1=[[Saadanioidea]] (†28)

|label2='''[[Cercopithecoidea]] (24)'''

|2={{Clade

|1=[[Victoriapithecus|Victoriapithecinae]](†19)

|2='''[[Cercopithecoidea|Crown Cercopithecoidea]] (Old World Monkeys)'''

}}

}}

}}

}}

}}

}}

}}

}}

}}

}}

====Legality as pets====

}}

In most large metropolitan areas in the U.S. it is illegal to keep monkeys as pets in the home; even in places where they are legal, a [[United States Department of Agriculture|Department of Agriculture]] permit is usually required. Their legal status as pets varies in other countries. Permits may be issued to those who qualify in the caring of monkeys.

}}

}}

}}|label1='''[[Haplorhini]] (64)'''|style=font-size:85%;line-height:95%}}

=={{Anchor|In culture}}Relationship with humans==

===As service animals for the disabled===

[[File:Please do not feed monkeys Koh Chang.jpg|thumb|Macaque on a "Please do not feed monkeys" sign in [[Ko Chang]], Thailand.]]

Some organizations, such as Helping Hands in [[Boston]], [[Massachusetts]], have been training [[capuchin monkey]]s to assist quadriplegics and other people with severe spinal cord injuries or mobility impairments. After being socialized in a human home as infants, the monkeys undergo extensive training before being placed with a quadriplegic. Around the house, the monkeys help out by doing tasks including microwaving food, washing the quadriplegic's face, and opening drink bottles.

[[File:"Monkey's food is Available here" store in Swyambhunath, Bagmati, Nepal.jpg|thumb|Sign at a store in Swyambhunath, Bagmati, Nepal, which reads "Monkey's Food is Available here". Some places use their monkey population as a tourist attraction. ]]

The many species of monkey have varied relationships with humans. Some are [[Pet monkey|kept as pets]], others used as [[model organism]]s in laboratories or in space missions. They may be killed in [[monkey drive]]s (when they threaten agriculture) or used as [[service animal]]s for the disabled.

In some areas, some species of monkey are considered agricultural [[Pest (organism)|pests]], and can cause extensive damage to commercial and subsistence crops.<ref name="Hill2000">{{Cite journal | last1 = Hill | first1 = C. M. | s2cid = 30760377 | journal = International Journal of Primatology | volume = 21 | issue = 2 | pages = 299–315 | doi = 10.1023/A:1005481605637 | year = 2000 |title=Conflict of Interest Between People and Baboons: Crop Raiding in Uganda| hdl = 10919/65514 | hdl-access = free }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Farmer in Karnataka paints pet dog as tiger (to scare off monkeys)|language=en|date=3 Dec 2019|author=Shivamogga|website=Hindustan Times|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/it-s-viral/farmer-in-karnataka-paints-pet-dog-as-tiger-here-s-why/story-ezjJAleab3JZwayJbmyAtO.html}}</ref> This can have important implications for the conservation of endangered species, which may be subject to persecution. In some instances farmers' perceptions of the damage may exceed the actual damage.<ref name="Siex1999">{{Cite journal | last1 = Siex | first1 = K. S. | last2 = Struhsaker | first2 = T. T. | s2cid = 84472733 | doi = 10.1046/j.1365-2664.1999.00455.x | title = Colobus monkeys and coconuts: A study of perceived human-wildlife conflicts | journal = Journal of Applied Ecology | volume = 36 | issue = 6 | pages = 1009–1020 | year = 1999 | doi-access = free | bibcode = 1999JApEc..36.1009S }}</ref> Monkeys that have become habituated to human presence in tourist locations may also be considered pests, attacking tourists.<ref name="BrennanElseAltmann1985">{{Cite journal | last1 = Brennan | first1 = E. J. | last2 = Else | first2 = J. G. | last3 = Altmann | first3 = J. | title = Ecology and behaviour of a pest primate: Vervet monkeys in a tourist-lodge habitat | doi = 10.1111/j.1365-2028.1985.tb00710.x | journal = African Journal of Ecology | volume = 23 | pages = 35–44 | year = 1985 | issue = 1 | bibcode = 1985AfJEc..23...35B }}</ref>

===Monkeys in science===

====InPublic laboratories=exhibition===

Many zoos have maintained a facility in which monkeys and other primates are kept within enclosures for public entertainment. Commonly known as a monkey house (''primatarium''), sometimes styled [[Monkey house|Monkey House]], notable examples include London Zoo's [[Monkey Valley]];<ref name="ZSL-architecture">{{cite web|url=http://www.zsl.org/info/about-us/zoo-architecture,103,AR.html |title=ZSL Architecture |publisher=[[Zoological Society of London|ZSL]] |access-date=6 March 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080228070202/http://www.zsl.org/info/about-us/zoo-architecture%2C103%2CAR.html |archive-date=28 February 2008 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=London Zoo History |url=https://www.londonzoo.org/zoo-stories/history-of-london-zoo/snowdon-aviary |access-date=28 February 2023 |website=ZSL London Zoo}}</ref> [[Zoo Basel's Monkey house/exhibit]]; the [[Monkey Tropic House]] at Krefeld Zoo; [[Bronx Zoo's Monkey House]]; [[Monkey Jungle]], Florida; [[Lahore Zoo's Monkey House]]; [[Monkey World]], Dorset, England; and [[Edinburgh Zoo's Monkey House]]. Former cinema, [[The Scala, Kings Cross]] spent a short time as a primatarium.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://londonist.com/london/history/king-s-cross-was-nearly-home-to-a-forest-of-monkeys|title=King's Cross Was Nearly Home To A Forest Of Monkeys|date=2017-05-13|work=Londonist|access-date=2018-10-09|language=en-GB}}</ref>

[[Image:Monkey3.jpg|right|thumb|A macaque sits in a cage in a German laboratory. [http://www.buav.org/campaigns/primates]]]

===As service animals for disabled people===

[[Macaque]]s, especially the [[Rhesus Macaque]], and African [[green monkey]]s are widely used in [[animal testing]] facilities. This is primarily because of their relative ease of handling, their fast reproductive cycle (compared to apes) and their psychological and physical similarity to [[humans]]. In the [[United States]], around 50,000 non-human [[primates]], most of them monkeys, have been used in experiments every year since 1973;[http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ac/awreports/awreport2004.pdf] {{pdf}} 10,000 monkeys were used in the [[European Union]] in 2004. Highly sociable animals, monkeys are kept in many different environments.

{{See also|Service animal#Helper monkey}}

Some organizations train [[capuchin monkey]]s as [[service animal]]s to assist [[quadriplegic]]s and other people with severe spinal cord injuries or [[mobility impairment]]s. After being [[socialization of animals|socialized]] in a human home as infants, the monkeys undergo extensive training before being placed with disabled people. Around the house, the monkeys assist with [[activities of daily living|daily tasks]] such as feeding, fetching, manipulating objects, and personal care.<ref name="Sheredos1991">{{cite journal |last1=Sheredos |first1=S. J. |title=An evaluation of capuchin monkeys trained to help severely disabled individuals |doi=10.1682/JRRD.1991.04.0091 |journal=The Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development |volume=28 |issue=2 |pages=91–96 |year=1991 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

The use of monkeys in laboratories is controversial. Many people claim that it is cruel and produces little information of value, and there have been many protests, vandalism to testing facilities, and threats to workers. Defenders of tests on monkeys claim that it has led to many important medical breakthroughs, and that the prevention of harm to humans should be a higher priority than the that imposed on monkeys. The topic has become a popular cause for [[animal rights]] groups.

[[Helper monkey]]s are usually trained in schools by private organizations, taking seven years to train, and are able to serve 25–30 years (two to three times longer than a [[guide dog]]).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.klas-tv.com/Global/story.asp?S=4361694 |title=Monkey Helpers Lend a 'Helping Hand' |access-date=August 14, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060927041542/http://www.klas-tv.com/Global/story.asp?S=4361694 |archive-date=September 27, 2006}}</ref>

====In space====

A number of countries have used monkeys as part of their space exploration programmes, including the United States and France. The first [[monkeys in space|monkey in space]] was [[Gordo the Space Monkey|Gordo]] who flew in the US Jupiter AM-13 rocket in 1958.

In 2010, the [[federal government of the United States|U.S. federal government]] revised its definition of service animal under the [[Americans with Disabilities Act]] (ADA). Non-human primates are no longer recognized as service animals under the ADA.<ref name="ada">{{cite web |title=Highlights of the Final Rule to Amend the Department of Justice's Regulation Implementing Title II of the ADA |url=http://www.ada.gov/regs2010/factsheets/title2_factsheet.html |publisher=[[United States Department of Justice]], [[Civil Rights Division]] |access-date=October 2, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180721221807/https://www.ada.gov/regs2010/factsheets/title2_factsheet.html |archive-date=July 21, 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The [[American Veterinary Medical Association]] does not support the use of non-human primates as assistance animals because of [[animal welfare]] concerns, the potential for serious injury to people, and risks that primates [[Zoonosis|may transfer dangerous diseases to humans]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/avma-policies/nonhuman-primates-assistance-animals|title=Nonhuman primates as assistance animals|website=[[American Veterinary Medical Association]]|access-date=August 14, 2021}}</ref>

===As food===

There are a lot of myths about Chinese habits which are mostly contrived, such as the stories about eating monkeys brains.<ref>http://environment.guardian.co.uk/food/story/0,,1848330,00.html</ref>

Scientists from the University of Nottingham speculate that humans caught [[HIV]] after hunting and eating the infected chimps.<ref>http://www.thenazareneway.com/aids_came_from_monkeys.htm</ref>

Monkeys are [[Haraam|forbidden]] to be eaten according to [[Islamic dietary laws]].

==Monkeys=In in cultureexperiments===

{{main|Animal testing on non-human primates}}

The most common monkey species found in animal research are the [[grivet]], the [[rhesus macaque]], and the [[crab-eating macaque]], which are either wild-caught or purpose-bred.<ref>{{Cite web | url = http://www.ebra.org/ebrabulletin-the-supply-and-use-of-primates-in-the-eu_17.htm | title = The supply and use of primates in the EU | year = 1996 | publisher = European Biomedical Research Association | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120117061036/http://www.ebra.org/ebrabulletin-the-supply-and-use-of-primates-in-the-eu_17.htm | archive-date = 2012-01-17}}</ref><ref name="Carlsson2004">{{Cite journal | last1 = Carlsson | first1 = H. E. | last2 = Schapiro | first2 = S. J. | last3 = Farah | first3 = I. | last4 = Hau | first4 = J. | title = Use of primates in research: A global overview | doi = 10.1002/ajp.20054 | journal = American Journal of Primatology | volume = 63 | issue = 4 | pages = 225–237 | year = 2004 | pmid = 15300710| s2cid = 41368228 }}</ref> They are used primarily because of their relative ease of handling, their fast reproductive cycle (compared to apes) and their psychological and physical similarity to [[human]]s. Worldwide, it is thought that between 100,000 and 200,000 non-human primates are used in research each year,<ref name="Carlsson2004" /> 64.7% of which are Old World monkeys,

and 5.5% New World monkeys.<ref name="Weatherall_etal2006">{{Cite report | author = Weatherall, D. | display-authors = et al. | others = The Weatherall Committee | year = 2006 | title = The use of non-human primates in research | ___location = London, UK | publisher = Academy of Medical Sciences | url = http://www.acmedsci.ac.uk/images/project/nhpdownl.pdf | access-date = 2013-04-10 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130323084639/http://www.acmedsci.ac.uk/images/project/nhpdownl.pdf | archive-date = 2013-03-23 | url-status = dead }}</ref> This number makes a very small fraction of all animals used in research.<ref name="Carlsson2004" /> Between 1994 and 2004 the United States has used an average of 54,000 non-human primates, while around 10,000 non-human primates were used in the [[European Union]] in 2002.<ref name="Weatherall_etal2006" />

====In space====

[[File:Monkey Sam Before The Flight On Little Joe 2.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Little Joe 2|Sam]], a [[rhesus macaque]], was flown to a height of {{convert|88500|m|ft|abbr=on}} by [[NASA]] in 1959]]

{{main|Monkeys and apes in space}}

A number of countries have used monkeys as part of their space exploration programmes, including the United States and France. The first monkey in space was [[Albert II (monkey)|Albert II]], who flew in the US-launched [[V-2|V-2 rocket]] on June 14, 1949.<ref name="NASA1958">{{cite web | url = https://history.nasa.gov/afspbio/part1.htm | title = The beginnings of research in space biology at the Air Force Missile Development Center, 1946–1952 | year = 1958 | access-date = 2013-04-10 | last = Bushnell | first = D. | website = History of Research in Space Biology and Biodynamics | publisher = [[NASA]] | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130530163509/http://history.nasa.gov/afspbio/part1.htm | archive-date = 2013-05-30 | url-status = live }}</ref>

===As food===

{{Main|Monkey meat}}

[[monkey brain (cuisine)|Monkey brains]] are eaten as a delicacy in parts of [[South Asia]], Africa and China.<ref>{{cite web |author=Bonné, J. |url=https://www.today.com/food/some-bravery-side-dish-wbna9687163 |title=Some bravery as a side dish |publisher=Today.com |access-date=2009-08-15 |date=2005-10-28 }}</ref> Monkeys are sometimes eaten in parts of Africa, where they can be sold as "[[bushmeat]]". In traditional [[Islamic dietary laws]], the eating of monkeys is [[Haraam|forbidden]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Institut De Recherche Pour Le Développement |year=2002 |title=Primate Bushmeat : Populations Exposed To Simian Immunodeficiency Viruses |publisher=[[ScienceDaily]] |access-date=2009-08-15 |url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2002/04/020403025234.htm}}</ref>

<!-- There are innumerable monkeys in pop culture. Let's not start a laundry list here.-->

===Literature===

[[File:Animals of Hindustan monkeys called bandar that can be taught to do tricks, from Illuminated manuscript Baburnama (Memoirs of Babur).jpg|upright|thumb|Illustration of Indian monkeys known as ''bandar'' from the illuminated manuscript ''[[Baburnama]]'' (Memoirs of Babur)]]

[[Image:Tokyo_monkey_statue.jpg|thumb|right|125px|Simian statue at a [[Buddhist]] shrine in [[Tokyo, Japan]].]]

[[Sun Wukong]] (the "Monkey King"), a character who figures prominently in [[Chinese mythology]], is the protagonist in the classic Chinese novel ''[[Journey to the West]]''.

Monkeys are prevalent in numerous books, television programs, and movies. The [[television program|television series]] ''[[Monkey (TV series)|Monkey]]'' and the literary characters [[Monsieur Eek]] and [[Curious George]] are all examples.

[[Sun Wukong]] (the "Monkey King"), a character who figures prominently in [[Chinese mythology]], is the main protagonist in the classic comic Chinese novel ''[[Journey to the West]]''.

Informally, "monkey" may refer to apes, particularly chimpanzees, gibbons, and gorillas. Author [[Terry Pratchett]] alludes to this difference in usage in his ''[[Discworld]]'' novels, in which the [[Librarian (Discworld)|Librarian]] of the [[Unseen University]] is an [[orangutan]] who gets very violent if referred to as a monkey. Another example is the use of [[Simians (Chinese poetry)|Simians in Chinese poetry]].

Monkeys are prevalent in numerous books, television programs, and movies. The [[television series]] [[Monkey (TV series)|''Monkey'']], the literary characters [[Monsieur Eek]] and [[Curious George]] are all examples.

The [[winged monkeys]] are prominent characters in [[L. Frank Baum]]'s ''[[List of Oz books|Wizard of Oz]]'' books and in the [[The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)|1939 film]] based on Baum's 1900 novel ''[[The Wonderful Wizard of Oz]]''.

However, pop culture often incorrectly labels apes, particularly chimpanzees, gibbons, and gorillas, as monkeys. [[Terry Pratchett]] makes use of the distinction in his ''[[Discworld]]'' novels, in which the [[The Librarian (Discworld)|Librarian]] of the [[Unseen University]] is an [[orangutan]] who gets very violent if referred to as a monkey.

===Religion and worship===

[[File:Abhinandannath.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Abhinandananatha]] with his symbol of monkey below his idol]]

Monkey is the symbol of fourth ''[[Tirthankara]]'' in [[Jainism]], [[Abhinandananatha]].<ref>{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uPhBDwAAQBAJ&q=mahavira+lion&pg=RA1-PA102 | title=THE MEGA YEARBOOK 2018 - Current Affairs & General Knowledge for Competitive Exams with 52 Monthly ebook Updates & eTests - 3rd Edition| isbn=9789387421226| last1=Experts| first1=Disha| date=2017-12-25| publisher=Disha Publications}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CeEmpfmbxKEC&q=mahavira+lion&pg=SL1-PA155 | title=Indian Hist (Opt)| isbn=9780070635777| last1=Reddy| date=2006-12-01| publisher=McGraw-Hill Education (India) Pvt Limited}}</ref>

[[Hanuman]], a prominent divine entitydeity in [[Hinduism]], is a monkeyhuman-like humanoidmonkey god who is believed to bestow courage, strength and longevity to the person who thinks about him or [[Rama]].

In [[Buddhism]], the monkey is an early incarnation of Buddha but may also represent trickery and ugliness. The [[Buddhism in China|Chinese Buddhist]] "[[mind monkey]]" metaphor refers to the unsettled, restless state of human mind. Monkey is also one of the Three Senseless Creatures, symbolizing greed, with the tiger representing anger and the deer lovesickness.

The ''Sanzaru,'' or [[three wise monkeys]], are revered in Japanese folklore; together they embody the proverbial principle to "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil".<ref name = "Cooper92">{{cite book |last=Cooper |first=J. C. |title=Symbolic and Mythological Animals |pages=161–63 |year=1992 |publisher= Aquarian Press |___location=London |isbn=978-1-85538-118-6}}</ref>

The [[Moche (culture)|Moche]] people of ancient Peru worshipped nature.<ref>{{cite book|author=Benson, E. |title=The Mochica: A Culture of Peru |___location=New York |publisher=Praeger Press |year=1972 |isbn=978-0-500-72001-1}}</ref> They placed emphasis on animals and often depicted monkeys in their art.<ref>{{cite book | author=Berrin, K. & [[Larco Museum|Museo Arqueológico Rafael Larco Herrera]] |title=The Spirit of Ancient Peru: Treasures from the Museo Arqueológico Rafael Larco Herrera |___location=New York |publisher=[[Thames & Hudson]] |year=1997 |isbn=978-0-500-01802-6}}</ref>

The [[Tzeltal people|Tzeltal]] people of Mexico worshipped monkeys as incarnations of their dead ancestors.

===Zodiac===

[[File:Gabriel Cornelius von Max, 1840-1915, Monkeys as Judges of Art, 1889.jpg|thumb|left|''Monkeys as Judges of Art'', an ironical 1889 painting by [[Gabriel von Max]].]]

The [[Monkey (zodiac)|Monkey]] is the ninth in the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the [[Chinese zodiac]] related to the [[Chinese calendar]]. The next time that the monkey will appear as the zodiac sign will be in the year [[2016]].

The [[Monkey (zodiac)|Monkey]] (猴) is the ninth in the twelve-year cycle of animals which appear in the [[Chinese zodiac]] related to the [[Chinese calendar]]. {{#switch:{{#expr:{{CURRENTYEAR}}mod12}}

|1=Last year was the year of the monkey

|0=This year is the year of the monkey

|11=Next year will be the year of the monkey

|The next time that the monkey will appear as the zodiac sign will be in the year {{#expr:(({{CURRENTYEAR}}+6)/12round0)*12}}}}.<ref name="Lau2005">{{Cite book | first = T. | last = Lau | title = The Handbook of Chinese Horoscopes | pages = [https://archive.org/details/handbookofchines00laut_0/page/238 238–244] | publisher = Souvenir Press | ___location = New York | year = 2005 | edition = 5th | isbn = 978-0060777777 | url-access = registration | url = https://archive.org/details/handbookofchines00laut_0/page/238 }}</ref>{{clear}}

==See also==

{{Portal|Mammals}}

* [[List of New World monkey species]]

* [[List of cercopithecoids]] (Old World monkeys)

* [[List of individual monkeys]]

* [[List of fictional primates]]

* [[List of primates]]

* [[List of primates by population]]

* [[International Primate Day]]

* [[Monkey Day]]

* [[Signifying monkey]]

==Notes==

{{notes}}

==References==

{{Reflist|2}}

<References/>

==ExternalLiterature linkscited==

* {{cite book | last1 = Groves | first1 = C. | author-link = Colin Groves | title = Extended Family: Long Lost Cousins | year = 2008 | publisher = [[Conservation International]] | url = http://www.conservation.org/publications/Pages/extended_family_groves.aspx | isbn = 978-1-934151-25-9 | oclc = 300051037 }}

{{commons}}

*[http://www.ippl.org/aug-01-05.html "The Impossible Housing and Handling Conditions of Monkeys in Research Laboratories"], by Viktor Reinhardt, International Primate Protection League, August 2001

*[http://www.buav.org/covance/video.html Inside the monkey house] at [[Covance]], shot undercover by the [[British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection]]

*[http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/primates/a/primatesaspets.htm The Problem with Pet Monkeys: Reasons Monkeys Do Not Make Good Pets], an opinionated article by veterinarian Lianne McLeod on About.com

*[http://www.helpinghandsmonkeys.org/ Helping Hands: Monkey helpers for the disabled], a U.S. U.S. national non-profit organization based in Boston Massachusetts that places specially trained capuchin monkeys with people who are paralyzed or who live with other severe mobility impairments

==Further reading==

[[Category:Monkeys| ]]

* [https://www.tripsavvy.com/southeast-asias-monkeys-handle-with-care-1629900 "How to Avoid Monkey Bites and Attacks in Southeast Asia"] by Gregory Rodgers, Trip Savvy, 21 Dec 2018

* [http://www.luminarium.org/mythology/monkeygods.htm "Monkeys and Monkey Gods in Mythology, Folklore, and Religion"] by Anniina Jokinen, Luminarium: Anthology of English Literature

* [http://www.ippl.org/newsletter/2000s/084_v28_n2_2001-08.pdf#page=5 "The Impossible Housing and Handling Conditions of Monkeys in Research Laboratories"], by Viktor Reinhardt, International Primate Protection League, August 2001

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090615174308/http://www.monkeyhelpers.org/ Helping Hands: Monkey helpers for the disabled], a U.S. national non-profit organization based in Boston Massachusetts that places specially trained capuchin monkeys with people who are paralyzed or who live with other severe mobility impairments

== External links ==

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