Narrow-nosed monkeys. Fossil broad-nosed monkeys Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedia

encyclopedic Dictionary

Broad-Nosed Monkeys

a group of mammals of the primate order. 2 families: marmosets and prehensile-tailed monkeys.

Encyclopedia "Biology"

Broad-nosed monkeys

(New World monkeys), a group of great apes. They form the only superfamily of Cebusaceae. 2 families: marmosets, or clawed monkeys, and prehensile-tailed, or capuchins. OK. 60 species found in the forests of Central and South America, mainly in the Amazon basin. They have a wide nasal septum, the nostrils are directed to the sides. They lead an exclusively arboreal lifestyle, most have a long tail, which can exceed the length of the body; in prehensile-tailed monkeys it is grasping and at the end, like on a hand, there are dermatoglyphic patterns. There are no cheek pouches or ischial calluses. They live in large groups or small families. Many species are included in the IUCN Red List.

Anthropological Explanatory Dictionary

Broad-nosed monkeys

(Platyrrhini) - the highest primates of Central and South America. The oldest find is Branisella from the Middle or Late Oligocene of Bolivia. Great apes came to America through the Atlantic Ocean from Africa or arose from local prosimians, which is less likely. Since their introduction to the Americas, broad-nosed monkeys have evolved independently from Old World monkeys. Externally they are very diverse, their behavior is sometimes very complex. Morphology is characterized by a combination of some primitive features in the structure of the skull and very specialized features in the structure of the body, for example, a grasping tail. The size of broadnose ranges from mouse to dog. Like all monkeys, most (not all) monkeys are diurnal. They eat mainly plants and insects. Broad-nosed monkeys are characterized by the formation of “mixed flocks”, which include representatives of different species of monkeys, and sometimes even raccoons and birds.

Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron

Broad-nosed monkeys

A family (or suborder) of primates characteristic of the New World (Cebidae s. Platyrrhini). The fingers are equipped with flat nails; the inner toe of the forelimbs is opposed to the rest. Dental formula: 2/2. eleven . 3/3. 3/3. The strong development of the nasal septum, moving the right nostril away from the left, determines their lateral position. There are never cheek pouches or ischial calluses. Like marmosets, sh. are extremely common in America. They lead an arboreal lifestyle; eat plant foods. They are divided into 4 subfamilies. Subfamily Mycetinae (howler monkeys): lower incisors are erect; the hyoid bone is swollen to accommodate the laryngeal sac; the tail is long, prehensile, and bare at the end. The thumb (pollex) is well developed. The only genus of Mycetes is the howler monkey (see), with signs of a subfamily, in the forests of South America M. senicuclus, M. ursinus and other species. Subfamily Pithecinae (soft-tailed): the incisors of the lower jaw lie almost horizontally; the hyoid bone is of normal size and shape; a long or short tail is never prehensile; pollex is well developed. Two genera: Pithecia - saki, long tail. Genus satanas - along the lower reaches of the Amazon. Genus hirsuta and some other species. Uacaria - uakari; the tail is shortened. Three species in the Amazon and Rio Negro regions. Subfamily Nyctipithecinae - differs from Pithecinae in having vertical lower incisors. Three genera: Callithrix - the head is small, laterally compressed; the fangs are small, the eyes are of normal size; in Brazil. S. moloch, S. ornatus, etc. - all of small size. Chryzothrix - head with a convex occiput, long fangs. Four types; the most famous is S. sciurea - saimiri; in Guiana and northern Brazil. Nyctipithecus - durucum; head rounded; eyes are large; except for the thumb, claw-shaped nails. N. trivirgatus - Mirikina; in Brazil. Subfamily Cehinae (grain-tailed); with a hyoid bone of normal size, they have a long, prehensile tail; pollex developed or undeveloped; 4 kinds. Ateles - pollex is not expressed at all; the body is slender, the limbs are elongated; several South American species, the best known is A. melanochir, the spider monkey; in Brazil. Eriodes - differs from the previous one in the presence of a rudimentary pollex; three species in southeastern Brazil. Lagothrix - body less slender; pollex is developed; the end of the tail is bare below. L. humboldtii - in Peru, Ecuador and northwestern Brazil. Cebus - sapaji or sapaju; differs from the previous one in its tail, covered with hair everywhere. C. capucinus - capuchin; Venezuela, Guiana, Peru. C. fatuellus - miko, found from Paraguay to Guiana; and other types.

As for the marmosets, which were previously grouped together with the S. monkeys, it is more correct to consider them as a special family. Hapalidae, s. Arctopitheci. Except for the first toe of the hind limbs, covered with a flat nail, all the rest are armed with claws. The first toe of the forelimbs is not opposed to the others. Dental formula: 2/2. eleven . 3/3. 2 / 2 ; South American forms exclusively. Hapale, Uistiti and Midas, differing in the relative length of the incisors compared to the canines and embracing about 30 species, of which we will name H. jachus, Uistiti (q.v.), M. rosalia, etc.

V. M. Sh.

Primates are one of the progressive orders of mammals, including monkeys, the taxonomy of which is briefly outlined in this article, and humans.

The last in time to appear on Earth, but the first in intelligence, intelligence and desire to understand the world - these are the primates. Evolution has endowed them not only with a developed brain, but also with color stereoscopic vision, incredible dexterity and long, mobile fingers. These traits make primates ideal canopy dwellers.

Taxonomy of primates

Carl Linnaeus began classifying primates in 1758, dividing the taxonomy into monkeys, prosimians, sloths and bats. Humans were then separated from the rest of the four-armed monkeys into the two-armed suborder. However, further study of the characteristics of representatives of different species led to the need to revise the existing structure.

Modern taxonomy divides primates into two large suborders:

wet-nosed, which includes lemurs memorable from the cartoon “Madagascar”, as well as lesser-known lorises, galagos, indris and aye-ayes;

• dry-nosed animals, which include monkeys and tiny tarsiers.

In terms of the number of species among primates, monkeys predominate: 241 out of 369. Those that inhabit Africa and Southeast Asia are classified as narrow-nosed, and the inhabitants of the New World are called broad-nosed, or platyrrhines.

How to recognize a broad-nosed monkey

The feature that determined the name of this group - a wide nasal septum - is not characteristic of all platyrrhines. But most of them have other features:

the big toe is opposed to the rest, but the same finger of the hand is not;

grasping tail with on the underside;

absence of ischial calluses and cheek pouches;

feeding mainly on leaves and insects;

exclusively arboreal lifestyle.

Zoologists are constantly revising the taxonomy of monkeys of the broad-nosed suborder, but traditionally two families are distinguished: Cebus and Marmoset. They live in the warm latitudes of the New World in tropical forests from Argentina to Mexico.

Cebus family: from funny capuchins to spider monkeys

Capuchins (Cebus monkeys) are the most famous of the broad-nosed monkeys. Europeans “saw” monastic robes in their appearance and appreciated the intelligence of these little tomboys, which is why Capuchins are often kept in apartments along with cats. They love to live in one place, crack nuts with stones and rub their fur with any odorous substances, from formic acid to urine and expensive perfume.

Similar to capuchins, saimiri are similar in size to squirrels, but are capable of destroying a tent camp due to their extreme curiosity and large flocks: up to 500 individuals.

It is difficult for a person to get enough sleep even in the area where howler monkeys have settled. The resonators of males are so powerful that the cry of a monkey can be heard 2-3 km away. Moreover, it is not just one individual that roars, but the entire community, and does this at any time of the day. In the Orinoco jungle, little fools also scream at night.

Bald, short-tailed uakari deceive with the sad expression of their faces. In fact, they are sociable and inquisitive. And koats are impressive in the size of their limbs and tail, the strength of which allows them to hang with all their paws folded on their chest. Koats use their tails to pick fruits, beg for food in zoos, and open the doors of unlocked cages.

Family marmosets: monkeys with claws

A distinctive feature of marmosets is the presence of nails only on the big toes of the hind paws. All other fingers are equipped with claws, which is why this group is called clawed monkeys.

They are extremely small - they fit in the palm of your hand. Silky fur, original tufts of hair on the head, and easy-going nature often make marmosets and similar marmosets family pets.

Tamarins are elegant and unusual - animals the size of a cat, mischievous and restless. In the taxonomy of monkeys, tamarins are somewhat different from others in the structure of their society: in their small flocks, only one female has offspring, and she always gives birth to twins. The rest of the group is given the honor of caring for the cubs.

The main diversity of broad-nosed monkeys is found in Brazil. In this regard, zoologists have two problems: to understand how primates penetrated the American continent, and to protect monkeys and other animals from extinction associated with the development of tropical forests.

· Separated from the general phylogenetic trunk of primates about 40 - 35 million years ago, moving to the New World through a chain of islands in the Atlantic Ocean, when the distance between the continents was not so great;

· A distinctive feature is the wide nasal septum - a consequence of early degeneration of the rhinarium;

· Habitat extends from southern Mexico to northern Argentina, mainly found in the Amazon;

· Lead an arboreal and usually diurnal lifestyle;

· Tenacious feet. The first finger is capable of opposition and bears a flat nail. The remaining fingers also bear flat nails or claw-shaped nails. Brushes bear flat nails or claw-shaped nails. Often the first finger of the hand is absent or incapable of opposition.

· Often the tail is tenacious and lacks hair on the lower surface;

· Diet is usually omnivorous;

· Often a high level of mental abilities, a developed sound alarm system.

Marmosets

· The smallest monkeys (the smallest marmosets reach a size of 13 cm and a weight of 100 g);

· All toes except the first toe have claw nails;

· The first finger of the hand is not opposed to the others;

· Herbivorous and insectivorous;

· They have a small, simply structured brain without beards or convolutions;

· Marmosets live in small family groups, whose habitats range from 1 to 50 hectares;

· In a group, only one female reproduces; the male cares for the offspring;

·
They give birth to two babies.

Kallimiko

· They differ from marmosets in slightly larger sizes: the body is 20-23 cm long, the tail is 25-30 cm long;

· They are dark or dark brown in color, and the hair on the head and tail is sometimes red, white or silver-brown.

Capuchins

· The name was given in honor of the Capuchin monastic order;

· The most phylogenetically progressive American monkeys: their habitat includes vast expanses of tropical forests from Honduras in the north to southern Brazil in the south;

· Characterized by high activity and contact;

· Capable of instrumental activity (breaking nuts with stones), able to walk on two legs when carrying objects;

· They live in groups of 10–30 individuals in a certain territory;

· All members of the herd take care of the cubs;

· The leader of the herd is a high-ranking male;

· On the inner side of the tip of the tail they have a non-hairy skin pad with dermatoglyphic patterns, which allows these monkeys to use the tail as a fifth limb and even carry out manipulation actions with it;

Spider monkeys

Their distinctive feature is a specific method of movement - brachiation- one of the types of locomotion, the ability to move from one ledge to another (for example, from one tree branch to another), swinging on your arms, due to which the animal’s body spends some time “in flight.”

Suborder Greater primates - anthropoid.

All higher primates are divided into two sections - broad-nosed and narrow-nosed monkeys (Fig. 5). The division is based on differences in the structure of the nasal septum: in broad-nosed monkeys it is wide and the nostrils point to the side, while in narrow-nosed monkeys it is narrow, with the nostrils facing down. They also differ in their habitats. All broad-nosed monkeys live in South America and are called New World monkeys; Slant-nosed monkeys live in Africa and Asia and are called Old World monkeys.

Fig 5.

Broadnose section

In the section of broad-nosed monkeys, three families are distinguished - small marmosets, calliminos and large capuchin monkeys. All marmosets and callimicos have primitive structural features - a hairy ear, a relatively simple brain, almost without convolutions, up to three young are born. Marmosets are the smallest of all primates; In addition to the marmosets themselves, these include pygmy marmosets and tamarins. All are characterized by a paired family lifestyle; only one adult female breeds in the group, while the male cares for the offspring. Callimico was isolated from the marmoset family relatively recently. In terms of the structure of the teeth, the shape of the skull, and biochemical parameters, they are similar to capuchin monkeys and occupy an intermediate position between them and marmoset monkeys.

Capuchin monkeys have a prehensile tail, the lower end of the tail is hairless, and has the same dermatoglyphic patterns as on the palms. This tail acts as an additional limb. The first finger of the hand is underdeveloped, sometimes absent, but on the foot it is well developed and contrasted with the others. The brain is quite developed, these monkeys have complex behavior and easily learn complex skills. They live in large groups. All of them are arboreal and diurnal, except for one genus of nocturnal monkeys. Like prosimians, all broad-nosed monkeys have skin glands, with the secretion of which they mark territory. Broad-nosed monkeys often form multi-species communities to better protect themselves from predators. They have well-developed acoustic (voice) communication and rich facial expressions.

Narrownose section

Monkey monkeys. They are small or medium in size, their forelimbs are equal to their hind limbs or slightly shorter. The first finger of the hand and foot is well contrasted with the rest. The fur covers the entire body, with the exception of the face, and is usually bright in color. There are ischial calluses and cheek pouches. Cheek pouches are special pockets - folds of the mucous membrane in the oral cavity on both cheeks, where monkeys stuff food in reserve. In addition to ischial calluses, they have so-called “genital skin” - areas of skin that swell and turn red during ovulation, this can serve as a signal to the male that the female is ready to mate. Ischial calluses, unlike the genital skin, are vascular-free. They are comfortable when sleeping or sitting on the ground. All monkeys move on the ground and branches of trees, among them there are terrestrial forms (baboons, geladas), arboreal-terrestrial (rhesus macaques, and lapunders) and purely arboreal (all thin-bodied monkeys, langurs, etc.). They are plantigrade, resting on their feet and hands when walking. The tail is never grasping. Some species have well-developed sexual dimorphism, that is, males are larger than females. They are all gregarious, living in forests, savannas, and on rocks. The apes include the genera of marmosets, hussars, baboons, mandrills, geladas, mangobays, macaques and the subfamilies of slender-bodied monkeys, the genera of colobus monkeys, gwerets, and langurs. A very beautiful monkey - the Hanuman langur is considered a sacred monkey in India, Sri Lanka and other countries. According to the epic Ramayana, the Hanuman langur saved the pious Rama and his wife. In Egypt, the hamadryas baboon is considered a sacred animal, considered the personification of the god Ra - the god of health, fertility, generosity and writing.

Family Gibbonaceae. These are small, gracefully built monkeys, their forelimbs are longer than their hind limbs, their fur is thick, their palms, soles, ears and face are bare. There are small ischial calluses. The fingers are long, the first finger is well opposed to the rest. Distributed in India, Indochina, Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan, and the Malacca Peninsula. All of them are arboreal, inhabitants of the tropical forest with a characteristic method of movement - brachiation: alternately intercepting tree branches with their hands, they fly from tree to tree at a distance of up to fifteen meters. They can walk on the ground on two legs, balancing with their arms. Some gibbons exhibit sexual dimorphism in hair color, for example, male gibbons are black and females are light beige. Another feature of the gibbon is family life, with each family having its own territory and communicating with other families. This behavior is called "singing" or "choiring" by gibbons; The initiator of singing is, as a rule, the male, then the whole family joins him. Joint-toed gibbons - siamangs - even have special throat vocal sacs - resonators to amplify sound.

The Pongid family unites Asian orangutans and African apes - chimpanzees and gorilla. All of them are distinguished by their large body sizes; the gorilla weighs up to 200 kilograms and grows up to two meters. They have a relatively short body and long limbs, no tail, a shortened sacral spine, a barrel-shaped chest, and broad shoulders. All are characterized by semi-upright movement along branches and the ground, relying on the knuckles of the forelimbs. They have large and complex brains, about six times larger than those of lower monkeys such as macaques. The gorilla's brain weighs 420 grams and has many convolutions. The frontal lobe is larger than that of lower apes. Like humans, apes have well-developed facial muscles, and their lips are very mobile. Chimpanzees have ischial calluses; gorillas and orangutans are rare. The hair on the back and chest is sparse, and there are no tufts of tactile hair on the face (vibrissae). The immunological and biochemical parameters of chimpanzees, gorillas and humans are very similar in blood proteins. The gestation period is the same as in humans (9 months), the baby develops very slowly, up to seven years. All of them have high intelligence and are able to use objects as tools in nature and in captivity.

Orangutans are common in Sumatra and Kalimantan and are distinguished by their massive build (males are 150 centimeters tall and weigh 100-200 kilograms). Females are significantly smaller than males. Kalimantan orangutans have developed cheek growths made of connective tissue and fat. The hind limbs are short, the front limbs are long, the fingers on the hands are long and have the appearance of hooks, the first finger is shortened on the hand, and there are large guttural pouches on the neck. The skull of orangutans is long, elongated, the facial region is concave. The skull has sagittal and occipital crests. The lower jaw is massive, the teeth are large, with strongly wrinkled crowns, the fangs rarely protrude beyond the dentition. Brain volume is 300-500 cm3.

Gorilla

There are three subspecies: mountain, coastal and lowland. The lowland gorilla is common in Western equatorial Africa (Cameroon, Gabon), in the Congo River valley and near Lake Tanganyika. The male is about two meters tall, weighs up to 200 kilograms, has a massive neck and shoulders, a skull with a low forehead and a powerful supraorbital ridge. Males also have sagittal and occipital crests. Females are smaller than males. The face protrudes forward, the lower jaw is very massive.

The chimpanzee lives in tropical Africa, in the Congo and Niger river basins. Chimpanzees are shorter and thinner in build, height 150 centimeters, weight 50 kilograms, sexual demorphism in body size is less pronounced than in the gorilla and orangutan. The supraorbital ridge is also less developed, and the occipital ridge is absent. The forehead is straighter, the brain skull is rounder, the fangs are less developed, and the wrinkled crowns are also weaker than in the orangutan. The pygmy chimpanzee, or bonob, is a living model of early hominids, characterized by its small stature and gracefulness. Lives in Zaire.

Family Hominidae. Body height 140-190 centimeters. Females are 10-12 centimeters smaller than males. Characterized by a vertical body position and movement only on the lower limbs. The first toe loses mobility and is not opposed to the rest. The length of the lower limbs significantly exceeds the length of the upper ones. The development of the first finger of the hand is of great importance. The head is round, characterized by a highly developed brain part and a slightly protruding facial part. The facial section is located not in front of the brain, but below it. The foramen magnum is directed downwards. The teeth are poorly developed, almost indistinguishable from the incisors. The molars have flattened tubercles on the chewing surface, four tubercles on the upper ones, and 5 on the lower ones. The spinal column is S-shaped curved, which is associated with the vertical position of the body. The sacral and caudal vertebrae fuse into complex bones - the sacrum and coccyx. Characterized by strong development of the femur. The brain is unusually developed, especially the cerebral hemispheres with grooves and convolutions. Pregnancy lasts 280 days, one child is born, less often two or three. Humans are characterized by the longest periods of child development and learning among mammals.