Search Results for: primate

New World Monkeys Monkeys are divided into two general categories: Old World Monkeys and New World Monkeys. New World Monkeys are found in Central and South America. There are several characteristics that make New World Monkeys different from Old World Monkeys, and several that are the same. They still fall under the species of monkey: a primate that is neither human or ape. The roughly 53 species of New World Monkeys living in the tropical forests of Southern Mexico, Central, and South America. Most of these monkeys are arboreal, meaning they live and travel in the trees rather than on the ground. Because of this, less is known about these monkeys as they are harder to study. New species are also being discovered, so new factors come into play often. They are most clearly defined by their flatter noses, with nostrils on the side, while Old World Monkeys have more narrow noses. Another difference is that New World Monkeys have twelve premolars, while Old World Monkeys have eight. The males and many of the females are color blind. These monkeys are also the only ones in the world that have prehensile tails, meaning they can use their tails to hold on to branches for balance and swinging. Other monkeys do not have the use of this “third hand” as their tails are either short or non-prehensile. New World Monkeys...