Primates
Our taxonomic order
Primates are the order of mammals that includes humans, apes, monkeys, and lemurs.
They share characteristics like forward-facing eyes, grasping hands, and relatively large brains.
In Catholic hierarchy, a primate is an archbishop holding the highest rank in a country or region: the Primate of All England.
The zoological and ecclesiastical senses are unrelated—the animal term comes from a Latin word for "first rank," reflecting an old belief that humans stood at the top of creation.
Bipedal primate family
- homininHuman or direct ancestor
- simianOf primates with tails
- prosimianBasal primate subgroup
- anthropoidResembling higher primates
ape · monkey · lemur · tarsier · loris · gibbon · orangutan · gorilla
Mobile group, organized
- hierarchyRanked authority structure
- dominanceSuperior influence over others
- alphaFirst Greek letter
- groomingSelf-care for appearance
foraging · nesting · territorial · arboreal · terrestrial · nocturnal · diurnal · mating
Addressing challenges methodically
- communicationExchanging ideas or information
- social learningAcquiring behavior through observation
- memoryMind's retention capacity
- reasoningDrawing logical conclusions
neocortex · culture · empathy · cooperation · teaching · planning · self-awareness · grooming
Digits that press against fingers
- grasping handsHands actively seizing something
- forward-facing eyesEyes positioned for overlap
- binocular visionOverlapping visual fields merged
- nailsMetal fasteners, finger coverings
prehensile tail · brachiation · snout · canines · molars · pelvis · spine · skeleton
At risk of extinction
- habitat lossElimination of living spaces
- bushmeatHunted tropical wildlife flesh
- poachingUnlawful wildlife capture
- sanctuaryProtected sacred space
rehabilitation · captive breeding · deforestation · fragmentation · wildlife trade · CITES · Jane Goodall · Dian Fossey
hominid
Bipedal primate family
anthropoid · ape · monkey · lemur · tarsier · loris · gibbon · orangutan · gorilla · chimpanzee
troop
Mobile group, organized
grooming · foraging · nesting · territorial · arboreal · terrestrial · nocturnal · diurnal · mating · infanticide
problem-solving
Addressing challenges methodically
- communicationExchanging ideas or information
- social learningAcquiring behavior through observation
- memoryMind's retention capacity
reasoning · neocortex · culture · empathy · cooperation · teaching · planning · self-awareness · grooming · vocalization
opposable thumbs
Digits that press against fingers
- grasping handsHands actively seizing something
- forward-facing eyesEyes positioned for overlap
- binocular visionOverlapping visual fields merged
nails · prehensile tail · brachiation · snout · canines · molars · pelvis · spine · skeleton · dentition
endangered
At risk of extinction
- habitat lossElimination of living spaces
- bushmeatHunted tropical wildlife flesh
- poachingUnlawful wildlife capture
sanctuary · rehabilitation · captive breeding · deforestation · fragmentation · wildlife trade · CITES · Jane Goodall · Dian Fossey · rewilding
- Animal JournalsCondor, Animal Welfare
- taxakingdom, species, subspecies, phylum, Rodentia
- mammal groupsRodentia, marsupials, monotremes, placentals, pinnipeds
- Taxonomic FamiliesCanidae, Felidae, Sciuridae, Corvidae, Brassicaceae
- taxonomygenus, species, taxon, kingdom, phylum
Primatesfish
Gilled aquatic vertebrate
insects · invertebrates · marsupials · monotremes · reptiles
Primatesprotozoa
Single-celled eukaryotic organisms
bacteria · single-celled organisms · microorganisms · amoebae · invertebrates
- primate houseZoo building for apes
- early primatesAncestral members of our order
- primate researchStudy of apes, monkeys