Types of Monkeys: Many things come to mind when you think monkeys. They are often considered to be cute and very intelligent animals. Many species have their own characteristics regarding location, size, color, and even abilities.
Monkeys are very vocal animals, which is how they communicate. They emit different tones to protect themselves from danger, call a mate, and even communicate with their young.
Monkeys consist of many species throughout the world. On this page, the BioExplorer team explores all types of monkeys in the mammalian world.
Monkeys vs. Monkies
Let’s get one of the fundamental confusion out of the way first. Is it monkeys or monkies?
When a noun word ends with “y”, there is always confusion as to whether the plural form ends with “ies” or “ys”.
According to many English dictionary sources, the grammar rule is simple. When a noun ends with a vowel followed by y, the plural form gets an “s”; otherwise, it would end with “ies”.
For instance, the plural form of “Dictionary” is “Dictionaries”.
Based on that principle, the plural form of monkey is indeed monkeys.
First Grouping of Primates
An English biologist, St. George Jackson Mivart, first published the classification of primates in his book ‘Man and Apes’ in 1873[1]. His categorization of monkeys was based purely on anatomical differences, habits, and geographical distribution. According to this book, the early classification of order Primates contained two sub-groups, namely:
- Group-1: Man, and all the apes, which were first called Anthropoidea.
- Group-2: All Lemurs and the animals most like them were called Lemuroidea; the creatures contained in it when spoken of being generally also termed “Half-apes” or “Lemuroids“.
Modern Grouping of Primates
After so many debates and further data collection and analyses and discoveries of new monkey species over a century, another British-born biological anthropologist, Robert D. Martin, currently a curator at Chicago Natural Museum, has published an excellent book called “Primate Origins and Evolution: A Phylogenetic Reconstruction” in 1994[2]. This research attempted to classify living primates into 6 different sub-groups based on geographical importance.
| 1 | Lemurs | Madagascar | |
| 2 | Lorises and bushbabies | Africa and Asia | Prosimians |
| 3 | Tarsiers | Southeast Asia | |
| 4 | Marmosets, Tamarins, Capuchins, Squirrel monkeys, Owl monkeys, Titis, Sakis, and Howlers (Ceboidea) | South and Latin America | New World Monkeys |
| 5 | Talapoins, Guenons, Baboons, Colobus, Macaques, Vervets, Geladas, Mangabeys, Langurs, Mandrills, Surili, Patas, Proboscis Monkeys (Cercopithecoids meaning “elongated apes“) | Africa and Asia | Old World Monkeys |
| 6 | Apes and humans (Hominoids) | Africa and Asia | Apes |
This primate grouping is based on grade or level of organization, and in no way does it implies any superiority or inferiority between them.
According to the fossil study in Tanzania by paleontologists in 2013[3], it became evident that the old-world monkeys (baboons, macaques) and apes (humans & chimpanzees) were already separated 25 million years ago!
Classification of Primates
Here are 4 major types of primate and their characteristics:
Prosimians
The earliest primates roamed the earth about 25 million years before monkeys evolved were Prosimians, meaning “pre-monkeys” or “proto-primates”.
- These prosimian species live today, including lemurs, lorises, tarsiers, aye-aye, and bushbabies. The prosimians were classified into order Primates mainly because their hands with flexible fingers and opposable thumbs made it possible to fetch things up.
- Most prosimians rely heavily on a sense of smell for communication and finding food. With the tarsier, eyesight has become more critical as it can swivel its head 180 degrees in each direction. On the other hand, the apes and monkeys rely primarily on their sight.
Today Prosimians live in some parts of Asia and Africa, especially Madagascar. No prosimian species are found in the Americas or Australia.
Old-World Monkeys
Old World Monkeys are a mixed group of primates with varied body sizes (medium to large-sized), habitats, diets, social behaviors, and anatomical differences.
- All Old-World monkeys are classified under two families: Cercopithecinae and Colobinae.
- Unique characteristics-wise, Old-World monkeys have downward-pointing nostrils, tend to stay mainly on the ground than trees (non-arboreal), and have a simple digestive system with cheek pouches for plant matters. Also, these primates have a tail which makes them differ from apes.
- The Old-World monkeys hail from various countries in South and East Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, except for Madagascar.
New-World Monkeys
New World monkeys are a varied group of small to medium-sized arboreal (i.e., living on trees) primates.
- These primates are restricted to the tropical forests of Southern Mexico and Central and Latin America.
- Taxonomically, New World monkeys are classified into two prominent families Cebidae and Callitricidae.
- Exclusive attributes-wise, these kinds of monkeys are primarily herbivores, twin births, no-cheek-pouches unlike Old-World counterparts, and some have a prehensile tail (Spider monkeys).
Apes
Apes are another clade of old-world monkeys collectively called Hominoidea, native to Africa and Southeast Asian countries.
- Apes do not have tails (except L’Hoest monkey – a great ape) due to the mutation of the TXBT[4] gene cell.
- Also, apes cannot perform brachiation (arm swinging in the arboreal movements on tree tops, unlike the other three kinds listed above).
- There are two main branches of apes: gibbons (“lesser apes”) and hominids (“great apes”). Orangutans, gorillas, chimpanzees, and bonobos are examples of greater apes, whereas the lesser apes contain all types of gibbons, including Lar gibbon, Agile gibbon, Silvery gibbon, and more.
Hominoids are swift tree climbers except for gorillas and humans. Apes feed on various plant matters such as fruits, leaves, stalks, seeds, roots, and small animals.
All Types of Monkeys
Old World Monkeys Vs. New World Monkeys
Types of Monkeys By Alphabets
Monkey Names Starting with A
Monkey Names Starting with C
Monkey Names Starting with E
Monkey Names Starting with G
Monkey Names Starting with I
Monkey Names Starting with K
Monkey Names Starting with M
Monkey Names Starting with O
Monkey Names Starting with R
Monkey Names Starting with T
Monkey Names Starting with V
Monkey Names Starting with Y
Monkey Names Starting with B
Monkey Names Starting with D
Monkey Names Starting with F
Monkey Names Starting with H
Monkey Names Starting with J
Monkey Names Starting with L
Monkey Names Starting with N
Monkey Names Starting with P
Monkey Names Starting with S
Monkey Names Starting with U
Monkey Names Starting with W
Monkey Names Starting with Z
Types of Monkeys By Diet
What Do Monkeys Eat?
Carnivorous Monkeys
Frugivorous Monkeys
Herbivorous Monkeys
Omnivorous Monkeys
Types of Monkeys By Breeds
Colobus Monkeys
Types of Monkeys By Colors
Black Monkeys
Brown Monkeys
Gray Monkeys
Orange Monkeys
White Monkeys
Green/Olive-Colored Monkeys
Types of Monkeys By Habitats
Types of Rainforest Monkeys
Types of Monkeys By Countries
Angolan Monkeys
Argentinian Monkeys
Indian Monkeys
Brazilian Monkeys
Democratic Republic of the Congo Monkeys
Cameroon Monkeys
Borneo Monkeys & Apes
Malaysian Monkeys
Thailand Monkeys & Apes
Panamian Monkeys
Indonesian Monkeys & Apes
Peruvian Monkeys
Bolivian Monkeys
Ecuadorian Monkeys
