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Primates: Primates

Primates And People

People hunt some non-human primate species for meat, unproven medicinal uses of their body parts, or capture them for pets. Zoos collect primates as exhibit animals. Some primates, such as the baboon, rhesus monkey, and the common marmoset, are used in laboratory biomedical research. Current breeding programs have slowed the practice of taking these animals from the wild. A few primates, in close contact with human living areas, have become crop pests, such as the macaques who raid fruit trees that humans grow.

If not threatened, primates seldom bother human beings. However, some may harbor viruses that can be transmitted to human beings, such as Ebola, a usually fatal disease.

THE ORGAN GRINDER'S MONKEY

In the early 1900s, the 6-pound (2.7-kilogram), brown, pale-fronted capuchin monkey would hold out its hand for money when its organ grinder owner played music in the streets of New York and Boston. The capuchin is a very intelligent primate. It has a large brain relative to its small size, and excellent eye-to-hand coordination, enabling it to accurately pick up the tiniest items. It would grab fruit and coins from passers-by on the street.

Additional topics

Animal Life ResourceMammalsPrimates: Primates - Physical Characteristics, Habitat, Behavior And Reproduction, Primates And People, Conservation Status - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, DIET