Comments On: Monkeys From The New World by Dan Freeman

Monkeys From The New World by Dan Freeman {part 1 of 6]
The first group of monkeys comes from the New World - from Central and South America. In this region monkeys are found only from Mexico to Argentina and, again, such a distribution is limited almost entirely to the extent of tropical rainforests. Unlike their Old World counterparts, these monkeys are confined almost exclusively to a life in the treetops. With long raking limbs and the evolution, among some of them, of the unique prehensile tail which acts as a fifth grasping limb, they are superbly adapted to a life high above the forest floor. At such heights they feed almost entirely on leaves and fruit.
New World monkeys are so different from the rest of the monkeys that the only explanation of their existence seems to be that they evolved quite separately from them but probably at about the same time - some 45 to 35 million years ago during the late Eocene and early Oligocene periods. The fact that all the monkeys share many anatomical and behavioural characteristics indicates that they evolved from a common prosimian ancestry, but their differences, and the additional fact that there are no apes in the New World today, suggest that they did so quite separately. This sort of situation, not uncommon throughout nature, is called parallel evolution and in this particular example the successful division between the New and the Old World monkeys was probably completed about 30 million years ago.
Fossil records of New World monkeys are scarce, but those that have be found indicate that they once lived in the Caribbean on the island of Jamaica and also down on the southern most tip of South America, where the remains of a close relative of the Howler Monkey have been found. The fluctuating distribution of primates has always been closely linked to the expansion and contraction of the world's major forests, from their worldwide boom 60 million years ago down to their present-day distribution in equatorial regions.
Bound to this life in the trees, there has been no need for the New World monkeys to develop the marked size differences as shown among the terrestrial Old World Monkeys. Males are also far less aggressive, for obviously an arborea1 existence poses far fewer problems than does one on the ground. There is an ample supply of food, water can be drunk in the form of fresh dew on leaves, and there is a noticeable lack of predators, although the larger pythons and some of the birds of prey constitute something of a daily hazard in their lives. They do not have cheek pouches and some of them have reduced thumbs to leave elongated fingers which act as hooks as they swing and leap through the trees. The main physiological differences between Old and New World monkeys are that the latter have no hard sitting pads, widely spaced nostrils, and no opposable thumb, although their big toe shows some similarities. But their prized possession is the prehensile tail. They do not all have this specialized use of their tail but those that have, especially the Spider and Howler Monkeys, use it to magnificent effect. It will easily support their full weight and they can swing from a branch by it alone, leaving hands and feet free to gather food. New World monkeys are quite small, generally weighing less than 10 kg (22 lb) as opposed to the 50 kg (110 lb) of the Mandrill, an Old World terrestrial specialist. Brad and Trouble
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Monkeys From The New World by Dan Freeman {part 2 of 6]
New World monkeys are divided into two groups, the cebids and the marmosets. The cebids usually live in small family units, producing a single youngster after a pregnancy of between 140 and 180 days. The cebids are all diurnal except the unique Douroucouli or Night Monkey. It is occasionally called the Owl Monkey because of its large round eyes. One male and one female usually travel around together with a single youngster, which is cared for predominantly by the male who releases it for feeding by his mate. The Douroucouli is one of the few monkeys which is monogamous and the couple's devotion to each other is often shown in the delightful tail-twining habit that occurs when they sit side by side on a branch.
The Titi Monkeys are similar to the Douroucouli in that they have a primitive brain but they are diurnal and live in small family groups which occupy such small areas that their densities in some areas may reach the figure of 500 per square kilometre (c. 1/a sq. mile). Consequently their territories are hotly defended and when rival groups meet - and one imagines that this must happen quite frequently - there is much calling, hair-raising and tail-lashing to establish rights.
Among the Sakis, the males and females show some noticeable differences, for the males have a more strikingly coloured head than the females. They are diurnal and live in northern South American forests up to 200 m (c. 660 ft) above sea level. Their long, coarse fur protects them in the event of a sudden downpour of rain, a common feature of equatorial regions. Sakis eat fruit and other vegetable matter, as well as honey, small mammals, birds and bats from time to time. Red-backed Sakis live in dense forest on either side of the Amazon River, which has acted as such an effective barrier between the two groups that they have become sufficiently distinct to form separate species. This 'evolutionary phenomenon is known as allopatric speciation.
Perhaps the monkeys which are found most universally repulsive are the Uakaris. They have thinly distributed hair, virtually bald heads and pink mask-like faces with sunken and gloomy eyes.
There are three species of Uakari, the Bald, the Red and the Black-headed. They differ in flir colour but they all have the red face which turns even redder when they are excited or angry Uakaris live in the tops of tall trees in swamp land and they rarely comd down to the ground. Their tail is much shorter than that of other cebid monkeys. They live in small groups and their quietness enhances their rather sombre appearance. But for all their shaggy-furred ‘ugliness', they are among the most expert of tree-dwelling monkeys, indulging in impressive acrobatics and leaps from tree to tree.
One of the most famous of the New World monkeys is the Howler Monkey. There are five different kinds which vary in colour from yellowish-brown to reddish-brown and black. They all have a remarkable vocal apparatus in which the hyoid bone, attached to the pharynx in the throat, is greatly enlarged. Thus, relatively small monkeys produce sounds which can be heard over very long distances. The ‘howling' begins shortly after dawn and reverberates through the awakening trees to act as a signalling device between rival groups. They are not really territorial and this vocalization makes sure that they keep well away from each other as they feed during the day. Troops average about three adult males, seven adult females and the same number of developing youngsters. The males are slightly larger than the females and protect them in times of danger by calling vociferously and by breaking off branches and throwing them - or perhaps only dropping them - towards potential predators. The Howler Monkey has a truly prehensile tail which has a hair-free under surface which is so highly developed that it has prints like those of a finger at its tip. The grip of this appendage is so strong and secure that if the Howler Monkey jumped from a branch without releasing its hold it would not, as has~actually been recorded, get very far! Brad and Trouble
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Monkeys From The New World by Dan Freeman {part 3 of 6]
Rather different from the Howler Monkeys are the two species of squirrel monkey. The Red-backed Squirrel Monkey is found in the scrub forest of Costa Rica while the Common Squirrel Monkey prefers the forests of Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay and Brazil. They are rather small monkeys, weighing no more than 1.1 kg (21/2 lb) and they do not have a prehensile. When females are giving birth, the males are rather thin and tend to stay away from their mates but immediately before mating, the males put on a lot of weight and fight violently among themselves for the privilege of being a disinterested father a few months later. Often, a top ranking maie is so exhausted after fighting with two or three other competing males - and, presumably, after claiming his breeding rights - that he has to rest for a few days before joining the group once more. The single young is born after a pregnancy of about six months and it has to be tough to survive, for while paternal support is non-existent, maternal care and attention is no more than minimal.
Cebus, or capuchin, monkeys are the only New World monkeys to spend much time on the ground. They are intelligent and will frequently use sticks in the wild to obtain food beyond their normal reach. They also open nuts by hitting them against branches and they spend many peaceful hours searching diligently for bugs under the bark of fallen trees and dead branches.
They are the traditional ~organ grinder' monkeys because they are small, easily trained and provide hours of entertainment with their lively antics.
Cebus monkeys can be divided into two groups. Two species of capuchin have tufts of hair over their eyes, or ridges of hair on the tops of their heads. These species are a uniform grey-brown colour. The other two species do not have these tufts of hair, have a whitish face, throat and chest while their limbs and the remainder of their bodies are predominantly black or at least very dark.
The woolly monkeys, after the howlers, are the second largest New World monkeys. They also have incredibly long prehensile tails which give them certain arboreal advantages over many of their relatives. One of the two species is fairly common throughout the forested Amazon basin while the other is found only on the eastern slope of the Cordillera Central in Peru. Ranging through mountain regions to a height of at least 2000 m (6600 ft), their name is derived from the appearance of their short, thick fur, especially on their head. They are diurnal and may move around in groups of at least 50 individuals, some of whom may be down on the ground while others forage in the trees. They walk, like the gibbons, on two legs using their outstretched arms to keep their balance. Occasionally, they will sit back and use their strong tails as props. They appear to feed almost exclusively on fruit and leaves and also to have a rather short pregnancy of between four and five months.
Closely related, but in name only, is the Woolly Spider Monkey from Brazil. It is probably one of the least well known of all primates and little is known of its habits other than that it is arboreal, diurnal and feeds on fruit and leaves. It has a prehensile tail and probably moves around in small groups.
Last but by no means least in the cebid family are the spider monkeys. They are the outstanding tree specialists of the New World and, among all primates, are exceeded in speed and agility only by the gibbons. Their limbs, including their prehensile tail, are incredibly long and they seem to glide across the tops of the branches. When alarmed, they will break off quite large branches and attempt to drop them onto an intruder, and they will also emit barking and whining calls of disapproval. A normal group consists of up to 25 individuals, often in smaller groups which stay near each other as they feed. Brad and Trouble
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Monkeys From The New World by Dan Freeman {part 5 of 6]
Abandoned temporarily by its mother, a young spider monkey sits huddled on the bent fronds of a South American jungle palm. The bright white eye-rings visible in this youngster probably serve as a means of contact between individuals in the dark jungles where spider monkeys spend most of their lives high above ground among thin branches. But in such places these highly versatile monkeys have to be careful because they may weigh as much as 7 kg (151/2 lb). In body length they may reach 62 cm (25 in) while their out-sized tail may increase this by as much as a further 90cm (36 in). Spider monkeys usually run along the tops of branches with their heavy tails arched high over their backs. They travel in groups but remain in one area when they find an abundant supply of food.
The diminutive Squirrel Monkey is one of the great gymnasts of the New World rainforests. It will suspend itself from the thinnest-looking branch and twist its body round in search of succulent fruits, insects and even bird's nests, for it eagerly robs them of their eggs or nestlings. Squirrel Monkeys move through the trees - only rarely descending to the ground - in groups ranging from ten to one hundred individuals. They have a reputation for keeping themselves meticulously well groomed and clean, and yet they also have the habit of smearing themselves with a pungent secretion from certain glands, supposedly to keep potential predators at a respectable distance. No doubt such behaviour also leaves a distinct trail through the trees and serves to keep large travelling parties together as well as leaving clearly-defined trails to be followed later on.
A captive Dusky Titi crouches on a branch in typical fashion with hands and feet, to use the most efficient means of escape in the wild. Such a position means that the powerful hindlimbs are flexed ready to launch the monkey into mid-air at the slightest hint of danger. Dusky Titis travel in small family groups and scent-mark branches to convey information to others of their species. They usually live in small but well defined territories, and engage in vocal battles with nearby groups to establish and to maintain their rights in the forests. In direct conflict with each other, males raise their hair and increase their size in a threatening gesture. This species is more or less confined to the forests along the south bank of the Amazon River where it feeds on fruit, insects and birds and their eggs. Two other species in the titi group are widely distributed through South America's tropical forests.
The Pale-faced Saki is set apart from the Monk Saki in having a distinct white fringe of flir around its face. This species is completely arboreal but may come down to the lower branches of a tree when food is scarce higher up. If disturbed it will run quickly on all fours along a branch, but it will occasionally stand upright, waving its arms to keep its balance, and run expertly on its hindlegs - perhaps even to the end of a branch and then launch itself out into mid-air from tree to tree. Unlike many monkeys, which sleep in a fairly erect position, the Pale-headed Saki curls up in a cat-like fashion on a branch.
A rugged-looking group of White-fronted Capuchins are of the untufted type and have the characteristic dark arms and legs, the rest of the body being much lighter. Although they look a bit hostile, they are very lively creatures and are one of the most popular pet monkeys in the United States. Immediately after birth, the youngster hangs onto its mother as tightly as possible and as they grow they soon learn to ride on her back. Should it become separated from her at any stage during its dependency, it will cry out plaintively often inducing others to come to its aid. Capuchins have prehensile tails but they lack the bare under-surface at the tip and are therefore not as advanced as those of some other New World monkeys. Like the Chimpanzee, the capuchins have been found to use tools in the wild, especially twigs for probing for larvae in tree-holes. Brad and Trouble
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Monkeys From The New World by Dan Freeman {part 6 of 6]
The soft and finely-graded mottling on a Pygmy Marmoset gives its coat the appearance of the feathers of a bird. This is the smallest of all the marmosets and it is found in the forests of Peru, Ecuador and Brazil where it is difficult to locate because of its small size, its uniformly brown appearance at a distance, and its agility in the trees. Tipical of all the marmosets, this species has a lot of its face covered in flir which restricts the use of the whole face in communication, which is largely effected by movements of its lips at close quarters and by whistling calls at a distance. This latter habit is a highly efficient means of keeping members offora ging family groups in touch with each other, especially where visual contact is prohibited by dense vegetation. When alarmed, Pygmy Marmosets make their way up a tree in a spiralling fashion in the manner of some squirrels. They usually sleep in holes in trees during the night.
The Cotton-headed or Cottontop Tamarin has earned itself this descriptive name because of the ample crest of white hairs that sprout from the top of its head. Over a predominantly white body it has outstanding, rusty coloured ‘epauiettes' of hair which are probably used in displays. In threat displays, the head tuft is flattened and all the flir is fluffed out so that the size is visibly increased. Dominance between males is established by one male backing towards another with tail erected to expose genital scent glands. In such an encounter, the ‘inferior' male acknowledges his status and retreats accordingly. A dominant male leads the group in search of food and the likelihood is that these tamarins are inclined to eat meat more than other species. Contact is maintained by high-pitched calls which may even be within the ultra-sonic range.
The Common Marmoset has a predominantly grey-brown body but outstandingly white tufts over its ears. It lives in the thick tropical forests of Brazil. The male is reputed to assist the female during labour after her five-month pregnancy, and after the young - often twins - are born he takes care of them but returns them to the female every few hours so they can be suckled. Ather three weeks the growing youngsters are strong enough to relinquish their hold on their parents' fur and to begin exploring for themselves, although they return frequently and are carried by their parents until they are about two months old.
Perhaps the weirdest of all the primates, a hunched up Red Uakari presents the complete spectacle of dejection. But even with an infant clamped firmly to her back, a female Uakari is one of the best leapers of all the New World monkeys. She will rush at great speed along a branch at the very top of a tall swam~bound tree and then sail out into mid-air with all her loose flir streaming out behind her. When she lands, she continues almost immediately with her slow and lethargic climbing that more befits her looks, leaving any onlookers almost misbelieving the awe inspiring feat they have just witnessed.
The short hair of a Woolly Monkey gives it the appearance of being wrapped up to face the cold rather than the hot, humid jungles of the Amazon basin. In these forests, the Woolly Monkey is an expert arm-swinger, often stopping to scent-mark branches from special glands on its chest. It often moves to the edge of the forest and then drops vertically for as much as 10 m (33 ft) into the bush below to feed extensively on fruit and leaves. In fact it has been called Barrigudos by Brazilian natives in view of its voracious appetite. No doubt the natives approve of this gluttonous habit for they are rather partial to Woolly Monkeys themselves.
Resplendent with a stunning mane of brilliant orange, a Golden or Lion-headed Marmoset is one of the most beautifully coloured of all monkeys. Highly conspicuous to predators such as eagles, these arboreal primates have evolved the ability to move through the trees with tremendous speed until they have put a respectable distance between themselves and their hunter. Their nails bite deep into the bark of trees giving them an immediate grip and their movements are disconcertingly jerky. When they want to descend from the heights, Golden Marmosets apparently slide down tail first. They are restricted in their distribution to the forested mountains of south-eastern Brazil and their value to collectors has caused there numbers to decline in the past. Fortunately, it is now illegal to export them and they may still breed freely enough to gain in numbers once more. Brad and Trouble
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I want to see some pics
of monkeys!!
!
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Need more info on Red Uakari!
And some pics! I can't visualize!
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Discrption of uacari monkeys under topic Are You Sure.
Brad and Trouble
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I want to know more about douroucouli, or owl monkeys. If you have any information on them, please send it to me!
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monkeys are beautiful in there own way. If we divide are situation in half we come to a conclusion of which monkeys become leaders. We need leaders in our society so bring on the monkeys and let them lead.
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Must see more on spider monkeys..........
PLEASE!!!!!!!!
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This page is good, but i really need more info on the capuchins. I actually need to nknow more about the life functions of a capuchin. his is what i need to know:

General Information-
picture of a genetic tree. description.

*Respiration-*
how does this organism obtain its oxygen
what adaptations does it have to obtain its oxygen.

*Excretion-*
its waste products
how does it excrete these wastes.

*Transport-*
how does it move nutrients and watses through tis body

*Regulation-*
how does this organism control its body

Reproduction-
how does it reproduce
what age

*Gowth*
how fats does it mature
lifespan
how big does it get.

*Sythesis-*
does it produce anything useful to itslef or to man

Locomotion-
how does it move
*how does it maintain homeostasis*.

*-the little star means that these are the most important thing that I need.

I am really grateful for your time to read this.
I need this information for a project, and I would help me alot for you to
help out with some of this information.

Thanks,
Mike

P.S. If possible, It would really help to get this Information within the next 24 hours. Thanks again :)

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Need more info. on the red howler monkeys enemies.
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There should be more information on the predators of the howler monkeys
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you need PICS ive been surching for some monkey pics all day!!!! MY advice to YOU just get the PICTURES!!!!!!!!!!!! Then people like me will SHUT-UP!!!!!!
from::::::::::::::DragonzWingz:::::::::::::::::

hi Rob, hi alex, hi every one else!!!
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you need PICS ive been surching for some monkey pics all day!!!! MY advice to YOU just get the PICTURES!!!!!!!!!!!! Then people like me will SHUT-UP!!!!!!
from::::::::::::::DragonzWingz:::::::::::::::::

hi Rob, hi alex, hi every one else!!!
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cool! well thats my comment bye!!!!!!!fhruthibecbtjyregregrgerygerygeyrvbegrvebgreyvtryviaraiiiiauetreryuieryvwrewtfertywgyrgtwefregrctyevbfdewrprlrkoitpvroojoouwjqjhaxxzwgdssgtvtepelmmzmlaqpqpalz,xmckdoerifjvnnnghbtuy
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IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION ON A SMALL ABYSSINIAN MONKEY, I WOULD APPRECITE IT IF U SENT IT TO ME! I NEED THE NAME OF IT!
G_IVE_
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does anyone know what the smallest monkey is beacause i saw it at the zoo but i cant remember the name...Thanks
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Need more on the Prehensile tail!!!
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monkeys, apes, and other primal creatures are really cool. When moneys throw poo I laugh. When monkeys pick their butts then smell their fingers and faint I just freakin' crack up.
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If it turns up that any of you guys knows where a small monky is for sale could you please e mail me at styme123@earthlink.net and tell me where it is at

THANKS!!!!!!!
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