Anytime I discuss my career with a new person, almost 100% of the time their reaction will consist of something along the lines of, “I love monkeys!” or a joke about “monkey business”. While sometimes I can correct people, I often just accept defeat, smile, and nod along. Chimpanzees are not monkeys! However, both chimpanzees and monkeys belong to the taxonomic order of Primates, which I assume is where the common misconception stems from.
When looking at a primate, an easy way to determine if it is a monkey or not, is if it has a tail. Nearly all monkeys have tails, while apes do not.
Another great indicator is the overall body shape, size, and how they move. Apes are much larger than monkeys, with wide chests and bare faces. Apes can move both bipedally, on two feet, or on all fours. Monkeys are smaller, have smaller chests, and some use their tails for balance or to help grab branches as they navigate through the trees.
Great apes include humans, chimpanzees, gorillas, bonobos, and orangutans. There are also small-bodies apes, such as gibbons and siamangs.
Apes also have a larger brain than monkeys. Research studies show that apes are capable of higher levels of cognition and communication.
For more information, here is a great resource that allows you to click through different primates.
Now on to some photos of the day…
Terry standing bipedally in the sunny Riverview Greenhouse
Volunteer Krissy set up some pre-made nests for Jamie’s group this morning. Missy immediately claimed this spot!
Oh, Burrito
