There are about 400species of primates.[2] All primates are similar to humans in many ways, butlanguage is an important advantage which only humans have. Other primates have a pattern of calls and gestures, but not language as we know it.
Primates have hands with fivefingers and flatfingernails (most other animals haveclaws orhooves). All primates are covered with fur (hair), but in humans the body hair is only noticeable in two places: on the head and around thegenitals.
Primates are split into two groups:Strepsirrhini andHaplorhini. Haplorrhini includes larger monkeys such as,tarsiers and apes including humans. Strepsirrhini includes smaller monkeys such aslemurs,lorises,galagos (also called bush babies) and theaye-aye.
Primates are one of the few mammal groups which re-evolved fullcolor vision. Even so, color vision in birds is better. Color vision was lost in mammals during the long period whendinosaurs ruled the Earth, and mammals were mainly smallnocturnal animals.[3]
↑ Groves C.P. 2005. Wilson D.E.; Reeder D. M. (eds).Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference (3rd ed). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 111–184.ISBN 0-801-88221-4. OCLC 62265494
↑Silcox, Mary T.; Bloch, Jonathan I.; Boyer, Doug M.; Chester, Stephen G. B.; López‐Torres, Sergi 2017. The evolutionary radiation of plesiadapiforms.Evolutionary Anthropology: Issues, News, and Reviews.26 (2): 74–94.PMID 28429568
↑ Macdonald, David 2006. Primates.The Encyclopedia of Mammals. The Brown Reference Group plc. pp. 282–307.ISBN 0-681-45659-0
