Re: re
Hey Al,
Having worked with exotic animals for almost 10 years, well... until I broke my wrist.:\ Anyway, I feel qualified to answer this one!
Firstly, a monkey is a primate and a guerilla is a member of an irregular armed force that fights a stronger force by sabotage and harassment. Or are they the same in Britain?!
The Great Apes are Chimps, Gorillas and Orangutans. The Lesser Apes are Gibbons and Siamangs. They do not have tails. However, neither do some monkeys, like Macaques.
A monkey known as a Capuchin (the organ-grinder monkey) is the smartest monkey, and some claim that they are as smart as chimps. They are extremely adept at using tools- a lot of primates are. In fact, many animal species use tools- not just primates.
Most monkeys have opposable thumbs. Baboons, for example, have great hands and can pick little bits of grains and seeds from their grassy stalks.
When it comes to actual classification of various animal species (taxonomy), it is all in the skeletal differences. And in fact, the most conclusive difference between apes and monkeys is in the wrist. Apes have carpal bones and wrist action, pretty much identical to ours. It is the wrist that gives the apes great dexterity of their fingers and thumbs. That gives them a most precise grip- far superior to monkeys!
Other skeletal differences include the length of forearms- longer in apes. Apes "knuckle-walk" and move more up-right. Monkeys walk more similarly to dogs. Considering this, take a look at the way their chest is shaped. Apes are more barrel-chested like a human. Monkeys are more narrow chested, because of their quadrapedal form of locomotion. (How's that for big words?!
)
Does that help?
sam
