Primates (order)
- Scope note
- Order containing around 300 or more species in 16 families including humans, apes, monkeys, lemurs, and kin, characterized in general by relatively rounded skulls, flattened faces, short jaws and noses, forward-facing eyes, and an opposable digit on hands and feet (except in humans), and most of which are are are descended from agile tree-dwellers, illustrated in features of the skull, teeth, and limbs. Several species, including Homo sapiens, no longer live in trees but nonetheless retain many of these features. The brains of primates have a unique fissure, called the Calcarine sulcus, which separates the first and second visual areas on each side of the brain. Only primates have flat nails, rather than the claws and hooves of other mammals, and opposable digits. Most modern primate species live in the tropics or subtropics, although a few also inhabit temperate regions. The earliest primates date to the Early Eocene Epoch (54.8 million to 49 million years ago) or perhaps to the Late Paleocene Epoch (57.9 million to 54.8 million years ago).
- Date of creation: 18-Nov-2024
Accepted term: 18-Nov-2024 
