Primates are an order (Primates) of eutherian mammals characterized by a suite of derived traits associated with arboreal locomotion and enhanced sensory and cognitive capacities. Defining features include grasping extremities with opposable thumbs and, in many taxa, opposable great toes; nails instead of claws on most digits; a postorbital bar or plate; forward-facing orbits enabling stereoscopic vision; and a relatively enlarged brain, especially in regions mediating vision and complex behavior. The order encompasses strepsirrhines (lemurs, lorises), tarsiers, and haplorhine simians (monkeys and apes, including humans), and is a core model group in evolutionary biology, comparative anatomy, neurobiology, and behavioral ecology.
For more than a century, scientists have sought to reconstruct human evolution using diverse lines of evidence, including fossils, genetic variation across populations and ancient DNA. Building on these approaches, researchers ...
Evolution
Jul 24, 2026
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Punch, a plush-clutching Japanese baby monkey that has become a global online sensation, will celebrate his first birthday on Sunday as his zoo is flooded with fan letters from around the world.
Plants & Animals
Jul 24, 2026
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Humans are not the only animals that communicate. Birds sing to attract mates, dolphins use signature whistles that identify individuals, and many primates produce complex vocalizations that help them coordinate their social ...
Evolution
Jul 24, 2026
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All cellular life—from humans to bacteria—possesses two layers of immunity: innate and adaptive. Scientists have long understood how these two types of immunity work together in higher organisms but not in the microbial world.
Cell & Microbiology
Jul 22, 2026
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Cachexia—a syndrome characterized by progressive muscle wasting—affects both humans and dogs with chronic diseases such as cancer. A recent study in Molecular Oncology found that lower circulating levels of certain microRNAs—small ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Jul 22, 2026
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Physical touch may be an important evolutionary tool to help manage social tension and keep the peace. That is according to a new study led by Durham University in the UK, analyzing behaviors of our closest ape relatives, ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 21, 2026
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Why do some brains survive long after death when most other soft tissue decays? That's the question a research team led by Alexandra Morton-Hayward at the University of Oxford set out to answer.
Blood transfusions are crucial in human and veterinary medicine, yet human blood reserves are in constant need of donors, while blood bank systems in veterinary care are nearly nonexistent. This leaves canine transfusions ...
Biotechnology
Jul 19, 2026
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84
Scientists have long thought humans have a uniquely difficult birth compared with other primates. And it's true that, from an evolutionary perspective, we face an obstetrical dilemma. As we evolved to walk on two feet, our ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 16, 2026
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10
Social animals use a suite of preemptive behaviors in anticipation of conflict, including staying quiet, monitoring their surroundings, conducting raids and bonding through play. In a review published in Trends in Ecology ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 16, 2026
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