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.
Primates, including humans, are among the social animals living on Earth. Their survival relies heavily on cooperation with others, alliances, the sharing of resources and other social interactions.
An international group of scientists led by Josep M. Serra-Diaz, researcher at the Botanical Institute of Barcelona (IBB, CSIC-MCNB), has developed the first global early warning system capable of forecasting when and where ...
Ecology
Jun 9, 2026
0
12
Inequality is not unique to human groups and societies. Individuals with relatively little power possess a variety of behavioral strategies to counterbalance or regulate power differences. In humans, these strategies include ...
Plants & Animals
Jun 9, 2026
0
29
Chimpanzees are the only great apes, apart from humans, that have adapted to living on savannas as well as in forests. However, it is not yet well understood how the harsh ecological conditions of the savanna—compared with ...
Evolution
Jun 9, 2026
0
17
A team led by Raju Tomer, professor of biological sciences at Columbia University, has created a new design for microscopes and microscope lenses that could push 3D tissue imaging beyond state-of-the-art systems while drastically ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jun 9, 2026
0
55
Hiroshima University researchers say a newly proposed three-step "detour" pathway for making dolichol, a molecule cells need to properly process proteins, may be more universal than scientists realized. Experiments in yeast ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jun 8, 2026
0
7
When we think of wildlife trafficking, we might think of rhino horns or baby orangutans sold as pets—but the smuggling of sea creatures, a less well-known crime, is just as damaging to marine ecosystems. Unfortunately, many ...
Ecology
Jun 7, 2026
0
44
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott expressed concern Friday that a new factory isn't expected to start breeding sterile New World screwworm flies for more than a year as a big part of the effort to stop its flesh-eating larvae from threatening ...
Agriculture
Jun 6, 2026
0
16
The supergiant bathynomid is a deep-sea isopod famous for surviving more than five years without food. Despite residing in an extremely low-nutrient habitat, these organisms exhibit pronounced body gigantism, a trait that ...
Plants & Animals
Jun 5, 2026
0
791
When most people imagine scientists discovering new species, they probably still picture an expedition into the unknown.
Ecology
Jun 4, 2026
0
5
