How good is your primate knowledge?

Primates are a biological order containing two sub-orders, the strepsirrhines (lemurs, galagos and lorisids) and the haplorhines (tarsiers, monkeys and apes).

They can be found all over the world, but primarily live in the tropical regions of Africa, Asia, and South America. Although most call tropical rainforests their home, there are also primates living in savannahs, mountains, and costal regions.

Primates are often noted for their sociality, often living in large multi-family groups, sometimes with strict hierarchies. There are however many solitary species of primate, as well as those that live just with a mate, or a nuclear family. Primates encompass the whole spectrum of sociality.

New species of primate continue to be discovered, due in part to advances in DNA technology. One of the most notable of these is the Tapanuli orangutan, described as a distinct species in 2017.

Try out the quiz below to find out more about this fascinating group!

Main image: Young Western Lowland Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla). © Mark Carwardine/Getty