靈長目 Primates

靈長目(Primates),名稱來自拉丁文 primas,（意為"首要的,最優秀的,高貴的"）,這反映了人們曾經認為靈長目動物是所有哺乳動物和生物中"最高等"的次序.

Primates, from Latin primas (“one of the first, chief, excellent, noble”), in reference to the belief that primates were the “highest” order of all mammals and animals.

種的俗名 Common names of members

狐猴,嬰猴,懶猴,眼鏡猴,猴子,長臂猿猩猩,大猩猩,黑猩猩,人類.

Lemurs, galagos, lorisids, tarsiers, monkeys, gibbons, orangutans, gorillas, chimpanzees and humans.

分佈 Distribution

南美洲和中美洲、撒哈拉以南非洲、南亞、東南亞和東亞.

South and Central America, sub-saharan Africa, southern, southeastern and east Asia.

體型 Size

牠們的體型大小不一,從平均身高 9.2 公分、體重 30 克到 1.25-1.8 公尺、100 和 270 公斤不等.

Their size varies from an average of 9.2 cm in height and 30 g in weight to 1.25–1.8 m and 100 and 270 kg.

形態描述 Morphology

牠們展現出類似人類體型進化的趨勢,呈現出較大的圓頂狀頭顱和縮短的吻部.牠們通常具有五指手爪(五個手指),每個手指和腳趾都有獨特的角質指甲.手掌和腳掌的底側都有敏感的肉垫.拇指通常是對置的.能用來抓握的尾巴在某些物種中是獨有的特徵.

They demonstrate an evolutionary trend toward a humanoid physique with a large, domed skull and a shortened snout. They often exhibit pentadactyly (five fingers on each hand), and each finger and toe has a unique kind of keratin fingernail. There are sensitive pads on the fingertips of the hands and feet on the underside. Thumbs are usually opposable. Prehensile tails, like tails themselves, are unique to some species.

生態與棲息地 Habitat & Ecology

雖然大多數物種是樹棲性的（主要棲息於熱帶森林）,但也有陸棲性的.牠們也出現在稀樹草原、草原、紅樹林、沼澤、濕地和山區,以及亞熱帶和亞南極森林.

Although most species are arboreal (mainly inhabiting tropical forests), there are terrestrial ones. They are also present in savannas, grasslands, mangroves, swamps, wetlands and mountainous regions; as well as subtropical and subantarctic forests.

食性 Diet

這類物種之間存在著各種不同的飲食方式,包括草食動物、雜食動物和肉食動物.這些行為中的主要食物來源包括水果、葉子、枝幹、髓、樹皮、樹脂、膠質、花朵、芽、花蜜、種子、昆蟲和其他無脊椎動物、鳥蛋、小型脊椎動物（鳥類、蜥蜴、松鼠）.在一些大型雜食性物種中,也存在對其他靈長類物種的捕食,以及對其他中型脊椎動物的捕食.

There is a wide range of diets among these species, such as herbivores, omnivores and carnivores. The main sources of food among these behaviors are fruit, leaves, stems, pith, bark, resin, gum, flowers, buds, nectar, seeds, insects and other invertebrates, bird eggs, small vertebrates (birds, lizards, squirrels). Predation on other primate species is present in some large size omnivorous species, as well as other medium size vertebrates.

繁殖 Reproduction

靈長類動物的生殖行為種類繁多,例如一雄一雌制 (一雄一雌至少配對一個繁殖季節)、一雄多雌制 (一雄配多雌)、一雌配多雄 (一雌配多雄) 和雜交 (雌性與多雄性交配,雄性與多雌性交配).

There is a wide variety of reproductive behaviors among primates, such as monogamy (one male and one female are paired for at least one breeding season), polygyny (one male mates with multiple females), polyandry (one female mates with multiple males) and promiscuity (females mate with multiple males, and males mate with multiple females).