![SO, WHAT IS A PRIMATE?](https://cdn.magzter.com/1441816897/1710457633/articles/adJ6Z9jpO1710505380650/SO-WHAT-IS-A-PRIMATE.jpg)
Physical Adaptations and Abilities
Just like those animals with the weird names, you belong to the group of mammals called primates. This group also includes the more commonly known gorillas, chimpanzees, and monkeys. Among other things, it’s the structure of your shoulder that earns you membership in that club. In primates, the upper arms are linked to the chest by the collarbone (also called the clavicle). That construction allows you and other primates to do something most mammals can’t: hang by your arms. Watch kids crossing a jungle gym hand-over-hand. They share that ability with monkeys and apes, but don’t expect rabbits, goats, or bears to perform such a feat!
The ability to swing isn’t the only adaptation to life in the trees, where most primates live. Eyes face forward, encased in bony sockets. That lets the view from one eye overlap the other. The result is 3D (three-dimensional) or stereoscopic vision—the perfect tool for judging both depth and distance.
Primates have agile arms and legs. Apes have no tails, but monkeys use their long, flexible tails for balance. Many New World monkeys have prehensile tails that wrap around branches and act as an extra hand or foot. Some can support their entire weight using only their tails.
Denne historien er fra April 2024-utgaven av Muse Science Magazine for Kids.
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Denne historien er fra April 2024-utgaven av Muse Science Magazine for Kids.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
![Who's Your Cousin?](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/11355/1633847/ASHqA7muv1710505048312/crp_Great-apes-Chimpanzee-Gorilla.jpg)
Who's Your Cousin?
The great apes are among the most popular animals in most zoos. Their actions, facial expressions, and family life remind us so much of ourselves. Have you ever wondered, though, how we might look to them?
![Is it possible to die of boredom?](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/11355/1633847/ZzB-iZQgF1710508711802/IS-IT-POSSIBLE-TO-DIE-OF-BOREDOM.jpg)
Is it possible to die of boredom?
To figure out if we can die of boredom, we first have to understand what boredom is. For help, we called James Danckert, a psychologist who studies boredom at the University of Waterloo in Canada.
![THE PROBLEM WITH PALM OIL](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/11355/1633847/NE6B5peNi1710508405429/THE-PROBLEM-WITH-PALM-OIL.jpg)
THE PROBLEM WITH PALM OIL
Palm oil is all around you. It’s in sugary snacks like cookies and candy bars. It’s in lipstick and shampoo and pet food.
![SERGE WICH](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/11355/1633847/-jLx5_Ovb1710508082294/SERGE-WICH.jpg)
SERGE WICH
Serge Wich’s favorite days at work are spent out in the forest, studying orangutans in Sumatra and Borneo or chimpanzees in Tanzania.
![ELODIE FREYMANN](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/11355/1633847/rxYkBeZAq1710507644261/ELODIE-FREYMANN.jpg)
ELODIE FREYMANN
When you’re feeling sick, it probably doesn’t occur to you to try eating tree bark.
![Guardians of the Forest](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/11355/1633847/3EFkZEWa51710506719598/GUARDIANS-OF-THE-FOREST.jpg)
Guardians of the Forest
EARLY, MAKESHIFT WILDLIFE DRONES HELPED TO DETECT AND PROTECT ORANGUTANS.
![APE ANTICS](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/11355/1633847/oR6tFGQgh1710507151473/APE-ANTICS.jpg)
APE ANTICS
The Whirling World of primate play
![Dr. Ape Will See You Now](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/11355/1633847/Mp7BNzq0N1710506413948/DR-APE-WILL-SEE-YOU-NOW.jpg)
Dr. Ape Will See You Now
HUMANS AREN’T THE ONLY PRIMATES THAT USE MEDICATION.
![THE LEFT OVERS](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/11355/1633847/R-dA4gR5q1710505795587/THE-LEFT-OVERS.jpg)
THE LEFT OVERS
A lot has happened for modern humans to get to this point. We lost most of our hair, learned how to make tools, established civilizations, sent a person to the Moon, and invented artificial intelligence. Whew! With all of these changes, our bodies have changed, too. It’s only taken us about six million years.
![SO, WHAT IS A PRIMATE?](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/11355/1633847/adJ6Z9jpO1710505380650/SO-WHAT-IS-A-PRIMATE.jpg)
SO, WHAT IS A PRIMATE?
What do you have in common with the aye-aye, sifaka, siamang, and potto? If you said your collarbone, you re probably a primatologist—a person who studies primates. If you’re not, read on.