Macaques

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Macaques
Ceylon hat monkey (Macaca sinica)

Ceylon hat monkey ( Macaca sinica )

Systematics
without rank: Old World Monkey (Catarrhini)
Superfamily : Tailed Old World Monkey (Cercopithecoidea)
Family : Vervet monkey relatives (Cercopithecidae)
Subfamily : Cheekbones monkey (Cercopithecinae)
Tribe : Baboons (Papionini)
Genre : Macaques
Scientific name
Macaca
Lacépède , 1799

The macaques ( Macaca ) - Singular macaque or macaque - are a primate genus in the family Cercopithecidae (Cercopithecidae). The genus comprises 23 species, all of which are native to Asia with the exception of the Barbary macaque . They are predominantly fruit-eating animals living together in groups. Some species, such as the rhesus monkey and the crab-eating macaque, live close to humans and are widespread and well-known, while others - especially island endemics - are threatened.

description

Macaques are medium-sized primates with a stocky body and powerful limbs. Their thick fur is usually gray-brown in color, but can also be almost black. The faces are hairless and have a protruding snout, strong predator-like teeth, a powerful jaw and a protruding nose with narrow and short nostrils. Some species have showy "caps" on their heads or beard-like facial hair. An important distinguishing feature is the length of the tail: the barbary macaque is tailless, some species (for example the Japanese macaque or the bear macaque ) only have a stumpy tail, in other species (for example the long-tailed macaque or rhesus monkey ) the tail is just as long as the body. Macaques reach a head trunk length of 40 to 76 centimeters and a weight of 2.5 to 18 kilograms, with males often being half the weight of females. The Ceylon hat monkey is the smallest, the Tibetan macaque the largest.

distribution

The range of the macaques stretches from Afghanistan across South and Southeast Asia (to Timor ) and China to Japan . The only non-Asian representative is the barbary macaque , which lives in northern Africa and Gibraltar . With the exception of humans, these primates are the most widely distributed, the crab-eating macaque is found further south-east than all other non-human primates, and the barbary macaque is the only one in Europe. The island of Sulawesi (Celebes), where there are six endemic macaque species, is particularly rich in species. Several species have also been established in different regions of the world.

Way of life

Bearded monkey ( Macaca silenus )

Macaques are diurnal animals. They can climb well, but spend at least part of their life on the ground. Macaques prefer tree-lined areas, but inhabit a variety of habitats. Their adapted way of life ranges from rainforest dwellers to animals that live in the mountains. The Japanese macaque lives in the snowy mountains of Japan and, next to humans, has the northernmost range of all primates. Some species, for example the rhesus monkey, have even made themselves at home in large numbers in cities.

Macaques live in groups, the size of which can range from 10 to over 100 animals. Groups usually consist of three to four times as many females as males, but there are also all-male groups. Within the group there are hierarchies both within the males and within the females. Young males leave their group after reaching sexual maturity , while young females remain. The territorial behavior is not very pronounced, sometimes several groups share a territory for foraging. A variety of sounds and mutual grooming serve for communication and social interaction.

nutrition

Like most monkeys, macaques are omnivorous, but they prefer vegetable matter. Fruits make up the main part of the diet of many species, they also consume leaves, seeds, flowers, and in cooler regions also bark and tree needles. They also occasionally consume animal foods such as insects, bird eggs, crustaceans, and small vertebrates. On the coasts they also eat mussels, whose shells they open with the help of stones.

Rhesus monkey with cub

Reproduction

Japanese macaque ( Macaca fuscata )
Northern porcupine ( M. leonina )

The swelling and reddening of the females' genital area indicates that the males are fertile. For most species, fertility is seasonal and primarily depends on the food supply. Females and males mate with several partners; the same social rank should play a certain role in the choice of partner. After an average gestation period of 160 to 170 days , the female gives birth to a young. This is suckled for around a year and reaches sexual maturity at 3 to 4 years (females) or 6 to 7 years (males). The life expectancy is around 15 to 20 years, in human care they can live to be over 30 years.

Macaques and humans

Some macaque species are closely related to humans culturally.

In Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, macaques are used to harvest coconuts (see coconuts ).

Rhesus monkeys are sacred animals in India and often populate temples and cities.

Some species are also used as laboratory animals. The rhesus monkey was the subject of research when the rhesus factor was discovered . According to the results of molecular genetic research, HIV-2 is very closely related to the simian immunodeficiency virus SIVmac, which is common among rhesus monkeys . HIV-2 is the less virulent, less widespread AIDS pathogen than the main type HIV-1. Keeping macaques as pets in certain distribution regions on the one hand and the high RNA sequence homology between HIV-2 and SIVmac on the other support the hypothesis that the deadly immunodeficiency virus was transmitted from monkeys to humans.

For many species, the destruction of their habitat is the main threat. The two species living on the Mentawai Islands ( Pagai macaque and Siberut macaque ) are threatened with extinction, and the species endemic to Sulawesi such as the crested monkey and the black macaque are also endangered .

Systematics

The macaques are included in the baboon-like tribe (Papionini), where they form the subtribe Macacina, which is opposite to the other species (Papionina).

The cladogram shows the macaque's internal system:
  Macaca  



 M. fascicularis group + M. mulatta group


   

 M. sinica group + M. arctoides group



   

 M. silenus group



   

 Barbary macaque  ( Macaca sylvanus )



Template: Klade / Maintenance / Style

A total of 23 species are distinguished, which can be summarized in six generic groups:

The Pagai and Siberut macaques used to be grouped together as Mentawai macaques, the northern and southern porcupine macaques were also considered one species until recently. The Arunachalmakak was not scientifically described until 2004. In 2015 the white-cheeked macaque was described as an independent species.

literature

  • Thomas Geissmann : Comparative Primatology. Springer-Verlag, Berlin et al. 2003, ISBN 3-540-43645-6 .
  • Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. 6th edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 .
  • Don E. Wilson, DeeAnn M. Reeder (Eds.): Mammal Species of the World. A taxonomic and geographic Reference. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 .

Web links

Commons : Macaque  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files
Wiktionary: Makak  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Hans Kummer: Social behavior of the primates. Heidelberger Taschenbücher, Springer, 1975, p. 150.
  2. ↑ Jing Li, Kyudong Han, Jinchuan Xing, Heui-Soo Kim, Jeffrey Rogers, Oliver A. Ryder, Todd Disotell, Bisong Yue and Mark A. Batzer: Phylogeny of the macaques (Cercopithecidae: Macaca ) based on Alu elements. Genes. 2009 Dec 15; 448 (2): 242-249. June 2009. doi: 10.1016 / j.gene.2009.05.013
  3. ↑ D. Zinner, GH Fickenscher & C. Roos: Family Cercopithecidae (Old World monkeys). Pages 551-552 in Russell A. Mittermeier , Anthony B. Rylands & Don E. Wilson : Handbook of the Mammals of the World: Primates: 3rd ISBN 978-8496553897
  4. ↑ Cheng Li, Chao Zhao and Peng-Fei Fan. 2015. White-cheeked Macaque (Macaca leucogenys): A New Macaque Species from Modog, southeastern Tibet. American Journal of Primatology. (Am. J. Primatol.) DOI: 10.1002 / ajp.22394