What's the difference between monkeys and apes? Are there species of apes besides gorillas, chimpanzees, orangutans and bonobos? Are baboons apes or monkeys?
by 
debodun
ANSWERS: 3
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Usually apes are referred to as 'new world monkeys' and what we usually call monkeys 'old world monkeys' the main difference being the presence of a prehensile tail. The new world monkeys have lost their tails and now live more on the ground rather than swinging through the canopies like their (usually south american) cousins. Hope this helps.
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Monkeys are monkeys and apes are apes. Monkeys always have tails (though sometimes very short). Apes never have tails. With the exception of the gibbon, apes are larger than all monkeys. Apes also tend to have very long arms in relationship to their body and are thought to be more intelligent than monkeys. The difference between old world and new world monkeys mentioned by the previous poster is the difference between African/Asian (i.e., "Old world") monkeys and South American (i.e., "New World") monkeys, but apes are not "New World Monkeys". In fact, all apes live in Africa or Asia. There are no apes in South America.
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I forgot to answer the second and third questions. Gibbons are also apes, though they are lesser apes. Baboons are monkeys -- though very short, they do have tails. Same with mandrills and drills.
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