Primate Classification

Taxonomists disagree about the best way to establish classifications, so they are likely to disagree about the classifications themselves.

In the case of the Primates, all agree that the group is an Order of mammals with two sub-orders.

However, there is disagreement about the make-up of the two sub-orders. These disagreements reflect the different approaches to classification adopted by classical evolutionary taxonomy and cladistics.

The most widely-used classification divides the orders into:

• Sub-order Prosimii: the prosimians (lemurs, lorises and tarsiers);
• Sub-order Anthropoidea (or Simii): the anthropoids or simians (monkeys, apes and humans).

Anotherclassification is:

• Sub-order Strepsirhini: the lemurs and lorises;
• Sub-order Haplorhini: the tarsiers, monkeys, apes and humans.

You will encounter both schemes in your background reading.