Question

List the features that help to distinguish between Cercopithecoidea and Hominoidea.

Answer 1

Cercopithecoldea and Hominoidea:

It has already been mentioned that two superfamilies, namely, Cercopithecoidea (Old World monkeys) and Hominoidea (gibbon, orangutan, gorilla, chimpanzee and human) form the infraorder catarrhini. The major differences between these two superfamilies are in general as follows.

1. Hominoids are usually bigger in size than Old World monkeys.
2. Hominoids have longer life span than Old World monkeys.
3. Hominoids do not possess tails, while most members of Old World monkeys have tails.
4. Most hominoids do not have ischial callosities at birth, though after birth in some these may grow. But Old World monkeys have ischial callosities from the time of birth.
5. Hominoids have more complex brains than Old World monkeys. In them cerebral cortex is well-developed. 6. Hominoids have larger brain-size to body-weight ratios than Old World monkeys.

Cercopithecoidea

• Cercopithecoidea is a superfamily of primates.
• There are 157 species of Cercopithecoidea, in 25 genera and 2 families.
• It includes groups like Old World Monkeys and Victoriapithecidae

Hominoidea

• Hominidae is one of the two living families of the ape superfamily Hominoidea, the other being the Hylobatidae.
• Hominidae includes the great apes- the orangutans, the gorillas, the chimpanzees and bonobos as well as human beings.