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Difference Between Monkey and Human

Monkey vs Human

It would never be a problem to identify a human from a monkey for anyone. It is mostly because, the great variety between monkey and human. However, it would be important to list them and discuss as to how these two animals differ from each other. Sometimes, it is not easy to list those differences albeit they are obvious. This article aims to list those important differences between monkeys and humans.

Monkey

Mainly, there are two types of monkeys known as old world and new world. Altogether, there are more than 260 extant species of monkeys. They demonstrate one of the greatest variations in sizes. The smallest member, Pygmy Marmoset, is only 140 millimetres tall with a weight of 4 – 5 ounces, while the largest member, Mandrill, could weigh up to 35 kilograms and can be as tall as 1 metre at their standing posture. Monkeys show great adaptations for an arboreal life, which is to climb and jump among trees. However, there are some species of monkeys prefer to live in the savannah grasslands. Monkeys feed on an omnivorous diet more often than on herbivorous or carnivorous diets. Usually, they do not stand in the upright posture, but walk with all four limbs most of the time. There are differences between new world and old world monkeys as well; new world monkeys have a prehensile tail and colour vision in their eyes, but not in the old world species. All the monkeys have five digits with an opposable thumb in limbs. Additionally, they also have the binocular vision as all other primates. They are long-lived animals, as some species have their lifespan up to 50 years, but some could live only 10 years.

Human

Humans, Homo sapiens, are the most evolved species of all animal species. Despite their uniqueness among all the animals, humans are different among themselves with regard to the desires, habits, talents, ideas, skills…etc. The humans have remarkable abilities to understand, explain, and utilize the environment with respect to science, philosophy, and religion. In addition, humans are social animals with strong relationships among them. Modern man is of mainly three types known as Caucasoid, Negroid, and Mongoloid. Usually, an average healthy adult human weighs about 50 to 80 kilograms, while the height could vary within 1.5 and 1.8 metres, but unhealthy or unusual human beings could go beyond these limits. Humans are omnivorous in food habits, while some people choose to be vegetarian due to immune problems or conceptual preferences. Humans have the binocular vision as in all the primates. Humans do not have opposable thumbs in both pairs of limbs, but only in the forelimbs. From the age around one year, humans stand and walk in an upright posture, their backbone and the rest of the skeleton have adapted for the upright pose. The life expectancy at birth for humans at birth averages around 67 years.

What is the difference between Monkey and Human?

• Humans belong to one species, Homo sapiens, while there are over 260 species of monkeys.

• There are two main groups of monkey species known as new world and old world based on their distribution. However, humans do not have groups of species, but three types of the modern man are Caucasoid, Negroid, and Mongoloid.

• Humans could domesticate many animal species using the intelligence, while monkeys do not live together with other animals.

• Monkeys have opposable thumbs on both pairs of limbs, whereas humans have those on the forelimbs only.

• The average lifespan of humans is higher than that of monkeys.

• Humans stand and walk at an upright posture, while monkeys walk on all four limbs.

• Monkeys mostly inhabit trees, and they are arboreal, while humans prefer to inhabit the ground.