Page:Niger Delta Ecosystems- the ERA Handbook, 1998.djvu/78

The Lowland Equatorial Monsoon Ecozone Primates: are Placental Mammals which live in trees and on the ground, have an ability to eat a wide range of food, and which spend more time than most animals raising a smaller number of young.

Moreover, Primates have freely moving digits (our fingers and toes) which enable them to grasp things. This facility coupled with the ability to see in colour, to judge depth and to differentiate between objects in a field of vision, has given the primates a distinct advantage over other animals. The higher Primates (what we generally call monkeys) are also able to hold an upright position.

The highest Primates are made up of two super-families, the Cercopithecoidae and the Hominoidea, which include a number of species well known in the Niger Delta in the past and, in some cases, in the present. These include the following.

The Gorilla, found in the Mbe Mountains in Cross River State, is another one of the Pongidae. In parts of the Niger Delta large male Chimpanzees are sometimes confused as Gorillas.

The Drill (closely related to the Baboon), is a Cercopithecid found in the LEM forests of Cross River State.

Hominids (Humankind) are the most developed Primates, having the ability to walk permanently upright which frees the hands for other activities.

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