Spider monkey

Article summary

Spider monkeys are New World monkeys belonging to the genus Ateles, part of the subfamily Atelinae, family Atelidae. Like other atelines, they are found in tropical forests of Central and South America, from southern Mexico to Brazil. The genus consists of seven species, all of which are under threat; the brown spider monkey is critically endangered. They are also notable for their ability to be easily bred in captivity. According to the Saint Louis Zoo, spider monkeys, which have arms longer than their legs, but lack thumbs, are so-called because they hang from branches by their prehensile tail, with their long limbs suspended in the air, for which they resemble spiders dangling from a web. They are one of the largest New World monkeys. Spider monkeys live in the upper layers of the rainforest and forage in the high canopy, from . Due to their large size, spider monkeys require large tracts of moist evergreen forests, and prefer undisturbed primary rainforest. They primarily eat fruits, but will also occasionally consume leaves, flowers, and insects. They are social animals and live in bands of up to 35 individuals, but will split up to forage during the day. Meta-analyses on primate cognition studies conducted in the 2000s indicated spider monkeys are the most intelligent New World monkeys.…

Key claims

1. date of birth: 1962 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95

Discussion questions

1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
2. The record states that the date of birth is "1962". What evidence would count against this claim?
3. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
4. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

Bibliography

1. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1368374830