Were there ever monkeys in North America?

1. 67

   Lady Guinevereposted 10 years ago

   Were there ever monkeys in North America?
   
   I have seen that the monkey has been on almost every other continent on Earth.  Were there ever monkeys on the Northern part of the continent that we now have Canada and North America?

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2. 82

   junksellerposted 10 years ago

   There were monkeys a long time ago (tens of millions of years ago) but the climate was much warmer (palm trees in Alaska). The climate then cooled significantly and most went extinct. The only survivors were monkeys in Central America we now call New World Monkeys. They were adapted to living in trees in warm, wet climates and so their range never pushed beyond Mexico.
   
   Still seems a bit surprising to me that as smart as they are they didn't eventually work their way north.

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   1. 67

      Lady Guinevereposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      They are.  They are in Rusia and in China and Mongolia, so the temps are not what made them move or not come to this part of the world.  What about the Land Bridge from Alaska to China?

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   2. 82

      junksellerposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I don't think it was just temperature. The strip of land across the top of Mexico and into Texas, Arizona, etc. is desert/scrubland and very dry. Most monkeys live in tropical or sub-tropical regions.

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   EuroCafeAuLaitposted 10 years ago

   As far as I know, there were none. The only notable exception may be my children....

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   1. 67

      Lady Guinevereposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      LOL! I love it!

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4. 61

   The Examiner-1posted 10 years ago

   There were no native monkeys. Any others were imported.

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   1. 67

      Lady Guinevereposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Doesn't that sound strange to you as it does to me.  I wonder why. Thanks for answering my question too.

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      The Examiner-1posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I guess that it does, perhaps it depends on their background. Like the climate of North America. They are usually in warm climates I believe.

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