The Atelinae are a subfamily of

New World monkey New World monkeys are the five families of primates that are found in the tropical regions of Mexico, Central and South America: Callitrichidae, Cebidae, Aotidae, Pitheciidae, and Atelidae. The five families are ranked together as the Ceboidea ( ...

s in the family

Atelidae The Atelidae are one of the five families of New World monkeys now recognised. It was formerly included in the family Cebidae. Atelids are generally larger monkeys; the family includes the howler, spider, woolly, and woolly spider monkeys (t ...

, and includes the various

spider Spiders ( order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species ...

and

woolly monkey The woolly monkeys are the genus ''Lagothrix'' of New World monkeys, usually placed in the family Atelidae. Both species in this genus originate from the rainforests of South America. They have prehensile tails and live in relatively large soci ...

s. The primary distinguishing feature of the atelines is their long

prehensile tail A prehensile tail is the tail of an animal that has adapted to grasp or hold objects. Fully prehensile tails can be used to hold and manipulate objects, and in particular to aid arboreal creatures in finding and eating food in the trees. If the ta ...

s, which can support their entire body weight. Atelines live on the

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

continent from southern

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

through central

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

and

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

. Diurnal and

arboreal Arboreal locomotion is the Animal locomotion, locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some animals may scale trees only occasionally, but others are exclusively arboreal. Th ...

, they move speedily and acrobatically through the trees using their tails. Atelines, along with the related

howler monkey Howler monkeys (genus ''Alouatta'', monotypic in subfamily Alouattinae) are the most widespread primate genus in the Neotropics and are among the largest of the platyrrhines along with the muriquis (''Brachyteles''), the spider monkeys (''Ateles' ...

s, are the largest of the New World monkeys. They live in groups, show amicable intergroup relations, and can coalesce into large aggregations for extended periods of time. Atelines are frugivore-folivores, their diet consisting primarily of fruits, seeds and leaves, with ''Ateles'' being the most frugivorous, fruits comprising over 80% of their diet. Those species relying most heavily on patchily distributed fruit trees have the largest ranges. These animals are characterized by a slow reproduction rate: females only bear young once every two to four years. Many species are hunted for their meat, and the destruction of their habitat likewise endangers them; the

spider monkey 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 g ...

already stands at the edge of extermination.

Classification

Extant taxa

* Family

: howler, spider and woolly monkeys ** Subfamily

Alouattinae Howler monkeys (genus ''Alouatta'', monotypic in subfamily Alouattinae) are the most widespread primate genus in the Neotropics and are among the largest of the platyrrhines along with the muriquis (''Brachyteles''), the spider monkeys (''Ateles' ...

** Subfamily Atelinae *** Genus ''

Ateles 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 g ...

'': spider monkeys *** Genus ''

Brachyteles The muriquis, also known as woolly spider monkeys, are the monkeys of the genus ''Brachyteles''. They are closely related to both the spider monkeys and the woolly monkeys. The two species are the southern (''B. arachnoides'') and northern (' ...

'': muriquis (woolly spider monkeys) *** Genus ''

Lagothrix The woolly monkeys are the genus ''Lagothrix'' of New World monkeys, usually placed in the family Atelidae. Both species in this genus originate from the rainforests of South America. They have prehensile tails and live in relatively large soci ...

'': woolly monkeys

Prehistoric taxa

*Subfamily Atelinae **Genus '' Stirtonia'' ***''

Stirtonia tatacoensis ''Stirtonia'' is an extinct genus of New World monkeys from the Middle Miocene (Laventan in the South American land mammal ages; 13.8 to 11.8 Ma). Its remains have been found at the Konzentrat-Lagerstätte of La Venta in the Honda Group of ...

'' ***''

Stirtonia victoriae ''Stirtonia'' is an extinct genus of New World monkeys from the Middle Miocene (Laventan in the South American land mammal ages; 13.8 to 11.8 Ma). Its remains have been found at the Konzentrat-Lagerstätte of La Venta in the Honda Group of ...

'' **Genus ''

Protopithecus ''Protopithecus'' is an extinct genus of large New World monkey that lived during the Pleistocene. Fossils have been found in the Toca da Boa Vista cave of Brazil, as well as other locales in the country. Fossils of another large, but less robu ...

'' ***''

Protopithecus brasiliensis ''Protopithecus'' is an extinct genus of large New World monkey that lived during the Pleistocene. Fossils have been found in the Toca da Boa Vista cave of Brazil, as well as other locales in the country. Fossils of another large, but less robu ...

'' **Genus ''

Caipora Caipora is an entity of the Tupi- Guarani mythology in Brazil. The word "Caipora" comes from tupi and means "inhabitant of the forest". It is represented as a dark-skinned, small Native American, naked with a very long red mane, smoking a cigar ...

'' ***''

Caipora bambuiorum ''Caipora'' is an extinct genus of large New World monkey that lived during the Pleistocene. It contains a single species, ''Caipora bambuiorum''. Fossils have been found only in Brazil's Toca da Boa Vista cave, alongside the larger ''Protopithec ...

'' **Genus ''

Solimoea ''Solimoea acrensis'' is a prehistoric ateline monkey from the Late Miocene Solimões Formation of Brazil. It is the only known species of the genus ''Solimoea''. Discovery and naming Despite the abundance of primates in modern-day Amazonia, th ...

'' ***''

Solimoea acrensis ''Solimoea acrensis'' is a prehistoric ateline monkey from the Late Miocene Solimões Formation of Brazil. It is the only known species of the genus ''Solimoea''. Discovery and naming Despite the abundance of primates in modern-day Amazonia, th ...

References

Taxa named by John Edward Gray Extant Miocene first appearances Taxa described in 1825 {{newworld-monkey-stub