Keeping in mind our recent discussions about the difficulties of identifying a true primate species, we have compiled for you a few tables that show what is generally accepted by primatologists regarding the classification of primates. By clicking on the links below, you can view the common and scientific names of all the living species of primates to date and see where they rest on the primate family tree.

Prosimians

Tarsiers

New World Monkeys

Old World Monkeys and Apes

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*For more on classification and taxonomy in general,  click here to “Go on a Naming Bus with Carolus Linnaeus.”

**For references, click here.

Old World primates are those found in the Eastern Hemisphere, namely Africa, Asia, and a few areas of Europe.  For a complete listing of Old World anthropoid species, including cercopithecine monkeys, colobine monkeys, lesser apes, greater apes, and humans, click on the link below:

Old_World_Taxonomy (pdf file)

New World primates include those found in the Western Hemisphere, namely Central and South America. For a complete listing of New World monkey species, click on the link below.

New_World_taxonomy (pdf file)

Tarsiers are a difficult species to classify due to their interesting mix of prosimian and monkey-like traits, not to mention their very own unique features! (For more on tarsiers, read our Asian primate section.) Click the link below for a listing of the tarsier species.

Tarsier_taxonomy

Prosimians include the wet nosed primates, such as lemurs, indrids, and aye aye. (For more on what makes a prosimian, check our our Types of Primates page.) For a complete listing of prosimians, click on the link below.

Prosimian_taxonomy (pdf)