Apes aren't monkeys damnit!

[matgb]

Dear BBC.

You've just assaulted my eardrums with some music—in a news report on Radio 4, a radio station which has as a selling point a lack of music.

In it, the reporter revealed, once again, a complete lack of basic understanding. Chimpanzees are APES, not MONKEYS. Please send your reporters on a refresher course. I'm sure this little guy is upset enough, you don't need to insult him as well.

Comments

[miss_s_b]

I love you. And the Librarian does too. I think we need a "Librarians Rule Ook" icon...

[rho]

Well. From a purely cladistic approach, all apes are monkeys, in the same sense that all birds are dinosaurs. Of course, I rather doubt that the reporter in question was a disgruntled cladist who was dissatisfied with the paraphyletic grade "monkey".

[innerbrat]

This is why many zoologists refer to three distinct extant groups: 'apes', 'old world monkeys' and 'new world monkeys'. I guess you could say there's no such thing as a 'monkey', just as there's no such thing as an 'amphibian' or a 'reptile'.

OTOH, what you said about the reporter.

[matgb]

Heh, I just had to golook up what cladistic meant. I take my lead from Sir Terry,if the Librarian changes his mind...

[zebrallama]

+1

[maddock-ist-rad.livejournal.com]

"I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles" was actually one of his B-sides, yah know :\