Howler monkey ancestors began eating leaves 13 million years ago, changing course of primate history in South America
Mar 11, 2026
Thirteen million years ago, a group of medium-sized monkeys known for guarding their territory among the treetops with fearsome "howls" started doing something new. These monkeys, among the oldest known ancestors of the modern howler monkey, started eating leaves, causing them to evolve a larger bod
y size and differentiate themselves from other primates, says a team of researchers led by a scientist at Johns Hopkins Medicine. ...read more read less