Monkeys in Danger

Monkey or simian are the words often used to identify all species of primates.

But they are a diverse group: gorillas, chimpanzees and orangutans are, for example, among the larger primates. With structurally complex brains, they are considered very intelligent animals, capable even of using tools. They are agile, friendly and very sociable, but the survival of some species of monkeys is threatened.

In Mexico, the governmental National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity put together a guide to identify the wild species of this country that are sold most, in order to protect them. To find out more about spider monkeys, sleeping monkeys, squirrel monkeys or any other bird or mammal included on the list of species protected from capture, transport or unregulated sale, connect yourself to: Monkeys

The guide includes all species protected by Mexican and international laws that attempt to halt illegal trafficking and trade in animals.

Pioneering Paleontologists

Research conducted in the early twentieth century turned brothers Florentino and Carlos Ameghino, born in Argentina, into South America's paleontology pioneers. Their studies of the land and its fossils in Patagonia has meant that later Argentine geologists and paleontologists have been able to discover that gigantic armadillos and enormous mammals once roamed the area.

Just click on Fossils, and you can learn more about those toothless native animals of the Americas that used paws with huge claws to dig their burrows. Or find out the reaction of the Spanish Crown in 1978 to the discovery of a nearly complete skeleton of an unknown animal of enormous proportions.

One surprising fact is that Florentino Ameghino was completely self-taught in the natural sciences. His insatiable curiosity and hunger for adventure led to the drive for knowledge in someone who held only a schoolteacher's degree.

Visit the Zoo

In the heart of Mexico City, the famed Chapultepec mountain rises, its name coming from the ancient Nahuatl word for grasshopper. It is the recreational area and also the lungs of this contaminated capital.

The hundred-year-old forest that covers the mountain gives a majestic touch to the castle at the top. For centuries, Chapultepec has also been a center of cultural and historic wealth, and is home to the prestigious National Museum of Anthropology.

But no one visiting Chapultepec can skip a tour of its zoo, surrounded by lakes, open-air theaters and art exhibits. By connecting yourself to Zoo, you can visit the large collection of animals and find out about methods to preserve various species of wild animals and research programs that seek to provide them with appropriate habitat.

Spider monkey/Claudio Contreras