There are five species of squirrel monkey and they live throughout Central and South America. (Image credit: Heather Paul via Getty Images)

Primates — the mammalian group that includes humans — are found pretty much everywhere on Earth, from equatorial rainforests to scientific research stations in Antarctica. This hugely diverse order appeared before the dinosaurs went extinct, with wild populations of non-human primates evolving to live in niches across three continents — Asia, Africa and Central/South America.

Primates don't just live in lots of places; there are also hundreds of species and subspecies. In fact, the order primates is the fourth most biodiverse mammal order in the animal kingdom — yet the majority (62.6%) of primates are threatened with extinction.

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Sophie is a U.K.-based staff writer at Live Science. She covers a wide range of topics, having previously reported on research spanning from bonobo communication to the first water in the universe. Her work has also appeared in outlets including New Scientist, The Observer and BBC Wildlife, and she was shortlisted for the Association of British Science Writers' 2025 "Newcomer of the Year" award for her freelance work at New Scientist. Before becoming a science journalist, she completed a doctorate in evolutionary anthropology from the University of Oxford, where she spent four years looking at why some chimps are better at using tools than others.

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