In his Systema Naturae of 1758, Carl Linnaeus divided the Order Primates within Mammalia into four genera: Homo, Simia, Lemur, and Vespertilio. His Vespertilio included all bats, and has since been moved from Primates to Chiroptera.[1] Homo contained humans, Lemur contained four lemurs and a colugo, and Simia contained the other Primates. Linnaeus did not think that Homo should form a distinct group from Simia, classifying them separately mainly to avoid conflict with religious authorities. If this is taken into account, Simia (including Homo) would be roughly equivalent to the Suborder Haplorhini of the Primates (while Lemur would be roughly equivalent to the Suborder Strepsirrhini).
Homo, Lemur, and Vespertilio have survived as generic names, but Simia has not. All the species have since been moved to other genera, and in 1929, the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature ruled in its Opinion 114 that Simia be suppressed.[2] The genus Simias is distinct and remains valid, containing a single species, the pig-tailed langur (Simias concolor).
The original genus Simia came to include these species:
Modern genus Modern common name Original scientific name Carlito Groves and Shekelle, 2010 Philippine tarsier Simia syrichta Linnaeus, 1758 Callithrix Erxleben, 1777 Silvery marmoset Simia argentata Linnaeus, 1771 Common marmoset Simia jacchus Linnaeus, 1758 Leontopithecus Lesson, 1840 Golden lion tamarin Simia rosalia Linnaeus, 1766 Saguinus Hoffmannsegg, 1807 Brown-mantled tamarin Simia leonina Humboldt, 1806[3] Red-handed tamarin Simia midas Linnaeus, 1758 Cotton-top tamarin Simia oedipus Linnaeus, 1758 Cebus Erxleben, 1777 White-fronted capuchin Simia albifrons Humboldt, 1812 White-headed capuchin Simia capucina Linnaeus, 1758 Tufted capuchin Simia apella Linnaeus, 1758 Simia fatuellus Linnaeus, 1766 Saimiri Voigt, 1831 Common squirrel monkey Simia sciurea Linnaeus, 1758 Alouatta Lacépède, 1799 Red-handed howler Simia belzebul Linnaeus, 1766 Venezuelan red howler Simia seniculus Linnaeus, 1766 Ateles É. Geoffroy, 1806 Red-faced spider monkey Simia paniscus Linnaeus, 1758 Lagothrix É. Geoffroy, 1812 Brown woolly monkey Simia lagotricha Humboldt, 1812 Pithecia Desmarest, 1804 White-faced saki Simia pithecia Linnaeus, 1766 Chiropotes Lesson, 1840 Black bearded saki Simia chiropotes Humboldt, 1812 Callicebus Thomas, 1903 Black titi Simia lugens Humboldt, 1812? Atlantic titi Simia personatus É. Geoffroy, 1812 Chlorocebus Gray, 1870 Grivet Simia aethiops Linnaeus, 1758 Green monkey Simia sabacea Linnaeus, 1766 Cercopithecus Linnaeus, 1758
