Timothy Eppley News Today

Some primates spend their entire lives in trees. They avoid the ground, where preferred food is scarce and predators lurk. But deforestation and climate change are threatening their homes in the branches. Habitat loss has some primates swinging down to see what the ground offers, scientists reported recently in the Proceedings of the National Academy […]

Timothy Eppley led a study of primates in the Americas and Madagascar looking at traits that may help them survive a changing climate.

Researchers from San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance say that warming temperatures will force primates to begin roaming the forest floor in search of shade and water.

Normally tree-dwelling primates impacted by the twin pressures of climate change and deforestation are starting to spend more time on the ground. 

Large-scale research of 47 species of monkeys and lemurs revealed that climate change and deforestation are pushing these tree-dwelling animals to the ground, putting them at greater risk owing to a lack of preferable food and shelter and may have more unfavorable interactions with humans and domestic animals.

While primates have proven to be "incredibly adaptable," the warming change is "one of the many big threats," one of the studys co-authors said.

Rising temperatures and deforestation are pushing tree-dwelling primates to spend more time on the ground in search of shade and water