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Macaca sylvanus, commonly known as the Barbary macaque, is a primate species native to the Atlas Mountains of Morocco and is one of the world's most endangered monkeys. It matters because it is the only macaque species found outside of Asia, making it scientifically unique and important for understanding primate evolution and biodiversity.
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Taxonomy · GBIF
SPECIES
- KingdomAnimalia
- PhylumChordata
- ClassMammalia
- OrderPrimates
- FamilyCercopithecidae
via GBIF · CC0
Article
The Barbary macaque (Macaca sylvanus) is a macaque species native to the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, along with a small introduced population in Gibraltar. It is the type species of the genus Macaca. From the Early Pliocene to the Late Pleistocene, until around 85-40,000 years ago, it was widely distributed in Europe. Today, the Barbary macaques in Gibraltar are the only Old World monkeys in Europe. About 300 individuals live on the Rock of Gibraltar. This population appears to be stable or increasing, while the North African population is declining.
The diet of the Barbary macaque consists primarily of plants and insects. Males play an atypical role in rearing young. Because of uncertain paternity, males are integral to raising all infants. Generally, both sexes and all ages contribute in alloparental care of the young. Males live to around 25 years old while females may live up to 30 years.