The WEIRD Way Monkeys Got to America

TL;DR

Monkeys from Africa likely reached South America by floating on rafts made of driftwood, debris, and vegetation.

Transcript

Every single monkey in South America is a  descendant of African monkeys. We know that   because we’ve looked at their DNA. But – and  this is going to sound pretty obvious – South   America and Africa are not close to each other  – and even back in the day when those monkeys   first arrived in South America, those continents  were still very far a... Read More

Key Insights

• 🌎 Monkeys likely reached South America by rafting on driftwood, debris, and vegetation.
• 😘 The probability of a successful monkey rafting trip is low, but there are no other plausible explanations.
• 🙈 Strong east to west currents, calm waves during certain times of the year, and daily rainfall along tropical latitudes increased the chances of survival for monkey rafts.
• 👻 Over millions of years, the rare occurrence of successful rafting trips would have allowed monkeys to populate South America.
• ❓ Rafting has been a plausible explanation for the dispersal of other species, such as lemurs and reptiles.
• 😀 Scientists documented a natural rafting event that brought iguanas to an island over 100 miles away.

Questions & Answers

Q: How do scientists know that monkeys from South America are descendants of African monkeys?

Scientists have studied their DNA, confirming that all monkeys in South America have African ancestry.

Q: What is the rafting hypothesis?

The rafting hypothesis suggests that monkeys from Africa reached South America by floating on rafts made of vegetation, driftwood, and debris.

Q: What are the factors that would have had to align for a monkey rafting trip to be successful?

First, a mat of vegetation with monkeys would have needed to break off and float out to sea. Second, the mat would have had to stay afloat for weeks without breaking apart. Third, the monkeys would need enough food and water to survive the journey. Fourth, the mat would have had to land in a place suitable for the monkeys. Fifth, enough monkeys would need to survive to reproduce.

Q: Why couldn't monkeys walk, swim, or fly to South America?

There were no land bridges connecting Africa and South America, and primates were not great swimmers. Flying was also not a possibility.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Monkeys in South America are descendants of African monkeys, despite the continents being far apart. Scientists believe they reached South America by rafting.

• The rafting hypothesis suggests that a mat of vegetation with monkeys on it broke off and floated to sea, eventually landing in South America.

• While the probability of a successful monkey rafting trip is incredibly small, it is the only plausible explanation for how monkeys reached South America.