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. 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. 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 genusModern common nameOriginal scientific nameCarlito Groves and Shekelle, 2010Philippine tarsierSimia syrichta Linnaeus, 1758Callithrix Erxleben, 1777Silvery marmosetSimia argentata Linnaeus, 1771Common marmosetSimia jacchus Linnaeus, 1758Leontopithecus Lesson, 1840Golden lion tamarinSimia rosalia Linnaeus, 1766Saguinus Hoffmannsegg, 1807Brown-mantled tamarinSimia leonina Humboldt, 1806P. Hershkovitz: Living New World monkeys (Platyrrhini): with an introduction to Primates Univ. of Chicago Press 1977. . S. 642ffRed-handed tamarinSimia midas Linnaeus, 1758Cotton-top tamarinSimia oedipus Linnaeus, 1758Cebus Erxleben, 1777White-fronted capuchinSimia albifrons Humboldt, 1812White-headed capuchinSimia capucina Linnaeus, 1758Tufted capuchinSimia apella Linnaeus, 1758Simia fatuellus Linnaeus, 1766Saimiri Voigt, 1831Common squirrel monkeySimia sciurea Linnaeus, 1758Alouatta Lacépède, 1799Red-handed howlerSimia belzebul Linnaeus, 1766Venezuelan red howlerSimia seniculus Linnaeus, 1766Ateles É. Geoffroy, 1806Red-faced spider monkeySimia paniscus Linnaeus, 1758Lagothrix É. Geoffroy, 1812Brown woolly monkeySimia lagotricha Humboldt, 1812Pithecia Desmarest, 1804White-faced sakiSimia pithecia Linnaeus, 1766Chiropotes Lesson, 1840Black bearded sakiSimia chiropotes Humboldt, 1812Callicebus Thomas, 1903Black titiSimia lugens Humboldt, 1812?Atlantic titiSimia personatus É. Geoffroy, 1812Chlorocebus Gray, 1870GrivetSimia aethiops Linnaeus, 1758Green monkeySimia sabacea Linnaeus, 1766Cercopithecus Linnaeus, 1758(named as a subsection of Simia)Moustached guenonSimia cephus Linnaeus, 1758Diana monkeySimia diana Linnaeus, 1758Simia faunus Linnaeus, 1758Greater spot-nosed monkeySimia nictitans Linnaeus, 1766Macaca Lacépède, 1799Crab-eating macaqueSimia aygula Linnaeus, 1758Barbary macaque?Simia cynamolgos Linnaeus, 1758?Simia cynomolgus Linnaeus, 1766Simia inuus Linnaeus, 1766Simia sylvanus Linnaeus, 1758Southern pig-tailed macaqueSimia nemestrina Linnaeus, 1766Lion-tailed macaqueSimia silenus Linnaeus, 1758Toque macaqueSimia sinica Linnaeus, 1771Papio Erxleben, 1777Hamadryas baboonSimia hamadryas Linnaeus, 1758Yellow baboonSimia cynocephalus Linnaeus, 1766Mandrillus Ritgen, 1824MandrillSimia sphinx Linnaeus, 1758Simia maimon Linnaeus, 1766Pygathrix É. Geoffroy, 1812Red-shanked doucSimia nemaeus Linnaeus, 1771Pongo Lacépède, 1799Bornean orangutanSimia pygmaeus Linnaeus, 1760Simia satyrus Linnaeus, 1758Pan Oken, 1816Common chimpanzeeSimia satyrus Linnaeus, 1758Simia troglodytes Blumenbach, 1775(unknown)Simia apedia Linnaeus, 1758Simia morta Linnaeus, 1758Simia trepida Linnaeus, 1766Simia veter Linnaeus, 1766
See also Mammalia in the 10th edition of Systema Naturae
References
External links Disposition of Primate Names Used by Linnaeus