kädelliset

Kädelliset is the Finnish word for the order Primates. This diverse group of mammals includes lemurs, lorises, tarsiers, monkeys, and apes, including humans. Primates are characterized by several shared traits, although not all are present in every species. These typically include large brains relative to body size, forward-facing eyes that provide stereoscopic vision, and grasping hands and feet with opposable thumbs and big toes. Many primates also have nails instead of claws on their digits, which aids in grasping.

The order Primates is divided into two suborders: Strepsirrhini and Haplorhini. Strepsirrhini, often called "wet-nosed" primates, includes lemurs and lorises, which generally retain more primitive primate features such as a wet nose (rhinarium) and a more reliance on smell. Haplorhini, or "dry-nosed" primates, encompasses tarsiers, monkeys, and apes. This group is further divided into infraorders: Tarsiiformes (tarsiers), Simiiformes (anthropoids), which includes monkeys and apes.

Primates are found in a wide range of habitats across the globe, primarily in tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Their diets are also varied, with many species being omnivorous, while others are primarily frugivorous, insectivorous, or folivorous. Primates play important ecological roles in their environments, often acting as seed dispersers. Their complex social structures and behaviors have been a significant area of study for biologists and anthropologists.