Fauna of South Africa
The largest primate in the region, excluding humans, is the chacma baboon. A true generalist, it is found in virtually all habitats in South Africa. The other primates in the region are the vervet monkey and the Samango monkey. They are mainly frugivores, although they are true opportunists and may take eggs and nestlings from bird nests.
Human evolution
Evolutionary history of the primates can be traced back 65 million years. One of the oldest known primate-like mammal species, the "Plesiadapis", came from North America; another, "Archicebus", came from China. Other similar basal primates were widespread in Eurasia and Africa during the tropical conditions of the Paleocene and Eocene.