Probably one of the most successful video game franchises in recent years, Monster Hunter has always been a series that has captured the imagination of many people with its fantastical yet realistic creatures. From the scary Vaal Hazak to the goofy...
When we think of Primates, we typically picture animals that are very well adapted for an arboreal lifestyle, and for the most part this is a fairly accurate depiction, as most of the order's members spend at least half of their time in trees. However, this is far from being a set rule.
The genus Homo and Lynian superfamily, are prime examples of Primates coming down from the canopies to become perfectly suited for life on the ground. But another, less obvious member of this troop is the Pelagus infraorder.
Although there are a few species in this infraorder who are very well adapted for life in the trees, most of them send a lot if not all of their time on the ground. Unfortunately, the fossil record of these animals is chopy at best, meaning we don't know much on how these unique Primates became what they are today. However, we can still make some assumptions by examining modern Pelagi.
There are a lot of bizarre features which are only seen in Pelagi and the weirdest is their back legs. Most Primates are plantigrades, meaning that they walk on their heels; however, in the case of this infraorder, all of its species are digitigrades, animals who move on the tips of their toes.
Similarly to the Fellyns, the only other type of Primates who are digitigrades, this change in leg structure points to a more terrestrial lifestyle. These proportions allow the users to increase their running efficiency by lengthening the hind limbs, as well as improve the storage and recovery of energy located within their tendons and ligaments.
This feature tells us that Pelagi have likely been living on land for much longer than other Primates, as they've had the time to evolve a more efficient way of terrestrial locomotion. It could also explain why the predominantly arboreal members, like Kecha Wacha and Bishaten, adapted dramatically different ways of moving around the canopies. Since their ancestors were ground dwellers who lost their long, opposable toes so they wouldn't get in the way while walking, it would have actually been easier to evolve these extreme tools, rather than regaining their prehensile digits.
The biggest reason why so few members of the infraorder have returned to the trees is because of their size. Because most Pelagi, especially the males, are heavier than the majority of other Primates, climbing into trees just wouldn't be very efficient if the branches they're on can't hold their weight. Because of this, these land-based animals have become very muscular in order to fight off predators, and the strongest of them all, are the Vrontothecus archontas.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Better known as Rajangs, a name which may have originated from the sanskrit word hraja, meaning king, these animals are the second largest Pelagus species in the world, with fully grown males standing 1.6 meters in height, 2.8 when they're on their back legs, and 1.7 in length. Meanwhile, females are smaller, with their prepositions typically being 1.4 meters in height and 1.5 in length.
Despite being around the same size as silverback gorillas, Rajangs are noticeably stronger, capable of matching the strength of animals that are much larger than themselves. Some of these feats of incredible power include flipping cars on their sides, pulling around 2 meter long logs, and holding back bears.
