Question

Which one of the following is a primate?

• A. Bear
• B. Otter
• C. Loris
• D. Pangolin

Hint:

Primates are known for grasping hands and forward facing eyes, a trait the loris shares with monkeys and apes.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Recall the defining features of primates.
Primates are a specific order of mammals marked by features such as forward facing eyes for good depth perception, flexible hands often with an opposable thumb, and generally a larger brain relative to body size compared to other mammal groups. This order includes humans, apes, monkeys, lemurs, and lorises.

Step 2: Check the loris.
The loris is a small, slow moving, nocturnal mammal found in forests, with large round eyes suited to night vision and grasping hands used to climb branches. It belongs to the family Lorisidae, which sits inside the order Primates.

Step 3: Rule out the other animals.

(A) Bear: The bear belongs to the order Carnivora, a group of mammals adapted mainly for a meat eating or omnivorous lifestyle, not to the order Primates. Incorrect.

(B) Otter: The otter is also placed in the order Carnivora, in the weasel family, adapted for a semi aquatic life, and is not a primate. Incorrect.

(D) Pangolin: The pangolin belongs to its own order, Pholidota, known for the hard overlapping scales covering its body, and is unrelated to the primate order. Incorrect.

Step 4: Final answer.
Among the four animals listed, only the loris belongs to the order Primates. \[ \boxed{\text{Loris}} \]