Primates I consider "basics":
- New World:
- Golden Lion Tamarin
- Geoffroy's Spider Monkey
- Black Howler Monkey
- Cotton Top Tamarin
- Squirrel Monkey
- Emperor Tamarin
- Tufted Capuchin
- Old World:
- Guereza
- Baboon
- De Brazza's Guenon
- Grey Langur
- Golden Snub-Nosed Monkey
- Barbary Macaque
- Lion Tailed Macaque
If I could only pick seven to just cover basic species, I'd probably choose:
- Golden Lion Tamarin
- Geoffroy's Spider Monkey
- Black Howler Monkey
- Cotton Top Tamarin
- Mantled Guereza
- De Brazza's Guenon
- Hamadryas Baboon
I see a ton of tamarins and African tropical monkeys, so those four picks would add something for those niches, which need more than one thing. I think a baboon is super important and would have a totally different habitat than anything else in the game right now. Howler monkeys would add a neat primate option with chorus behavior, and the spider monkeys would add a South American animal that can brachiate. Both of them plus the tamarins and white-faced capuchin would equal a more passable South American primate roster for me. An Indian monkey, GSNM, and Barbary macaque seem important to their respective regions, but I don't see them nearly as often in zoos. The other South American monkeys would be great to have, too. Honestly, the honorable mentions seem so basic to me, too, but with limited slots, I'm trying to pick what I need for "typical" zoos near me.