I love primate questions! As a former zookeeper (primates, hoofstock and carnivores) the subject frequently comes to mind as a human primate!

Non-human primates tend to carry their young, even when they sleep. If you put your finger into a baby's hand, the hand reflexively wraps around your finger. Same baby hand, clump of fur, the hand wraps around the fur and doesn't easily come off. 

Little ones, like marmosets (pre-monkey, or prosimian) the fathers take their turns in carrying the babies. Babies get a handful of hair/fur, and cling, even if there are twins, which are common in the wee primates like marmosets and tamarins. Holding isn't too common, as the baby maneuvers itself for feeding, sleeping and stooling (the true ec, they lift themselves off the parent, pee/poop, and settle back against the parent - rarely do they soil the carrying parent/sibling!)

Small-medium size primates, like squirrel monkeys, guenons and spider monkeys, tend to cling to their mother, and the mother does some holding.

Larger primates, such as orangs, chimps and gorillas, tend to hold their babies, but the babies have a strong grasp, and easily entwine fingers in the long fur/hair of their mother. Larger primates start to walk around 5-6 months, and rarely do their feet touch the ground before this time. They instinctively know they have food, comfort and safety under the hair wrapped in their fingers.

Depending on the size of the critter, they sleep in nests on the floor, or in the trees. Each night, new nest. The little ones seemed to huddle up together on a branch, but that may have been a result of an unnatural habitat.

It is slightly disturbing to startle a family of primates, and have them take off into the trees, with a newborn clinging. Very, very rarely did the baby end up anywhere but in the safety of the parent or trusted sibling. a baby dropped, or left alone, is a prime target for a larger, faster animal to grab and eat. Primates value their offspring, and would not intentionally put them in danger. When a baby was left behind, we always gave the family plenty of space to retrieve their treasure - if you were known to have taken the baby, or your scent was on the baby, watch out. They don't forgive and forget - you will be suspected should there be another baby.

Personally, I believe the car seat/baby seat is more responsible for the flat-heads - how much time do they really sleep versus how much time they're parked in a seat?

Best wishes,
Sam Doak

> >   
> Other primate mammals have babies that cling to them, backs or fronts, 
> so maybe we can look at that. 
> 
> This is really interesting information.  I had kids who refused to sleep 
> on their backs no matter what I did and either fortunately or 
> unfortunately, I never had to worry about SIDS because they never slept 
> long enough!
> 
> How do primates sleep with their babies?  I am really not even sure how 
> primates sleep.  Do they lay down? 
> 
> Liz Cammin, LLL Leader, Midland, MI
> 
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