A long series of unlikely events sent a few monkeys across thousands of km of open sea. The mission ought to have come to a bad end, but the monkeys ended up conquering South America.
MONKEYS SAIL ON THE RIVER Monkeys and other animals can take refuge on the rafts, which might measure thousands of m2. After heavy rain, the river might carry the raft to 2 the ocean. O C E A N C U R E N T ATLANTIC OCEAN LONG JOURNEYS ON OCEAN CURRENTS The raft is captured by the South Equatorial Current, which carries it west across the Atlantic Ocean. The journey to South America takes at least 2-3 weeks. En route, the monkeys can feed on plants, insects, and rainwater, that have collected 3 on the raft. NATIVES THREATEN NEWCOMERS The dangers are not over, once the monkeys have landed. But in spite of new, unknown diseases and dangerous predators – including 2-m-high terror birds – the monkeys survive and establish a new population in South America. 4 SOUTH AMERICA PLANTS MAKE UP RAFT Natural rafts are produced in many lakes and swamps– particularly following storms, when lots of branches, roots, and aquatic plants are accumulated by the current. 1