Macaca mulatta
- noun
- /məˈkɑːkə mʌˈlɑːtə/
- Specialized
:
Macaca mulatta
- The laboratory raised Macaca mulatta are often used in experiments related to human disease.
- rhesus macaque
- Macaca mulatta macaque
Examples
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Plants (Calathea ovandensis) and animals (Cervus elaphus) Bromquist et al. 2011 Empirical Animals (dominance rank in Macaca mulatta)
Academic text (2012) -
Researchers are studying the behavior of Macaca mulatta in their natural habitat to understand social dynamics.
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Conservationists are working to protect the habitats of Macaca mulatta, which are threatened by deforestation.
Synonyms
5
8.8
A monkey from southern Asia that scientists often use to study human health
2
4.2
A medium-sized monkey from South Asia often used in medical research
Surface Forms
Morphology
Macaca + mulatta
This is a Latin binomial scientific name: while 'Macaca' points to a group of monkeys, the second element 'mulatta' is not an ordinary English word and the combination functions as a taxonomic label rather than a compositional phrase. A B1 learner who knows the parts would not reliably infer the common meaning 'rhesus macaque' or the species-specific sense from the constituents, so it is not transparently derivable.
Etymology
The scientific name Macaca mulatta may come from an old word for 'monkey', Macaca, combined with a word meaning 'brown' or 'mixed color', mulatta. That image of a 'brown monkey' helps you remember that Macaca mulatta is the rhesus macaque, the monkey often used in research.