* Primates: Monkeys belong to the order Primates, a diverse group that includes humans, apes, lemurs, and others.
* Early Primates: The earliest primates appeared about 55-65 million years ago. These were small, tree-dwelling creatures with features like grasping hands and feet. They are often called "prosimians," and some modern examples include lemurs and tarsiers.
* Common Ancestors: Over time, primates evolved into various branches, including monkeys and apes. Both monkeys and apes share a common ancestor. It's not possible to say that one came *before* the other. They both evolved from a common ancestor, but took different evolutionary paths.
* Divergence: About 40 million years ago, monkeys and apes diverged. Apes, which include humans, evolved in Africa, while monkeys evolved in both Africa and South America.
* Fossil Record: Paleontologists study fossils to understand this history. They have found fossils of early primates, as well as fossils of early monkeys and apes, providing evidence of this evolutionary journey.
In short: Monkeys didn't come *before* anything specific. They are part of a complex evolutionary story that involves a shared common ancestor with apes, and a long history of divergence and diversification.