Nicolelis and colleagues have shown that a rhesus monkey in North Carolina could, using only its brain, control the walking patterns of a robot in Japan.

CNN: Brain-controlled devices may help paralyzed people

When the researchers plotted their findings on a graph, they found that the howler monkey, a new-world species, fell in with its old-world cousins.

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But the tone was far different in Iran, where officials characterized the monkey's reportedly successful trip high into the sky and back as a major step forward in its space program.

CNN: Reports: Monkey soars from Iran into space -- and back