Every time I've taken anthropology classes they bring up this idea and every time I hear it, it sounds implausible. The story is that eons ago old world monkeys floated on mangrove islands or some other type of island raft from Africa to South America where they evolved into New World Monkeys. Could it even happen? could a community even survive the trip?

South America and Africa were once connected. At the time monkeys began colonizing the New World, they were much, much closer together than they are today.

How, exactly, do you propose testing this in the first place?

Well, what we're asking is can an island made from mud and held together with a tree stay together. So, what do we need to do except build a miniature island with a tree at it's or see how far a mangrove tree can float in a saltwater pool. I think that would effectively test of whether such an island could cross the distance.

[quote]Well, what we're asking is can an island made from mud and held together with a tree stay together.[/quote]

Yes, this is a common occurrence. In Peru and Vietnam, people live on them.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floating_island

but, can you sail one across the ocean?

It would be something like, there is a storm. Some monkeys are in a tree. It gets blown over by high winds into the water, and drifts several hundred kilometers to another shore. Nothing impossible here.

My mom has a piece of mangrove from the deadfall raft her great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandmonkey rode to the shores of our ancestral home.

Not believing in something yourself doesn't make it a myth for the rest of the world.

Most of us like Munchkinpuncher and Teflonsuit see the plausibility.

Oh and a pool is no substitute for the open ocean. Yes, a pool can be used to see if a tangle of trees can float, but we already know that don't we?