Final answer:
Primates are primarily found in tropical and subtropical habitats of South America, Africa, and Asia, not North America, making the statement false.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that primates are found primarily in tropical and semitropical habitats of the Old World and North America is false. Non-human primates are primarily found in tropical or subtropical regions of South America, Africa, and Asia. These regions provide diverse habitats, such as rainforests and mangrove forests, that are conducive to the primates' arboreal lifestyles. Furthermore, the early ancestors of today's primates did indeed originate in North America, among other places, but the distribution of modern non-human primates does not include North America.