4a - Primates

Question 1

Why is variation important with primates

Answer 1

We can understand variation by exploring the evolutionary relationships between humans and

• Each other
• Other primates

How?

• Similarities in anatomy and or behaviour might suggest similar adaptations to shared selection pressures in our past

Question 2

why are primates primates

Answer 2

There are over 500 species of Primates

What do we all have in common?

• Most have adaptations to an arboreal lifestyle
• Broad dietary plasticity
• Parental Investment

Why?

• Shared evolutionary history

Question 3

Why are primates similar

Answer 3

We share many distinguishing features because we have a shared evolutionary history in which we adapted to similar environemtns and enviromental challenges

• Primates are tropical and subtropical species
• Humans were originally, but have now spread globally

Our adaptations enable us to be flexible and generalized

Includes adaptations to locomotion, senses, diets, lifehistory and reproduction

Question 4

How do primates move

Answer 4

Generalized skeletal structure means flexibility in movement

• Variability in how species move around
  
  • Vertical clinging and leaping
  • Brachiation
  • Terrestrial Arboreal Quadrupedal
  • Bipeda;

Question 5

what do all primates have

Answer 5

All primates have:

• Very flexible shoulders and collarbones
• Grasping hands with opposable thumbs, usually grasping feet too (not humans)
• Fingernails (usually; instead of claws) and grippy finger pads (good sense of touch)
• Some monkeys have a prehensile tail

Question 6

What sense do primates rely on

Answer 6

Sensory Reliance on Vision

In a complex 3D arboreal world, vision is crucial

→ In particular, Depth Perception

How do we get depth perception?

Primates have forward-facing eyes that allow the field of view of each eye to overlap

• Diurnal species can also see in colour

Stereoscopic vision gives us 3D, depth perception

To process this visual information, primates have large brains relative to body size, with large visual processing areas

Question 7

how do primates protect the eye

Answer 7

Protecting the eyes with enclosed orbits is one of the mot diagnostic features or primates.

This is done either through a postorbital bar, or postorbital closure

Question 8

what do primates eat

Answer 8

Primates are generally omnivores

• Eat fruits, leaves, insects, small mammals

Because we eat a range of things, we have a range of different teeth that have different functions

Question 9

what are Primate teeth

Answer 9

Primate Teeth:

• Heterodont: four kinds of teeth (Incisors, Canines, Premoalrs, Molars)
• Diphyodont: two sets of teeth
  
  • Deciduous (baby) and adult

This differs from species with a specialized diet that only need to eat one type of food - ex Dolphins

Question 10

do all primates have the same number of teeth

Answer 10

the number of each tooth type varies among primates. Ex: humans have 2.1.2.3, new world monkeys have 2.1.3.3

Question 11

What is Primate life history like

Answer 11

Primates have fewer offspring than other mammals

• Longer gestation periods
• Lower reproductive rate

But we invest heavily in each one

• High parental care and long periods of infant dependency, increasing the likelihood of survival

Long growth period and long lifespans give lots of time to learn essential survival and social skills

Question 12

Describe general primate taxonomy

Answer 12

The order Primates is divided into the two suborders: Strepsirrhini and Haplorhini

Strepsirrhini is divided into the Lemuriformes and Lorisiformes

Haplorhini is divided into the Anthropoidea and Tarsiiformes

Anthropoidea contains the two Infraorders Platyrrhini and Catarrhini

Question 13

What are the two suborders of primates

Answer 13

Strepsirhine - Wet Nose

• Small
• Often nocturnal
• Strong smell
• Toothcomb
• Grooming claw

Haplorhine - Dry nose

• Large
• Diurnal
• Large brains
• Strong vision
• Fingernails

Question 14

what are strepsirrhini

Answer 14

Contains the Lemuriformes

• Lemurs
• Indris
• Sifakas
• Aye-Ayes

and the Lorisiformes

• Lorises and pottos
• Galagos

Question 15

what are Lemuriformes

Answer 15

All located only on Madagascar!

Very diverse group:

• Some are nocturnal, some diurnal
• Quadrupedal or vertical clinging and leaping
• Live in social structures ranging from solitary to large groups

Include: Ring-tailed lemurs, Dwarf lemurs, Aye-Ayes, indris, Coquerel’s sifaka

Question 16

What are Lorisiformes

Answer 16

Found in Africa and Southeast Asia

• Nocturnal and Solitary
• Diet of insects, fruit, eggs, snails, lizards
• Quadrupedal, but bushbabies are amazing leapers

Include: Slow loris, Gray slender Loris, potto, senegal bushbaby

Question 17

Describe Haplorhini

Answer 17

Infraorders:

Tarsiformes

• Tarsiers

Platyrrhini

• “New world” monkeys

Catarrhini

• “Old world” monkeys
• Gibbons, Apes
• Humans

Question 18

describe Tarsiformes

Answer 18

Found only in Southeast Asia

• Nocturnal and Solitary
• grooming claw but no tooth comb
• Vertical clinging and leaping (4m vertical)
• Reliance on vision (no rhinarium)
• Eat insects, frogs, lizards

Include: Philippine tarsier

Question 19

describe Platyrrhines

Answer 19

Found only in Central and South America

• ‘New World’ monkeys (Platyrrhines preferred)
• Broad flat noses with outward-facing nostrils
• Tropical and sub-tropical forests
• All diurnal (except for owl monkey)
• Small body size and prehensile tail

Include: Cotton-top tamarin, Red titi, Bald uakari, White-faced saki, Bearded saki

Question 20

describe Catarrhines

Answer 20

The most widely distributed of all primates

• Narrow noses with downward facing nostrils
• Variable sizes with a range of sexual dimorphism

Cercopithecoids: ‘Old world’ (True monkeys preferred)

• Macaques, baboons, mandrills
• Colobus and proboscis monkeys
• Langurs

Hominoids: Apes and Humans

• Gibbons and Siamangs
• Orangutans, Chimpanzees, Gorillas
• Humans

Question 21

Describe Cercopithecoidea

Answer 21

Cercopithecoidea: Catarrhine (true) monkeys

Found only in tropical and subtropical forests in Africa and Asia, as well as savannah and grasslands of Africa

• Ischial callosities
• More variable size and greater sexual dimorphism than platyrrhines

Include: Sulawesi macaque, proboscis monkey, gelada baboon, Gee’s golden langur

Question 22

Descibr Hominoids

Answer 22

Hominoids are

• Diurnal
• No tails
• More complex behaviour, larger brains and advanced cognitive abilities
• Longest periods of infant development and dependency

Question 23

what are gibbons and Siamangs

Answer 23

Gibbons and siamangs: Only found in the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia - Brachiators (4 genera, 18 species)

Question 24

what are the Great apes

Answer 24

Orangutan: Arboreal, solitary, dispersed, frugivorous

Gorillas: Mainly terrestrial, highly folivorous, social

Chimpanzees and Bonobos: Arboreal and terrestrial, omnivorous, very social

Question 25

What are Orangutans

Answer 25

Orangutan: Bornean Orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus); Sumatran Orangutan (pongo abelii); Tapanuli orangutan (Pongo tapanuliensis)

Question 26

what are Gorillas

Answer 26

Gorillas: Eastern Gorilla (Gorilla beringei), Western Gorilla (Gorilla Gorilla) - Largest living primates, males reach up to 200Kg

Question 27

what are Chimps

Answer 27

Chimpanzees: Pan troglodytes (4 sub-species)

Question 28

What are Bonobos

Answer 28

Bonobos: Pan paniscus

Question 29

How do you tell Bonobos from Chimp

Answer 29

- Middle part in their hair - “Lighter” build; longer arms and legs than common chimpanzees - Walk bipedally more often than chimpanzees - Reduced sexual dimorphism

Question 30

what are humans

Answer 30

- Humans are unique amongst primates in being obligate BIPEDS - Unique skeletal adaptations to enable this efficiently - We have a prolonged period of infant dependency, and a very long lifespan - Reproductive adaptations to enable learning and flexibility