The Primates

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The Primates
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Key Questions

• Where do humans fit in the world of living
  things?
• What are the characteristics of primates?
• How are humans like the other primates? How are
  we unique?

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Taxonomy

• A classification system based on similarities and
  differences
• Phenetic Taxonomy Following Linnaeus, based on
  existing phenotypic features and adaptive
  behaviors
• Cladistics Classification system based on order
  of evolutionary branching

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Taxonomy of Humans Chimps
Human Chimpanzee
Kingdom Animalia Animalia
Phylum Chordata Chordata
Class Mammalia Mammalia
Order Primates Primates
Family Hominidae Pongidae
Genus Homo Pan
Species Sapiens Troglodytes
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Class Mammalia

• Today, 19 Orders over 4000 Species!
• 3 major subgroups
• 1. Egg-laying (duck-billed platypus)
• 2. Pouched (kangaroo, opossum)
• 3. Placental
• Exs. of Placental Orders other than Primates
• Rodents (rats, squirrels, beavers)
• Carnivores (bears, dogs, cats)
• Insectivores (shrews, moles)
• Grazing-browsing (cows, hippos, deer, horses,
  sheep, goats)

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Characteristics of Placental Mammals

• 1. Body hair
• 2. Relatively long gestation period followed by
  live birth
• 3. Ability to maintain constant internal body
  temperature warm-blooded

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Characteristics of Placental Mammals (cont.)

• 4. Increased brain size
• 5. Mammary glands origin of the term Mammal
• 6. Different types of teeth incisors,
  canines, premolars, molars
• 7. Considerable capacity for learning and
  behavioral flexibility

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Primate Taxonomy

• PRIMATES (order)
• PROSIMIANS ANTHROPOIDEA (suborder)
• Platyrrhini Catarrhini
• (flat nose) (downward nose)
• Cercopithecoidea HOMINOIDEA
• Lesser Apes Great Apes
  HOMINIDAE
• (family)
• Prosimians New World Old World Gibbons
  Orangutan HUMAN
• Monkeys Monkeys Siamangs Gorilla
  (species)
• Chimpanzee
• Bonobo

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Prosimians

• a. Fat-tailed galago (mainland Africa)
• b. Ruffed lemur (Madagascar)
• c. Sifaka (Madagascar)
• d. Ring-tailed lemur (Madagascar)
• e. Mouse lemur (Madagascar)
• f. Slow loris (South Asia)
• g. Aye-aye (Islands off Madagascar)

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Anthropoids

• a. Spider monkey (NW monkey)
• b. Saki monkey (NW monkey)
• c. Drill (OW terrestrial monkey)
• d. Tamarin (NW marmoset)
• e. Colobus (OW arboreal monkey)
• f. Gibbon (OW lesser ape)
• g. Gorilla (OW great ape)

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Primate CharacteristicsHands Feet

• Enhancement of free mobility of the digits,
  especially of the thumb (opposability) and big
  toe
• Both used for grasping Prehensile
• Replacement of sharp, compressed claws by flat
  nails development of very sensitive tactile pads
  on the digits

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Gripping Tool Use
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Prehensile Tail
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Primate CharacteristicsBrain size Smell
Progressive shortening of the snout and
reduction in the sense of smell Progressive
expansion and elaboration of the brain,
especially of the cerebral cortex
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Primate CharacteristicsVision

• Elaboration of the visual apparatus
• Development of Stereoscopic Vision (3-D)
• Bony sockets enclose eye nerves and muscles

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Primate Characteristics Dentition

• Retention of all tooth types
• Old World Anthropoid Dental Formula
• 2.1.2.3 x 232
• 2.1.2.3

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Primate Characteristics Extended Gestation
Maturation

• 1. Primates are born at earlier stages of
  development than many other animals
• 2. Prolongation of postnatal life periods
• 3. Humans are born at a particularly early stage
  because of their larger brain if born later, the
  babys head would be too large for the mothers
  pelvis

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Primate CharacteristicsBody Stance

• Progressive development of upright body stance
  leading to bipedalism

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Primate Characteristics Summary

• Large brains
• 3-D vision, Reduced Sense of Smell
• Flexible shoulder joints, Vertical Positioning of
  Trunk
• Hands and feet with five digits
• Grasping thumb

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Primate Characteristics Summary (cont.)

• Flat fingernails instead of claws
• Generalized dentition
• Extended Gestation and Maturation
• Strong Maternal-Offspring Bond
• High Degree of Socialization

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Primate Species

• 166 species currently identified
• Most are tree dwellers
• Most are herbivores (eat fruit or leaves)
• Some are omnivores (eat anything)

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Primate Distribution
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Primate Classification
Primates are divided into two main Suborders 1.
Prosimians Lemurs, Lorises,Tarsiers 2.
Anthropoids NW OW Monkeys, Apes, Humans
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Primate Taxonomy
PRIMATES (order) PROSIMIANS ANTHROPOIDEA
(suborder) Platyrrhini Catarrhini (flat
nose) (downward nose) Cercopithecoidea HOMINO
IDEA Lesser Apes
Great Apes HOMINIDAE
(family) Prosimians New World Old World Gibbons
Orangutan HUMAN Monkeys
Monkeys Siamangs Gorilla
(species) Chimpanzee
Bonobo
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Lemurs, Tarsiers, Aye-Ayes, Lori
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Lemurs
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Ringtail Lemurs
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Lori
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Aye-Aye
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Aye-Aye

• The aye-aye shown here lives on the island of
  Madagascar. It is a very specialized
  insect-eater.
• Large eyes good climbing abilities. The
  aye-aye, and most other prosimians, differ from
  monkeys and apes in having a moist area of skin
  on the nose.

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Tarsier
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Tarsier

• Large eyes, active at night
• Like most of the prosimians, good grasping
  ability nails
• Nails on all fingers and most toes, but there are
  specialized claws on the feet used for grooming
  called "toilet claws"

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Tarsier
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Platyrrhine Monkeys

• Platyrrhines
• Flat noses
• Nostrils point sideways
• Many have prehensile tails
• Live in South and Central America

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Platyrrhine Noses
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Platyrrhine Monkeys Red-Howler Spider Monkeys
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Platyrrhine Monkeys Capuchin Monkey
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Platyrrhine Monkeys Tamarins
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Catarrhine Monkeys

• Downward-pointing nostrils
• Evolved and found in Africa and Asia

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Catarrhine Nose
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Catarrhines

• Divided into two Superfamilies
• Old World Monkeys
• Hominoids
• Lack tails, have larger skulls, walk partially
  upright
• Include Gibbons, Gorillas, Orangutans, Humans,
  Chimpanzees

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Catarrhine Monkeys Mandrill and Diana
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Terrestrial Old World Monkeys Baboon
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Hominoid Taxonomy
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Range of Hominoids
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Lesser Ape Gibbon
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Great Ape Orangutan
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Great Ape Gorilla
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Gorillas Knuckle Walking
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Great Ape Chimpanzee