Chapter 8

Question 1

Plesiadapiform

Answer 1

Mammalian order or suborder of mammals that MAY be ancestral to later primates, characterized by some (grasping hands, flat nails, vision dominance) but not all (they had small brains, long snouts, eyes side of head, no eye orbit, diastema) of the primate traits

Question 2

Prognathic face

Answer 2

Projection of the face well in front of the braincase

Question 3

Postorbital bar

Answer 3

A bony ring encircling the lateral side of the eye but not forming a complete cup around the eye globe

Question 4

Diastema

Answer 4

Gap between anterior teeth

Question 5

Adapoids

Answer 5

Superfamily of mostly Eocene primates, probably ancestral to all strepsirhines. Had postorbital bar, eye sockets at front of face, larger brains than plesiadapiforms, longish snouts

Question 6

Omomyoids

Answer 6

Superfamily of mostly Eocene primates, probably ancestral to all haplorhines. Had postorbital bar, eye sockets at front of face, larger brains than plesiadapiforms, short snouts

Question 7

Main physical differences in the skulls of haplorhines and strepsirhines

Answer 7

H: larger brain, fully enclosed eye orbit (not just postorbital bar), fused frontal lobe, fused mandibular synthesis, shortened face

Question 8

R-selected

Answer 8

Many offspring, short interbirth intervals, dgaf about the kids

Question 9

K-selected

Answer 9

Fewer offspring, long interbirth interval, high maternal investment

Question 10

Dental apes

Answer 10

Early apes exhibiting Y-5 molar patterns but monkey-like postcranial skeletons

Question 11

What happened in the Miocene that led to decreasing diversity of apes and increasing diversity of monkeys?

Answer 11

New niches became available in grasslands and wooded grasslands. Because monkeys are r-selected, they could colonize areas faster and rebound from population declines more quickly. As well, the shape of the monkey thorax (narrow and long) and limbs more helpful for evolution of quick terrestrial locomotion. These favoured monkeys over apes

Question 12

5 genera of early primates that mark major stages along the primate family tree

Answer 12

Eosimias (China), apidium (Africa), aegyptopithecus (Africa), victoriapithecus (Africa), proconsul (Africa)

Question 13

Eosimias traits

Answer 13

Small, tarsier-sized, jaws teeth and ankle bone anatomy suggest base of anthropoid radiation (before platyrrhines and catarrhines)

Question 14

Apidium traits

Answer 14

3 premolars, suggesting that it is pre-New-and-Old-monkey-split, looks like small-bodied monkey, may be ancestral to all anthropoids, skeleton of arboreal quadruped

Question 15

Aegyptopithecus traits

Answer 15

2 premolars, probably post-New-and-Old-monkey-split, ancestral to later Old World monkeys and apes

Question 16

Victoriapithecus traits

Answer 16

Mandibles were fused into single bony unit, eye orbits completely enclosed by bone (chew a tougher diet and better protect the eyes)

Question 17

Proconsul traits

Answer 17

Lacked a tail, derived elbow, body monkey-ish, ape dentition (Y-5 molar pattern)