Primates Flashcards

1
Q

homology

A

close relatives share similar traits due to common ancestory

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2
Q

phylogenetic constraints

A

evolutionary history limits the variations observed in current populations/species

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3
Q

vestigial traits

A

‘legacies’ from ancestors that are not functional at present

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4
Q

convergence

A

traits of unrelated or more distantly related groups appear similar due to common selective pressures - rather than common ancestors (analogous/homoplastic traits)

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5
Q

examples of humans an primates being similar (4)

A
  1. warfare
  2. culture and traditions, west african chimpanezes using hammers
  3. prosocial behaviour (caring about the welfare of someone else)
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6
Q

main reasons for studying primates reasoning by homology

A

Closely related species tend to
be similar morphologically
because they share traits
acquired through descent
from a common ancestor
› studies of living primates
often give us more insight
into the anatomy and
behaviour of our ancestors
than do studies of other
organisms

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7
Q

main reasons for studying primates reasoning by analogy

A

Natural selection leads to similar
organisms in similar
environments > by assessing
the diversity in the behaviour
and morphology of organisms in
relation to their environments,
we can see how evolution
shapes adaptation in response
to different selective pressures

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8
Q

clade

A

clade = radiated from a single ancestory

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9
Q

ancestral traits in the order primates (4)

A
  • vertebrae (all vertebrates)
  • homothermic (includes birds + mammals)
  • hair and mammary glands (mammals)
  • arboreal & nocturnal (insectivora = close order to primates)
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10
Q

derived and ancestral meaning

A

ancestral = retained from ancestral groups

derived = newly arising in focal taxon

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11
Q

ancestral (primitive) traits of primates

A
  • insectivore
  • arboreal
  • nocturnal
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12
Q

primate derived traits related to arboreal lifestyle (4)

A
  • prehensile (grasping) hands/feet
  • opposable big toe
  • stereoscopic vision (forward facing orbits
  • Olfactory (smelling) apparatus reduced
  • Nails (versus claws)
  • Unspecialised teeth
  • Relatively large brain (relative to body size)
  • Small litter size (most usually have 1 baby at a time)
  • Prolonged dependency of young

BUT:
- None of them makes primates unique
- Not every primate possesses all of these traits-

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13
Q

binocular vision

A

fields of vision of the 2 eyes overlap so that both eyes perceive the
same image

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14
Q

steroscopic vision

A

= each eye sends a signal of the visual
image to both hemispheres in
the brain to create an image
with depth

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15
Q

color vision

A

all diurnal primates have it,
nocturnal primates don’t

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16
Q

prosimii vs anthropoidea

A

anthropoidea = postorbital plate
prosimii = postorbital bar

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17
Q

olfactory apparatus is reduced in primates

A

decreased reliance on sense of smell
(olfaction) -> reduction in sensory areas of brain and in snout
- especially in diurnal primates

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18
Q
A

primates in general have nails, non-primates have claws

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19
Q

unspecicalised teeth

A
  • utility
  • processing food
  • weapons in conflicts
  • Primates have generalized
    dentition
  • Teeth tell us something about
  • dietary preferences
  • age of individuals and
    developmental patterns
  • phylogenetic relationships
  • social structure
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20
Q

dental formula in humans

A

top jaw/ lower jaw on one side of mandible

2123

2 incisors
1 canine
2 premolars
3 molars

21
Q

what does the 2123 dental formula do

A

2123 distinguishes an old world primate from a new world primate

22
Q

relatively large brain

A
  • Primates generally
    evolved larger body size
  • Brain increases with
    increase in body size
  • Primate brains
    increased in size more
    rapidly than body size
23
Q
A

Modes of locomotion
Vertical clinging and leaping
Quadrupedalism
Brachiation
Bipedalism

Dentition & diet

Tooth form, differentiation, size, enamel
Sexual dimorphism in canines
Diet (insects, fruit, leaves, seeds & tubers, meat)

Sociality
Solitary
Monogamous pairs
Polyandry
~ Polygyny

Brain development

Large relative to body size compared to other mammals
Hominids relatively larger still

24
Q
A

Prosimii (‘before monkeys”)
Earliest primate group 55+ MYA
More reliance on olfaction
- long snout
moist, fleshy pad (rhinarium) at
end of nose
use scent marking
“split” upper lip
Dental comb
Unfused mandible (lower iaw bones)
Dental formula most 2133/2133
Post orbital bar, not plate
Many nocturnal
Tapetum lucidum
reflective layer in eye that
maximizes use of light
Quadrupedal & mostly arboreal

25
Q

Prosimii: Lorisoidea

A

2 families
- Lorises (Lorisisdae)
- Galagos (Galagidae)
Africa and SE Asia
2133/2133
Quadrupedal climbers
Nocturnal, arboreal,
solitary
Leave their dependent
offspring in nests

26
Q

Family: Galagidae: Galago spp.
(Galagos or bush babies)

A

Continental Africa
Long bushy tails
Large ear pinna
Nocturnal
Leapers

27
Q

Prosimii: Lemuroidea,
Family: Lemuridae

A

Madagascar
Diverse taxon
Most nocturnal
Most arboreal
Some torpor
state of decreased
physiological activity
Females dominant

28
Q

Lemuridae: Lemur catta
(Ring-tailed Lemur)

A

Madagascar
* 3 kg
* Diurnal, partly terrestrial
* Social
* Scent mark vegetation
* Males display waving
‘scented’ tails (‘stink
fight’)

29
Q

Lemuroidea: Indridae:
Indri indri (Indri)

A

Madagascar
* Diurnal, arboreal
* Ca 7 kg
* Vertical clinging & leaping

30
Q

what is the Tarsioidea

A

Tarsioidea: Intermediate
to Prosimii &
Anthropoidea

31
Q

Anthropoidea vs Prosimii

A

Anthropoidea = postorbital plate
Prosimii = postorbital bar

32
Q

Tarsioidea

A

East Asia
* Nocturnal and arboreal
* 110 grams
* Dental formula 2133/
1133
* Diet: 100% animal prey
* Incomplete postorbital plate
* Grooming claws (2)
* Eye larger than brain
* Rotate head almost 180
degrees
* Clinging and leaping
* Solitary (except females +
young)

33
Q

Anthropoidea: New World & Old World Monkeys & Apes

A

Single clade (all from
one ancestor)
* No grooming claw (all
nails)
* No tapetum lucidum
* Largely diurnal
* Fused lower jaw
* Short snout / reduced
olfactory reliance
* Postorbital plate
* Larger relative brain size
than prosimians

34
Q

Platyrrhini (‘flat noses’):
Ceboidea (New World Monkeys
/ American Monkeys)

A

Only Ceboidea (but not all) have
prehensile (grasping) tails
* Dental usually 2133/2133
* Sideways-facing nares (nostrils)
* Completely arboreal
* Diurnal (except 1 genus)
* Two large families – Cebidae – Callitrichidae
* reduced body size
* 2132/2132

35
Q

Ceboidea: Cebidae

A

Diverse family
* Dental 2133/2133
* >3-8 kg
* All nails
* Many with
prehensile tail
* Diurnal
* Social
* Leaves, fruit,
animal matter

36
Q

Capuchin monkeys (Cebus & Sapajus spp.)

A

Social conventions (traditions) Tool use

37
Q

Ceboidea: Callitrichidae

A

All <1 kg
* Dental = 2132/2132
(molar reduction!)
* Claw-like nails (reversal)
except 1st toe
* Diurnal
* Diet: fruit, gum, animal
* Family groups of 5-10
* Most twin

38
Q

Catarrhini (‘narrow noses’):
Cercopithecoidea (Old World
Monkeys)

A

1 family (Cercopithecidae) = Old
World monkeys
* Dental: 2123/2123
* Bilophodont molars
* Ischial callosities near tail
* Some with sexual swellings
* Tail never prehensile
* Wide variety of habitats
* 2 subfamilies
* Cercopithecinae – largely fruit eating
* Colobinae – largely leaf eating

39
Q

Subfamily
Colobinae

A

Africa, Asia
* Arboreal (most)
* Leaf and seed eaters,
lichen (some)
* Have complex stomachs
* Often found in ‘harems’

40
Q

Subfamily
Cercopithecinae

A

Africa & Asia
* Variable in size
* Typically live in medium or
large bisexual groups
(multimale-multifemale)

41
Q

Examples of Cercopithecinae

A

Mandrill (Mandrillus
)
* Most brightly coloured
mammal
* Lives in supergroups,
sometimes exceeding 1000

42
Q

Catarrhini: Hominoidea
(Apes and Humans
)

A
  • Larger body (usually)
  • No tails
  • Limb arrangement reflecting
    brachiation
    – rotation of shoulder & scapula
    – ventral-dorsal flattening of trunk
    (shallow chest)
    – wrist joint flexibility
  • Longer forelimb than hindlimb
    – human reversal
  • Y-5 molars on mandible
  • Relatively even larger brains
  • Prolonged dependency of young
43
Q

Hominoidea:
Hylobatidae (Gibbons)

A
  • SE Asia
  • Diurnal, arboreal
  • 6-8 kg
  • Brachiators
  • Ischial callosities
  • Monomorphic body size
    (but some dichromatism)
  • Mostly fruit
  • Monogamous
  • Territorial
  • Vocal duets
44
Q

Hominoidea: Pongidae
(Orangutans)

A

Orangutan (Pongo
)
– 2 species
* Borneo & Sumatra
* Ca 37-77 kg
* Males 2x female body weight
* No ischial callosities
* Quadrumanous
* Cheek flanges in dominant males
* Diurnal, arboreal
* Most solitary
* Slowest life history of all primates
– age at first reproduction: 15 yrs
– inter-birth interval: 9 yrs

45
Q

Hominoidea:
Hominidae (African
Apes & Humans)

A

Gorilla (Gorilla)
* 70-170 kg; males = 2x
females
* No ischial callosities
* Knuckle walk
* More terrestrial
* Mainly folivorous
* Typically in one-male
groups

46
Q

Hominoidea:
Hominidae

A

2 species – chimpanzee – bonobo
* 31-60 kg
* Knuckle walk
* Quadruped;
climbing
* Fruit, leaves,
animals

47
Q

Behavioural peculiarities of chimps andx. bonobos

A

Large mixed sex communities
– female chimps disperse from their natal
groups when they reach maturity; males
remain in their natal groups
– members of the community are rarely found
together in a unified group; they split up into
smaller parties (fission-fusion)
– in chimps, the strongest social bonds are
formed among males; in bonobos females
form stronger bonds with their adult sons
* Chimps modify natural objects for use as tool in
the wild
* Chimps co-operatively hunt other primates
* Bonobos: ‘make love not war’ ape
– sex eases tension between individuals & may
allow them to feed near one another without
undue stress

48
Q

Behavioural ecology

A

Behavioural ecology: the
study of behaviour from an
evolutionary and ecological
perspective

49
Q
A