4.1 Primate Characteristics Flashcards
Why study primates
- we are primates so studying primates will inform us about stages of our own evolutionary history
- studying evolutionary processes in action (ns, ss) that are working on modern primate species are likely working in similar ways to when they played out own emergence
how many phyla in Animalia
36
what phyla human
chordata - spinal cord
what class human
mammalian - sweat glands, warm blooded, mammary glands, hair…
3 infraclasses of mammalian
- Metatheria
- Prototheria (monotremes)
- Eutheria (placental)
8 Common Primate Traits
- Grasping hands with opposable 1st and 2nd digits
- flattened nails
- forward facing eyes - stereoscopic vision
- Generalized Body Plan
- Generalized Dentition
- Reduced Olfactory systems (colour vision and diurnal living)
- Enclosed bony eye orbits
- Large brains - encephalization
Prehensibility meaning
- ability to grasp objects with precision
Why do we have flat nails, prehensility, forward eyes
- Arboreal Hypothesis
- Visual Predation Hypothesis (better for catching prey)
Problems with visual predation hypothesis
- just because one species adapt in one way, animals in that habitat don’t have to adapt the same way
- just because two similar traits, doesn’t mean they share same environment
What are different habitats for primates
- Arboreal - tropical, deciduous
- Terrestrial - open dry grassland, thick tropical, seasonality
Types of Primate locomotion
- Vertical clinging and leaping
- Arboreal Quadrupedalism (most common)
- Brachiation/Suspension (common in apes)
- Terrestrial Quadrupedalism
- Bipedalism (least common)
Three degrees of bipedalism
- Facultative - can, but do rarely
- habitual - regular locomotive behaviour
- obligate - can’t use any other locomotive
What are bunodont molars
generalized, wide range of food types, omnivorous
encephalization
brain to body size ratio
Shared Life History traits in Primates
- single offspring
- extended ontogeny
What is K selected reproductive strategies
- few babies but more time and energy
What is r selected reproductive strategies
more offspring, less time and energy
What is Altricial mean
- babies are born underdeveloped and dependent on mothers for extended periods
What does precocial mean
- babies are relatively well developed and mobile at birth
Are primates altricial or precocial
- primates typically precocial but humans are altricial
Primate behavioural traits
- complex sociality
Advantages of living in social groups
- ready access to potential mates
- cooperation in finding food
- cooperation in rearing young
- cooperation in avoiding or defending against preadtors
- reduced chance than any one individual will be the unlucky meal for predator
