4.1 Primate Characteristics

Question 1

Why study primates

Answer 1

1. we are primates so studying primates will inform us about stages of our own evolutionary history
2. 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

Question 2

how many phyla in Animalia

Answer 2

36

Question 3

what phyla human

Answer 3

chordata - spinal cord

Question 4

what class human

Answer 4

mammalian - sweat glands, warm blooded, mammary glands, hair…

Question 5

3 infraclasses of mammalian

Answer 5

1. Metatheria
2. Prototheria (monotremes)
3. Eutheria (placental)

Question 6

8 Common Primate Traits

Answer 6

1. Grasping hands with opposable 1st and 2nd digits
2. flattened nails
3. forward facing eyes - stereoscopic vision
4. Generalized Body Plan
5. Generalized Dentition
6. Reduced Olfactory systems (colour vision and diurnal living)
7. Enclosed bony eye orbits
8. Large brains - encephalization

Question 7

Prehensibility meaning

Answer 7

• ability to grasp objects with precision

Question 8

Why do we have flat nails, prehensility, forward eyes

Answer 8

1. Arboreal Hypothesis
2. Visual Predation Hypothesis (better for catching prey)

Question 9

Problems with visual predation hypothesis

Answer 9

1. just because one species adapt in one way, animals in that habitat don’t have to adapt the same way
2. just because two similar traits, doesn’t mean they share same environment

Question 10

What are different habitats for primates

Answer 10

1. Arboreal - tropical, deciduous
2. Terrestrial - open dry grassland, thick tropical, seasonality

Question 11

Types of Primate locomotion

Answer 11

1. Vertical clinging and leaping
2. Arboreal Quadrupedalism (most common)
3. Brachiation/Suspension (common in apes)
4. Terrestrial Quadrupedalism
5. Bipedalism (least common)

Question 12

Three degrees of bipedalism

Answer 12

1. Facultative - can, but do rarely
2. habitual - regular locomotive behaviour
3. obligate - can’t use any other locomotive

Question 13

What are bunodont molars

Answer 13

generalized, wide range of food types, omnivorous

Question 14

encephalization

Answer 14

brain to body size ratio

Question 15

Shared Life History traits in Primates

Answer 15

1. single offspring
2. extended ontogeny

Question 16

What is K selected reproductive strategies

Answer 16

• few babies but more time and energy

Question 17

What is r selected reproductive strategies

Answer 17

more offspring, less time and energy

Question 18

What is Altricial mean

Answer 18

• babies are born underdeveloped and dependent on mothers for extended periods

Question 19

What does precocial mean

Answer 19

• babies are relatively well developed and mobile at birth

Question 20

Are primates altricial or precocial

Answer 20

• primates typically precocial but humans are altricial

Question 21

Primate behavioural traits

Answer 21

• complex sociality

Question 22

Advantages of living in social groups

Answer 22

• 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