African Roots - Fossil and Living Primates

Question 1

Why study living, non-human, primates?

Answer 1

To get an idea of our own behaviour and physiology of our human ancestry; we share a common ancestor.

Question 2

What are Common Mammal Traits?

Answer 2

Reproductive processes, mammary glands, hair, ear ossicles.

Question 3

What are Common Primate Traits?

Answer 3

Arboreal (tree living), omnivorous, prehensile hands (grasping), opposable thumbs, stereoscopic vision, large brain relative to body size.

Question 4

What are examples of Prosimians?

Answer 4

Lemurs, lorminaries, tarsiers.

Question 5

What are examples of Platyrrhini?

Answer 5

New World Anthropoids.

Question 6

What are examples of Catarrhiri?

Answer 6

Old World Anthropoids [Hominoidea = Apes and Humans]

Question 7

What are Prosimians?

Answer 7

Considered the more “primitive” primate group due to simple features; tend to rely on olfaction, eyes are more lateral, have dental comb/grooming claw.

Question 8

What are Anthropoids?

Answer 8

Platyrrhines (Broad noses with nostrils outward) and Catarrhines (Narrow nose, nostrils down)

Question 9

What are Old World Monkeys?

Answer 9

They are widely distributed, arboreal and terrestrial, quadrupedal, primates with a dental formula [2123/2123] similar to humans.

Question 10

What are the main traits of Hominoids [Apes and Humans]?

Answer 10

Large bodied, large brained, tailless, broad faces.

Question 11

What are Hylobatids?

Answer 11

Lesser apes.

Question 12

What are Pongids?

Answer 12

Great apes (orangutans, gorillas, bonobos, chimpanzees)

Question 13

What are Hominids?

Answer 13

Humans and human ancestors.

Question 14

What is Suspensory Locomotion?

Answer 14

Grasping onto a branch and being able to hang there.

Question 15

What is Brachiation Locomotion?

Answer 15

Swinging through the trees.

Question 16

What are Features of Hylobatids?

Answer 16

Example: Gibbons.

Long arm, southeast Asia, brachiators (arboreal), males involved with young, litter sexual dimorphism.

Question 17

When is the Prosimians Common Ancestor to Humans?

Answer 17

60 - 65 mya.

Question 18

What is the New World Monkeys Common Ancestor to Humans?

Answer 18

35 mya.

Question 19

When is the Lesser Apes Common Ancestor to Humans?

Answer 19

18 mya.

Question 20

When is the Great Apes Common Ancestor to Humans?

Answer 20

12-14 mya.

Question 21

When is the Chimpanzee Common Ancestor to Humans?

Answer 21

7-10 mya.

Question 22

When is there evidence of the earliest primate?

Answer 22

In the paleocene (65-55 mya); evidence of mammals that start to have primate-like traits.
Eocene (55 - 38 mya); fossils resembling modern primates (prosimians)
Oligocene (38-23 mya); emergence of distinct anthropoids
Miocene (23-5 mya); appearance of apes (no tails, larger brains, different locomotion); Gigantoputhecus (8.0-0,5 mya); largest species of extinct and extant primates - Asia.