Chapter 1

Question 1

Why were baboons so important to early anthropocentric researchers like Washburn and DeVore? (2 points)

Answer 1

They are possible models for human ancestors; live in sub-Saharan Africa where fossil trail of human origins begin p10

Question 2

What interested Phyllis Jay about langurs?

Answer 2

Langurs were anatomically able to consume large amounts of leaves - which were in abundance, making society less hierarchical. Jay focused on socialization and development instead

Langurs were arboreal, unlike other terrestrial colobines.

Question 3

Who set up the 3 long term studies of the 4 great apes?

Answer 3

British paleontologist Louis Leakey - on chimpanzees, mountain gorillas and orangutans

Question 4

Who were the 3 primatologists and what ape did they each study?

Answer 4

Jane Goodall - chimpanzees
Dian Fossey - mountain gorillas
Birute Galdikas - orangutans

Question 5

What is the term that describes those that have the capacity to be active in the night or day?

Answer 5

Cathemeral

Question 6

What are the 5 early classification themes of primates?

Answer 6

Activity, diet, habitat use and ranging, group size and social/reproductive units

Question 7

What do activity patterns tell us about primates? (2)

Answer 7

What time of day primates are active; how primates expend their energy (activity budget) - energy minimizers and energy maximizers

Question 8

What are the four classifications of primates according to their diet?

Answer 8

Insectivores - insects
Faunivores - non-insect invertebrae
Frugivores - fruits
Folivores - nonreproductive parts of plants ie: leaves, bark

Question 9

What is the difference in home and day ranges for territorial primates and non-territorial primates?

Answer 9

Territorial - home and day range about the same

Non-territorial - home range > day range; range overlaps with other primates but may defend particular food sources

Question 10

What does group size tell us about primates? (3)

Answer 10

Gregarious vs solitary
Population density - affected by predation and food availability
Cohesiveness (fission-fusion)

Question 11

What do social and reproductive units tell us about primates? (3)

Answer 11

Socionomic sex ratio
Dispersal - philopatric, matrilocal, patrilocal
Mating systems - monogamous, polygynous, polygamous, polyandrous

Question 12

Explain the findings from Box 1.1 p20

Answer 12

Charles Snowdon contrasts observations of cotton top tamarins and pygmy marmosets between captive and field studies. Pheromone exposure causes reproductive inhibition in captive; but not field studies

Question 13

What are the pros of field studies?

Answer 13

Unprovisioned studies can help explore questions about relationship and seasonal distribution of food and primate grouping patterns; provisioned studies can accelerate social interaction for observable patterns

Question 14

What are the cons of field studies?

Answer 14

We may never know if human presence influences primate behaviour

Question 15

What are the pros of captive studies?

Answer 15

Allow a controlled environment; individual primate histories are known

Question 16

What are the cons of captive studies?

Answer 16

May alter the behavior of subjects; observed behavior may be different in the wild

Question 17

What are the benefits of long-term field studies and individual variation? (2)

Answer 17

Primates have longer life spans and developmental stages, long term study help accumulate observations.
Helps observers distinguish between behavioral patterns and individual variation

Question 18

What is the benefit of comparison among species as opposed to comparing primates to humans?

Answer 18

Movement away from referential models to strategic modelling. Focus on why primates are different/similar, as opposed to drawing parallels to humans.

Question 19

What is the benefit of examining other units of comparison? (Study Group)

Answer 19

Individual level study can allow observers to examine individual behavior in different contexts. Individual behaviors can then be merged into group behavior.

Question 20

What is the benefit of examining populations?

Answer 20

Able to make intraspecific and interspecifc comparisons between species. Able to isolate for environmental or phylogenetic influences on behavior.

Question 21

What is niche construction?

Answer 21

The influence of social environment as a result of social interactions. This has the ability to increase variation in phenotype expression.

Question 22

What is an evolutionary trap?

Answer 22

The expression of a behavior that was once relevant in a previous environment, but no longer is.