Chapter 7 Flashcards
Primates
A group of mammals that includes lemurs, lorises, tarsiers, monkeys, apes, and humans, characterized by traits such as grasping hands, forward-facing eyes, and large brains relative to body size.
Strepsirrhini
A suborder of primates that includes lemurs and lorises, characterized by a moist rhinarium (wet nose) and a toothcomb.
Haplorrhini
A suborder of primates that includes tarsiers, monkeys, apes, and humans, characterized by a dry nose and a more developed visual system.
Anthropoids
A group within Haplorrhini that includes monkeys, apes, and humans, characterized by larger brains and more complex social behaviors compared to other primates.
Platyrrhini
New World monkeys, found in Central and South America, characterized by flat noses with sideways-facing nostrils and prehensile tails in some species.
Catarrhini
Old World monkeys, apes, and humans, found in Africa and Asia, characterized by downward-facing nostrils and a lack of prehensile tails.
Hominoids
A group within Catarrhini that includes apes and humans, characterized by the absence of a tail, a more upright posture, and larger brains compared to monkeys.
Hominins
A group within Hominoids that includes humans and their extinct ancestors, characterized by bipedalism and other adaptations related to walking upright.
Bipedalism
The ability to walk on two legs, a key characteristic of hominins.
Dental Formula
A numerical representation of the number of each type of tooth in one half of the upper and lower jaws, used to distinguish between primate groups.
Toothcomb
A dental structure found in strepsirrhines, where the lower incisors and canines are elongated and project forward, used for grooming.
Rhinarium
The moist, hairless pad at the end of the nose in many mammals, including strepsirrhines, used for enhancing the sense of smell.
Prehensile Tail
A tail adapted for grasping and holding objects, found in some New World monkeys.
Stereoscopic Vision
Vision characterized by overlapping fields of view from both eyes, allowing for depth perception, a key trait in primates.
Opposable Thumb
A thumb that can touch the tips of the other fingers, allowing for precise grasping and manipulation of objects, a key trait in primates.
Diurnal
Active during the day, a trait common in many primates.
Nocturnal
Active during the night, a trait found in some primates, such as lorises and tarsiers.
Social Structure
The organization of relationships and interactions within a group of primates, which can vary widely among species.
Sexual Dimorphism
Differences in size, shape, or color between males and females of the same species, often seen in primates.
Foramen Magnum
The hole in the skull where the spinal cord connects to the brain; its position is used to infer bipedalism in hominins.
Cranial Capacity
The volume of the braincase, used to estimate brain size and often correlated with intelligence in primates.
Knuckle-Walking
A form of locomotion used by some apes, such as gorillas and chimpanzees, where they walk on all fours with their weight supported by the knuckles of their hands.
Brachiation
A form of locomotion used by some apes, such as gibbons, where they swing from branch to branch using their arms.
Ischial Callosities
Thickened patches of skin on the buttocks, found in some Old World monkeys, used for sitting on hard surfaces.
Y-5 Molar Pattern
A characteristic molar tooth pattern found in hominoids, where the lower molars have five cusps arranged in a Y-shape.
Bilophodont Molars
A molar tooth pattern found in Old World monkeys, where the molars have two ridges, adapted for grinding tough plant material.
Frugivorous
A diet primarily consisting of fruit, common in many primates.
Folivorous
A diet primarily consisting of leaves, found in some primates such as howler monkeys.
Omnivorous
A diet consisting of both plant and animal matter, common in many primates, including humans.
Encephalization
The increase in brain size relative to body size, a key evolutionary trend in primates, particularly in hominins.
Tool Use
The use of objects to achieve a goal, observed in some primates, such as chimpanzees and humans.
Cultural Behavior
Behaviors that are learned and shared within a group, such as tool use or grooming practices, observed in some primates.
