Intro to Primates/Extra Facts

Question 1

Natural selection

Answer 1

non-random; occurs as the result of non-random, differential reproductive
success (between individuals) in the transmission of heritable traits

Question 2

Mutation

Answer 2

random; the ultimate source of new genetic variation in any population

Question 3

Genetic drift

Answer 3

random; founder effect, bottlenecking, random segregation and assortment of alleles during gamete formation and fertilization

Question 4

Gene flow

Answer 4

non-random; movement of alleles between populations through both migration and interbreeding of individuals from different populations

Question 5

Important Evolution Fact! (Think units)

Answer 5

although individuals are subject to natural selection, the population is the unit of
evolutionary change == populations are continuously evolving over time, but individuals never evolve

Question 6

How to do naming system

Answer 6

Genus species – genus capitalized, species not capitalized, both underlined

Question 7

Primate derived characteristics (11)

Answer 7

forward facing eyes
wide binocular field + stereoscopy
high visual acuity
orbit surrounded by bone
more/larger visual brain area
prehensile(grasping) hands/divergent thumb
prehensile(grasping) feet/divergent big toe
flattened nails instead of claws
large apical pads on tips of digits
small liter size
long period of gestation & infant dependency

Question 8

Two Primate Hypotheses

Answer 8

Arboreal - traits are adaptations to life in trees/arboreal common ancestor

Visual Predation - last common ancestor was small, arboreal, nocturnal, a visual predator, and occupied a microhabitat characterized by small-diameter supports

Question 9

Comparative Method

Answer 9

test hypotheses by comparing with other organisms