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Human Biology ATAR > Primate evolution > Flashcards

Primate evolution Flashcards

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1
Q

What is binomial nomenclature?

A

Uses generic (genus) and specific (species) names for the scientific name of a species

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2
Q

Categories list:

A
  • Kingdom
  • Phylum
  • Class
  • Order
  • Family
  • Genus
  • Species
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3
Q

How are living organisms classified?

A

According to their structural features

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4
Q

Homosapiens

A 
genus = homo
species = sapien
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5
Q

Organisms that produce fertile offspring

A

Must be from the same species

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6
Q

What does being in the same species presume?

A

That you are in the same genus

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7
Q

Sub-groups in the classification system

A
  • Kingdom
  • Phylum
    o Sub-phylum
  • Class
  • Order
    o Sub-order
    o Infra-order
    o Parv-order
    o Super-family
  • Family
    o Sub-family
    o Tribe
  • Genus
  • Species
    o Sub-species
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8
Q

Types of primates

A
  • Humans
  • Apes
  • Monkeys
  • Tarsiers
  • Lorises
  • Lemurs
  • Have some physical characteristics and DNA nucleotide sequences in common
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9
Q

What happens as you move down the hierarchy?

A
  • Organisms in each group have more and more characteristics in common
  • Start to have very similar DNA sequences
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10
Q

Classification of humans

A
  • Classified into the family: hominidae
  • Share this family with the great apes (e.g. Gorillas, Chimps and Orang-utans)
  • Sub-family: homininae and share this subfamily with Chimpanzees and extinct humans
  • Tribe: Hominini and share this tribe with the extinct humans
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11
Q

Binomial name for Orang-utans

A

Ponginae

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12
Q

Binomial name for Gorillas

A

Gorillini

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13
Q

Binomial name for Chimpanzee

A

Panini

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14
Q

Examples of lower primates

A

Non-tarsiers - Leumurs

Prosimians

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15
Q

Primate groups

A

Lower primates

Tarsiers

Higher primates

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16
Q

Examples of higher primates

A

New worldmonkeys - spider monkeys

Old world monkeys - baboons

Lesser apes - gibbons

Great apes - orang-utans, gorillas and chimpanzees

Humans - modern and extinct humans

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17
Q

Classification of primates

A 
Kingdom = animal
Phylum = chlordate
Subphylum = vertebrate
Class = mammal
Order = primate
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18
Q

Characteristics of primates (15)

A
  1. Unspecialised body
  2. Unspecialised limbs
  3. Pentadactyl (5 limbs)
  4. Nails instead of claws
  5. Grasping digits with friction ridges
  6. Opposable first digit
  7. Forward facing eyes (stereoscopic vision)
  8. Colour vision
  9. Reduced sense of smell
  10. 4 incisors in top and bottom jaws
  11. Relatively large and complex brain
  12. Larger cerebrum in more complex primates
  13. Can reproduce throughout the year
  14. Rhythmical sexual cycle
  15. Usually one offspring at a time
  16. Long period of parental care
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19
Q

Strepsirrhini

A

Lemurs and Lorises

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20
Q

Tarsiformes

A

Tarsiers

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21
Q

Platyrrhini

A

New world monkeys

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22
Q

Cercopithecoidea

A

Old world monkeys

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23
Q

Hylobatidae

A

Simangs and gibbons

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24
Q

Pongids

A

Orang-utans

25
Q

Panini

A

Chimpanzees

26
Q

Hominini

A

Humans

27
Q

Types of evolutionary trends

A
  1. Digits
  2. Dentition
  3. Relative size of the cerebral cortex
  4. Gestation (duration of pregnancy) and parental care
  5. Vision
28
Q

Evolution of digits

A
  • Primates are pentadactyl (5 digits on each limb)
  • Digits are highly mobile due to arboreal ancestry
  • Digits are prehensile = grasping
  • The evolutionary trend is toward increasing the ability to move digits
29
Q

The thumb

A
  • Most highly evolved digit
  • Independent and opposable
  • The degree of opposability varies
30
Q

What do humans lack?

A

An opposable big toe

31
Q

Nails

A
  • Primates have nails instead of claws
  • This is because nails are easier for grasping
  • Nails are flattened claws
  • Some primitive primates retain a toileting claw
  • Nails and tactile pads evolved together
32
Q

Tactile pads

A
  • Primates developed small ridges to increase grip

- Called friction pads or fingerprints

33
Q

Hand shape

A
  • Humans have a short, broad hand with short, straight fingers and a long, strong
  • thumb
  • This results in a high degree of opposability for all digits
  • Enables a precision grip – also seen in Cercopithecoidea (old world monkey)
34
Q

How many permanent teeth do humans have?

A

32

35
Q

Dental formula

A

2123/2123

Gives the number of each type of tooth found in one quarter of the jaw

36
Q

How old are the oldest fossils?

A

Approximately 65 million years’ old

37
Q

Trend in the number of teeth

A
  • Primitive mammals had a dental formula of: 3,1,4,3
  • They had a total of 44 teeth
  • The gradual reduction in tooth numbers was probably related to the gradual reduction in face and jaw size that has appeared in primates
38
Q

Variability in tooth form

A
  • Lemurs and Lorises have forward slanted incisors (or canines) forming a comb for grooming
  • Cercopithecoids have a diastema to accommodate for very large canines
39
Q

Trend in molars

A
  • Show very few evolutionary trends
  • Early mammals had 3 cusps per molar
  • Cercopitheoids have 4 cusps
  • Hominoids have 5 cusps on the lower molars
40
Q

Vision in early primates

A
  • They were arboreal (tree dwelling)
  • This habitat relied more on vision and less on sense of smell (olfaction)
  • Resulted in a general change in skull shape
  • Face became flatter and cranium larger
41
Q

Observable behaviour in living primates

A
  • Supports this shift in vision and skull shape

- Lemurs use their snout and teeth for what an ape uses its hands for

42
Q

Trends in face shapes

A
  • Flatter face
  • Allowed primates to investigate objects, groom and communicate
  • Seen the eyes move forward
  • Allows for stereoscopic vision
    o Field of view from each eye overlaps
    o Permits accurate judgement of distance
    o Two views are superimposed
43
Q

Field of view

A
  • Arboreal lifestyle required good depth of perception
  • If you misjudge distances, you fall out of a tree
  • Stereoscopic vision narrows the field of view
  • Primates compensated for this by having a highly mobile neck and head
44
Q

Role of rods

A

Important for vision in dim light and produce monochromatic (black and white) vision

45
Q

Role of cones

A

Produce colour vision in bright light

46
Q

Vision in primates

A
  • Have both rods and cons in their retinas
  • More sophisticated nerves between the eyes and the brain
  • Permits more acute vision in each eye
  • Greater coordination between the two eyes
  • Enhances stereoscopic vision
47
Q

Position/protection of the eyes

A
  • Eyes have moved forward
  • Eye socket have evolved to protect the eye
  • The bone has gradually closed in the side and the back of the socket
48
Q

Regions of the brain

A
  • Region of the brain concerned with the interpretation of olfaction has decreased
  • Region of the brain concerned with the interpretation of vision has increased
49
Q

The cerebral cortex

A
  • The cerebrum is responsible for complex functions
  • The cerebral cortex has an important role in → vision, memory, reasoning and manipulative ability
  • Both have increased enormously as primates have evolved
  • Larger cerebral cortex functions have facilitated more accurate visual and tactile perception along with better coordination
  • There is a greater survival chance (natural selection)
50
Q

Cerebral convolutions

A
  • The number of cerebral convolutions has increased dramatically as primates have evolved
  • Permits greater surface area of the cortex which has had far reaching effects on development
    o Tool making vs tool use
    o Behavioural responses → grooming, allies and enemies
51
Q

Gestations and parental care

A
  • Primates are not restricted to a limited reproductive season
  • Have a rhythmical sexual cycle (e.g. periods)
  • Usually give birth to only one offspring at a time
  • Apes and humans have very efficient placentas
  • Long periods of gestation
52
Q

Rodent gestation period

A

3 weeks (6 offspring)

53
Q

Tarsier gestation period

A

6 months (1 offspring)

54
Q

Human gestation period

A

9 months (1 offspring)

55
Q

Primate gestation periods

A
  • Mouse lemurs: 54-68 days
  • Lemurs: 132-134 days
  • Macaques: 146-186 days
  • Gibbons: 210 days
  • Gorillas: 255 days
  • Humans: 279 days
56
Q

Parental care periods for primates

A
  • Very long
  • Lemurs are weaned at 5 months
  • Apes are weaned at 3-4 years
57
Q

Nipples

A

Some lemurs have multiple nipples, but most primates have only a pair

58
Q

Maturation periods

A

Primates have delayed maturation, and attain sexual maturity much later than other mammals

  • Gives them a long period of learning
  • Increases chances of offspring’s survival

Human Biology ATAR (13 decks)

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