Primates Flashcards
Primate Ecology
study of the interrelationships between animals, plants and the physical enviroment.
- environment influences natural selection,
- primate behaviour evolved in response to environmental pressures
List the shared features of the Hominoids: gibbons, orangutans, gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos
- increased brain volume and intelligence
- increased complexity of social interactions
- large body size
- brachiation
- knuckle-walking/fist-walking
- no tails
Types of diet and feeding: Diurnal
forage during the day
Types of diet and feeding: Nocturnal
forage at night
Types of diet and feeding: Crepuscular
forage at dawn and dusk
Types of diet and feeding: Cathemeral
irregular periods during both day and night
Diet and feeding competition: Intragroup feeding competition
competition between members of a group
Diet and feeding competition: Intergroup competition
competition between the best two groups
Diet and feeding competition: Contest feeding competition
competition for the best foods either intra- or intergroup
Diet and feeding competition: Scramble feeding competition
competition for more than others, intragroup
Effects of feeding competition?
- poor health
- lower dominance rank
- lowered fertility
In times of food shortages, natural selection may favour best foragers & food competitors
Territories & Ranges: Home ranges
- vary greatly in size
- must contain water, food, shelter, mates
- may overlap, slightly or entirely
Territories & Ranges: Core area
-parts of home range that is most intensively used
Territories & ranges: Territory
-part of a home range that is defended against other members of the same species
Niche seperation
-2 or more species that share the same space will somehow diverge in dietary needs in lean times
Polyspecific groups
- groups of 2 or more species will travel and forage for food together
- good anti-predator strategy
- low to no feeding competition due to niche seperation
Metatheria
-marsupials, offspring born early and move into pouch
prototheria
-monotremes, lay eggs but nurse young like other mammals
Eutheria
- placental mammals
- primates
What are the two suborders of primates?
Strepsirhini- lemurs and lorises
Haplorhini- tarsiers, monkeys, apes, humans
All nonhuman primates are quadrupeds. What is a quadruped?
An animal that has four feet
Anatomical traits of primates
- grasping hands with opposable thumbs or big toes
- flattened nails
- forward-facing eyes, stereoscopic vision (depth perception)
What are the 2 hypothesis for the adaptation of grasping hands and stereoscopic vission?
Arboreal hypothesis- adaptation for life in trees
Visual predation hypothesis- adaptation for catching small prey
Explain the reason for a primates extended ontogeny (life span)?
Primates have much more the learn than other mammals
ex// learning how to live in a social group is a long process
Most primate are diurnal, define diurnal
active during the day
