Primates Flashcards
1
Q
what fascinates us about nonhuman primates
A
their apparent similarity to us physically and behaviorally
2
Q
what tools have we observed primates making
A
chimpanzees were observed termite fishing by using “straws” or cracking nuts open with rocks
-cultural differences in tool uses have been seen based on the geographic regions they live in
3
Q
why have primates changed our ideas of what it means to be human
A
because we have observed them making tools which was though t be an exclusively human characteristic
they are able to use language to communicate
4
Q
pioneers in the field
A
- Jane Goodall (chimpanzees)
- Diane Fossey (mountain gorillas)
- Birute Galdikas (orangutans)
- Susan Savage-Rumbaugh (chimpanzee language)
- F. B. de Waal (field and zoo study of bonobos)
5
Q
how many species of non-human primates are there
A
approximately 190
6
Q
characteristics of monkeys
A
- tail
- tree dwellers (live day and night in trees but will come down for food and sometimes to defecate)
- generally small
- brain capacity similar to prosimians
7
Q
general characteristics of apes
A
- no tail
- often tree sleepers but ground dwellers
- with the exception of gibbons (lesser apes) they are larger
- brain capacity similar to humans
8
Q
characteristics of apes limbs and locomotion
A
- a tendency toward erect posture (primarily upper body)-sitting, standing, leaping, some bipedalism
- flexible, generalized limb structure permitting most to use a number of locomotion behaviors
- retention of some bones (clavicle) and certain abilities (forearm rotation) lost in specialized mammals
- hip and shoulder morphology allowing wide range of movement such as knuckle walking, brachiation, bipedialis, swinging through trees
9
Q
what is bipedalism
A
walking while standing upright (apes can maintain this posture for a while
10
Q
characteristics of apes hands and feet
A
- five digits on hands and feet with many having a diminished “thumb”
- thumb an bit toe are partially opposable
11
Q
characteristics of apes teeth
A
- lack of dietary specialization
- -omnivorous, carnivorous, frugivoro
- diet and teeth-cutting, tearing, grinding
- the dental formula is the quantity of each type of tooth (incisor, canine, premolar, and molar) in each quadrant of the mouth counting from the front
- -the human dental formula is : 2. 1. 2. 3.
- -primates have generalized dentition
12
Q
what are the two types of chimpanzees
A
- pan paniscus (pygmy chimpanzee)
- pan troglodytes (common chimpanzee
13
Q
differences between the pan paniscus chimp and the pan troglodyte chimp
A
- less forehead on the pan paniscus
- pan paniscus walks more upright
14
Q
general characteristics of chimpanzees
A
- ground dwelling primates (daytime), sleep in the trees at night
- found in the forests of equatorial africa
- along with gorillas, orangutans, and gibbons, chimps comprise the group called apes
- distinguished by lack of tail (this is for all apes)
- ability to brachiate
- have distinctive faces and personalities which make it easy for individuals to discern one another
15
Q
what does brachiate mean
A
rotating arms 360 degrees
16
Q
what have biomedical studies of chimps proved
A
they have proved that chimps are closely related to humans-more so than gorillas. they share 98.5% of their DNA makeup with us
17
Q
how are chimpanzees and us so different is we share so much DNA
A
- each human cell contains roughly three billion base pairs (or bits of information) and so 1.2 percent of that (the difference between us) equal about 35 million differences
- although humans and chimps have many identical genes, they often use them in different ways. a gene’s activity, or expression, can be turned up or down like the volume on a radio. so the same gene can be turned up his in humans, but very low in chimps
18
Q
how are chimpanzees immune system similar to ours
A
- most viruses that cause diseases like AIDS and hepatitis can infect chimpanzees too
- however they don’t get affected by the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum, which a mosquito can transmit through its bite into human blood
- -a small DNA difference makes human red blood cells vulnerable to this parasite, while chimp blood cells are resistant
19
Q
where was the chimpanzee historical home range
A
equatorial africa
20
Q
how does the present chimpanzee home range differ than the historical home range
A
present home range is fragmented and much smaller
21
Q
chimpanzee communities
A
- typically contain 50-100 chimps
- occupy 5-20 square kilometers
- within the community, casual groups form, break-up, and re-form in response to food availability
- group centers around adult males
- coalitions form to hunt and patrol boundaries and to guard the females (usually hunt small monkeys)
- the strongest and most enduring bonds are formed between mother and her offspring
22
Q
chimpanzee diet
A
- omnivores, eating mostly vegetable matter and occasionally meat
- using tools is a common method of food gathering and preparing food
23
Q
chimpanzee mother and infant relationship
A
- infant ties last through adulthood
- youngsters are dependent upon mom for an extremely long time, 5-7 years, and the stages of development are similar to humans
- at three months an infant will pull herself up on her mother’s body and start to have her first tooth
- at five months, she will begin to take her first steps
- mom starts to wean the baby around 3 years of age and is completely weaned by her fifth year
- six years chimps begin to lose their baby teeth
- adolescence (6-8) is a difficult time, adults show less tolerance to them, sometimes even threatening or attacking them
- -play sessions are rough at this time
- -around this age they start to lose their tail tuft
24
Q
chimpanzee development
A
- at 8-9 years they attain puberty
- a females 1st infant is usually born at 11 or 12
- -does not go into menopause
- -will have babies until she dies
- males reach sexual maturity at 15
25
chimpanzee aging
in wold they will reach 30-40 years old
| in captivity they will reach 50-55 years old
26
chimpanzee social structure
- very complex behavioral set
- complex social interactions
- strong family bonds
- cooperative hunting
- war
- peace making
27
chimpanzee complex social interactions
- grooming=their social activity
- -uneducated people believe that when they watch them groom each other it is because they are dirty/have flies but that is not true it is just a social activity among captive and wild chimps that provides please, reassurance, and re-affirms social hierarchies
- a chimp asks for grooming by approaching and standing squarely in front of the potential groomer. the groom either faces the other chimp with their head slightly bowed, or faces away, presenting the rump or back for grooming
- during grooming civilizations of contentment are made which is extremely important
28
chimpanzee sleeping
- sleep 5-25 meters above the ground
- make a leafy bed and a pillow
- adults sleep individual
- -females allow infants but males don't
- -once the child reaches a juvenile point he builds his own bed close by
- every night they make a new nest
29
chimpanzee communication
- a "play face" or happy face does not have the top incisors visible
- mouth is open, jaw dropped, and if laughing a light agh, agh, agh, is heard
30
chimpanzee fear
during a fear grimace both top and bottom incisors are visible
31
chimpanzee dominance
- Playing is practice for more complicated social interactions such as dominance displays
- A male chimp displays to maintain or acquire social status in the group
- Males will rock from side to side and begin a soft pant hoot vocalization
- -Their hair becomes erect
- They look for a weapon sometimes
- The vocalization becomes louder and he rises to bipedal posture, his hair becomes piloerrect
- He will then swagger and charge
- Rocks can be hurled, tree limbs dragged, and branches snapped for dramatic effect
- Some displays end in attacks, but most are bluffs
32
chimpanzee vocalization
"pant hoots" and "grunts"
| these males are excited
33
chimpanzee swelling
-The skin of the female's genital area swells when she enters estrus
--Can become very large (bball size) and pink
The swelling lasts about 10 days, then becomes flabby and wrinkled, finally shrinking away to almost nothing
-Swelling occurs between menstrual periods about every 35 days
-During this period of swelling she is courted and mated by the male
-She is ovulating during swelling, so this so the optimum time to become pregnant
-Why did this evolve
--Indicates readiness to breed
--Because chimps live in communities where group members split up frequently and live in the dense forest, this bright visual will send a clear message to the males
-Gestation a little over 8 months
34
chimpanzee medicine chest
- different style of chewing
- aspilia
- -member of the sunflower family
- --antibacterial and anti acidic
- -local people use as a medicinal agent
- -plant contain a high content of a potent antibiotic called thiarubrine
- has potent anti fungal, anti parasitic, antiviral, and antibacterial properties
- more potent than vincristine (cancer Tx)
35
chimpanzee status today
- endangered species
- -due to deforestation, habitat fragmentation, eaten by locals
- lab animals
- -kept in solitary confinement which is difficult for them due to the fact that they are social animals
- rescue efforts are in place
- cooperative behavioral studies are in place such as chimpanzee-a sponsored program of the Jane Goodall Instiute
