Primates Flashcards
what fascinates us about nonhuman primates
their apparent similarity to us physically and behaviorally
what tools have we observed primates making
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
why have primates changed our ideas of what it means to be human
because we have observed them making tools which was though t be an exclusively human characteristic
they are able to use language to communicate
pioneers in the field
- 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)
how many species of non-human primates are there
approximately 190
characteristics of monkeys
- 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
general characteristics of apes
- no tail
- often tree sleepers but ground dwellers
- with the exception of gibbons (lesser apes) they are larger
- brain capacity similar to humans
characteristics of apes limbs and locomotion
- 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
what is bipedalism
walking while standing upright (apes can maintain this posture for a while
characteristics of apes hands and feet
- five digits on hands and feet with many having a diminished “thumb”
- thumb an bit toe are partially opposable
characteristics of apes teeth
- 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
what are the two types of chimpanzees
- pan paniscus (pygmy chimpanzee)
- pan troglodytes (common chimpanzee
differences between the pan paniscus chimp and the pan troglodyte chimp
- less forehead on the pan paniscus
- pan paniscus walks more upright
general characteristics of chimpanzees
- 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
what does brachiate mean
rotating arms 360 degrees