primates Flashcards
what family are humans in?
primate
what are 6 features of a primate?
- long fingers, 2. binocular vision, 3. big cerebral cortex and skull, 4. strong hip bones 5. toes with nails (not claws), 6. arms that rotate around the shoulder
binocular vision has what 2 characteristics ?
forward facing vision and 3d depth perception
primates evolved into what 2 groups?
lemurs and anthropoids/tarsiers (about 65 million years ago)
what was the difference between these groups?
lemurs were nocturnal and have snouts with big eyes. anthropoids had nostrals and broad faces
what 2 groups did the anthropoids evolve into?
new world monkeys(long tails and arms) and old world monkeys (shorter tails and long arms). 45 million years ago
what group did hominoids evolve from?
old world monkey about 7 million years ago
what groups evolved from the hominoids?
gorillas, chimps, homos
what 5 features did the hominoids have in common?
- opposable thumb (thumb that can touch every finger) 2. big brain, 3. strong neck to carry the big brain . hip bones for walking, 5. leg bones for walking
Is there a universally accepted theory for the hominoid tree?
No. Lots of confirmed species but no clear evolutionary path.
What is special about Australopithecus?
1st known bipedal apes in the homo genus. 4 million years ago. better climbers than humans.
About how many homo genus species lived among our species (sapiens)?
- neanderthal, 2. erectus, 3.?