Terms Flashcards
torper
slows metabolism down when resources scarce
Phylogenic Tree
a visual “tree” (cladogram) rep. of phylogeny; reflects their evolutionary history
Primitive Trait (does not mean inferior)
the original condition of a trait; trait that has not changed from an ancestral state (indicate last common ancestor)- the original condition of a trait, eg: pentadactyly (five fingers- retained by most primates)
Rhinarium
moist naked area surrounding the nostrils in most mammals including strepsirrhini primates; emphasis on sense of smell; absent in tarsiers, monkeys, apes and humans
Derived Trait
a new trait or a trait that has changed from an ancestral state ( the last common ancestor) - **key to understanding evolutionary change in primates and other animals, eg: horses have retained only one digit
Family
indicated by -ae ending
Primates
The biological order that includes humans, monkeys, apes, and prosimians
New world
A term referring to north, central, and south america. By comparison, the old world refers to Europe, Africa, and Asia. Distinction is an ethnocentric reflection of the european origin of our modern sciences
Pentadactylism
Five fingers and toes characteristic, retained by most primates as Primitive Trait
Prehensile
Ability to physically grasp something ie tails
Power grip
Strong grip formed by partial flexion of the fingers and palm with counter force applied by the thumb
Precision grip
Grip formed by the partial flexion of the fingers and the palm with counter force applied by the thumb
Comparative Model
comparing many primate species to understand primate evolution and how natural selection shapes primate biology and behavior
Conceptual Models
using traits and patterns seen in nonhuman primates and other animals to understanding human biology and evolution
Referential Models
using patterns seen in specific nonhuman primates to understand human behavior, biology and evolution
Primate Evolution
primates emerged from nocturnal, tree shrew-like animals during the late Cretaceous; radiated and adapting to numerous environments; use the comparative model, w/ primitive and derived traits to study living primates to better understand human evolutionary, behavioral and biological traits
Primate Biology
Life History Consequences; bigger mammals mature later live longer-Humans have longer maturation time, longer reproductive span (menopause), and fewer offspring
Primate Ecology
many primitive traits are adaptations to their environment ~ their ecology; includes available food, predators, and other primate groups
Primate sociality
primates live in social groups for protection from predators; shared information and access to food; physiological- for warmth, and grooming to reduce parasites
Classification
organizing items into categories using some kind of criteria
Taxonomy
a particular way of classifying. In biology the goal is to organize organisms based on similarities and differences that usually reflect Evolutionary Relationships
Clades
a group of organisms that evolved from a common ancestor and includes all its lineal descendants
Phylogeny
evolutionary history/relationships of a particular group of organisms
Derived Trait
a new trait or a trait that has changed from an ancestral state ( the last common ancestor) - **key to understanding evolutionary change in primates and other animals, eg: horses have retained only one digit
Clavicles
All primates have these bones
Stereoscopic vision
Ability to see in 3-D
Binocular vision
Seeing with two eyes, eyes are overlapping in fields of vision to provide depth perception
Trichromatic color vision
complete color vision, rare among mammals, common in diurnal haplorrhine primates; maybe some marsupials; 3 cone pigments; may help with finding food, seeing predators in thick forest, and species recognition
Bipedal
Walking/running on two feet in upright position
Olfactory sense
emphasis on sense of smell
Tactile sense
Sense of touch
Arboreal
Adapted to life in the trees
Terrestrial
Adapted to life on the ground
Diurnal
Awake and active during the daytime
Nocturnal
Awake and active during the night
Omnivorous
Diet of meat and veggie foods
Herbivorous
Only eat plants
Faunivorous
eats animals only - insects & invertebrates
Folivorous
eats leaves
Frugivorous
eat only fruit
Grooming
Pleasurable activity for primates to socialize and form bonds
Dental formula
Term for quantity of each type of tooth
Molar and premolar
Used primarily for grinding and smashing food
Incisor
Used like scissors
Canine
Used for piercing and tearing
Semi-terrestrial
Spend most of the day on the ground but return to the trees to sleep
Ischial callosity
Hairless, callused thick fleshy pads on either side of the rump-may have evolved for comfortable/stable sitting on thin branches/ground during feeding
Sexual skin and swelling
Swelling that occurs around genital area/rump that’s prominent in females close to estrus; Gelada baboons have swelling on chest instead
Tactile pad
Skin surface sensitive to pressure, temperature, and pain; found on pads of hands/feet and prehensile tails
Sexual dimorphism
Anatomical differences between females and males; the result of sexual selection
Sacculated stomach
Sack-like stomach with enzymes to help digest difficult to digest food ie leaves, colobinea
Cheek pouches
Elastic cheek “skin” pockets, derived trait, cercopithicinae
Adaptive radiation
the formation of many new species (or other taxa) following the availability of new environments- many daughter species over time
“Sweepstakes” Model
Lemurs got to Madagascar via rafting; rodents, carnivorans, tenrecs & lemurs moved from Africa to Madagascar (floating plant vegetation-“island”; possible for small body sized animals possible “torpers”
Convergent evolution
the independent evolution of similar features in species of diff clades; superficial similarities/similar form/function as result of adapting to similar ecological conditions and niches
Taxonomy hierarchy
Order (suborder, infraorder) -> family -> genus -> species
Life History
the pattern and timing of key life events such as birth, puberty, reproduction and life span
Neotropical
New World; South America
bachelor groups
all male groups; common in species with one male/multi-female groups
Sperm competition
females mate w/ many males. If there are many male-competitors, testes are larger, produce more sperm, & increase males chance to produce offspring
Sympatric
living in same area (eg living in same area (eg forests)
Non-utilitarian behavior
not necessary for survival - making snow balls
“Pre-cultural” behavior
ex: researchers left rice on beach, macaque put in water so rice floated to eat faster- other members in group began copying behavior; began with elder female than then went down the lineage starting with the youngest offspring
Sexual selection
a type of natural selection where females or males chose to mate w/ individuals w/ certain traits; result members of the sexes obtain distinct forms
Sectorial Premolar
on bottom jaw, sharpens canines when mouth closes
Phyletic dwarfing
reduction in body size over evolutionary time
“Urine washing”
Bushbabies
urinating on hands and feet to mark areas- “I have been here”
“Sunning”
Propithecus lemur
sit w/ white chest facing sun in morning
suspensory
Ruffed lemur
using feet to hang from branches to reach food
prehensile tail
only in new world monkeys, can support the whole animal in suspension to access food, has a naked pad to better grip
fission-fusion
a soc. org. where groups divide into smaller groups (fission) or join back together (fusion) depending on resource availability, maintain communication even during fission (wooly spider monkey); also seen in chimps
“Facultative Folivory”
can subsist on leaves during lean times but have anatomical adaptations for ripe fruit foraging/feeding (wooly spider monkey)
