The Primate Pattern Flashcards
What are the defining characteristics of mammals?
Endothermic, hair on body, fed milk from mother’s mammary glands, most are born alive (except monotremes)
Mammals are warm-blooded animals that have fur or hair and produce milk for their young.
What does the term ‘allometry’ refer to?
The study of the relationship between the size of an organism and its shape, anatomy, physiology, and behavior
Allometry examines how two variables increase or decrease at different rates.
What is the Jarman/Bell principle?
It describes the relationship between body size, metabolic rates, and diet quality in primates
It suggests that larger animals have lower metabolic rates per unit body weight.
List the four complexes associated with primate adaptations.
- Grasping hands and feet
- Several aspects of visual system
- Large complex brains and associated behavor
- Skeletal and dental features
List the characteristics of grasping hands and feet
*Opposable thumbs
*Sensitive/tactile pads
*Power and precision grip
List the characteristics of the primate visual system
*Enhanced vision
*Stereoscopic vision
*Increased acuity
*Trichromatic color vision
*Reduced reliance of olfaction/smelling
What are the advantages/disadvantages of forward-facing eyes in primates?
*Accurate depth perception
*overlap in visual field creating a 3D image
*Reduced FOV
These features contribute to better navigation and predator detection.
True or False: All primates have trichromatic color vision.
False
Trichromatic color vision is found in all Old World Monkeys, but is variable among New World Monkeys and Strepsirrhines.
What is the significance of a large neocortex in primates?
It plays a central role in higher-order brain functions, linking brain size to sociality and learning
Larger neocortex size is associated with more complex social behaviors.
Define Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR).
The rate at which energy is used to maintain body function during a resting state
BMR is allometrically related to body weight.
What are ‘altricial newborns’ in the context of primates?
Primate infants that are born with less developed brains relative to adult sizes compared to other mammals
This leads to a reliance on social learning and extended postnatal care.
Implications of complex brains in primates
*Longer periods of post natal care
*Great ability to learn from experience
*Great reliance on learning
*Sociality is an important adaptation for survival
What skeletal features are retained in primates for evolutionary success?
- Retention of clavicle
- Retention of 2 bones in forearms and lower legs
- Reduction in the number of teeth
These features provide flexibility, strength, and precision in diverse habitats.
What is the significance of trunkal uprightness in primates?
It allows for postures with the trunk held vertically, facilitating different modes of locomotion
Larger primates have bigger teeth and longer limbs, but no functional difference is noted.
