What are Primates? Why do we study them?

Question 1

Anthropologist will try and understand humanity by 4 metrics

Answer 1

1) Socio-cultural anthropology - cross cultural comparison
2) Linguistic - language
3) Archeology -cultural and human remains
4) Physical Anthropology AKA biology anthropology

Question 2

Why study Non-Human primates as Anthropologist?

Answer 2

1) The non-human primates are our closest relatives
2) Share common ancestory with non human primates
3) share 98% of our genome with chimpanzees and bonobos

Question 3

Why study Non-Human primates as Anthropologist? - Assumptions (4)

Answer 3

1) Some of our (human) morphological and behavioural traits are actually shares with AND OR DERIVED from non-human primates
2) Learning about these NHP tells us WHY these traits evolved
3) Tell us about ourselves

Question 4

How do NH primates teach us about ourselves? (5)

Answer 4

1) Shared Traits
2) Referential Model
3) Strategic Models
4) Importance of social behaviour (Cost/Benefit)
5) Understanding variation in sociality

Question 5

How do NH primates teach us about ourselves? What is the referential model?

Answer 5

The use of particular species for drawing analogies with others

Question 6

How do NH primates teach us about ourselves? What is the Strategic model?

Answer 6

The use of EVOLUTIONARY THEORY to predict differences and similarities between among species

Question 7

If we share a trait with a non human primate or any other taxon) did we inherit it from theM>

Answer 7

read “Cladistic Analysis” p 62 in Stier

Question 8

Homoplasy

Answer 8

A trait found in 2 or more species that has evolved independently in each

Question 9

Homology

Answer 9

Trait inherited from last common ancestor.

- A trait found in 2or more species that is shared due to common ancestry

Question 10

Look at the picture of homoplasy

Answer 10

look

Question 11

Look at the picture of Homology

Answer 11

look

Question 12

How does a Homoplasy arise?

Answer 12

1) Convergent evolution

2) Parralel evolution

Question 13

How does a Homoplasy arise? - Convergent Evolution

Answer 13

Two distantly related species, converge on a similar solution to the same ecological pressures

Question 14

How does a Homoplasy arise? Parallel Evolution

Answer 14

1) Two similar species (usually with a common ancestral traits evolve similar traits INDEPENDENTLY

2) ARE OFTEN more closely related species (diverged from a common ancestor) that didn’t exhibit the trait, may end up possessing the trait b/c they face similar ecological pressures after divergence
3) Often due to similar environments

Question 15

Convergent or parallel evolution?

Context: Suspensory Locomotion

A: Family Atelidae - found in africa
B: Family Hylobatidae - found in asia
-Distantly related

Answer 15

Converged on similar solution to same selective pressures

Question 16

What is Taxonomy?

Answer 16

-The scientific namig and grouping of categories of organisms which are grouped together due to similiarity.

Question 17

What is Taxonomy? What are commonly used traits?

Answer 17

Morphology, 
behaviour, 
pelage,
 vocalizations, 
genetics

Question 18

Primates are one order of primates

Taxonomy (7) Story

Answer 18

1) Kingdom
2 Phylum
3) Class
4) Order
5) Family 
6) Genus 
7) Species

Question 19

Primates are one Order of Mammals - Homo Sapiens / human beings - Taxonomy (Primates)

Answer 19

1) Kingdom - Animilia
2) Phylum - Chordata
3) Class - Mammalia
4) Order - Primates
5) Family - Hominidae
6) Genius - Homo
7) Species - sapiens

Question 20

Primates are one Order of Mammals - Vervet Monkey , Chlorocebus Pygerythrus - Taxonomy (Primates)

Answer 20

1) Kingdom - Animilia
2) Phylum - Chordata
3) Class - Mammalia
4) Order - Primates
5) Family - Cercopithecidae
6) Genius - Chlorocebus
7) Species - Pygerythrus

Question 21

Primates are one ORDER of mammals - What are five characteristics of Mammals (5)

Answer 21

1) Endothermic
2) Give birth to live young
3) Body hair
4) Young get fed milk from the mammary glands of the mother
5) Three middle ear bones

Question 22

Name some primates (6)

Answer 22

1) Lemurs
2) Lorises
3) Tarsiers
4) Monkeys
5) Apes
6) Humans

Question 23

A big problem: Disagreement over taxonomy

Answer 23

What constitutes a true taxa is often blurred

Lumpers vs splitters

Question 24

PRIMATES - 4 groups of primate characteristics: The primate pattern (4)

Answer 24

1) Grasping Hands and feet
2) Visual systems
3) Large Complex brains / associate behaviour
4) Skeleton and dental features

Question 25

Primitive vs Derived Traits - What are Primates

Answer 25

Primates are a mix of primitive characteristics and derived characteristics

Question 26

Primitive vs Derived Traits - What are Primates - What does primitive means

Answer 26

it does not mean less successful, simply means older

Question 27

Primitive Vs Derived Traits - What do Primitive Traits (Plesiomorphy) look like (3)

Answer 27

1) Acenstral trait that is shared with the common ancenstory ex) Penadatylyl in humans 2) Often generalized 3) Homology (relative ancestry group)

Question 28

Primitive Vs Derived Traits - What do Derived Traits (Apomorphy) look like (4)

Answer 28

1) An evolutionary novelty relative to the ancestral condition 2) Traits that appear in a species after the last common ancestor 3) Distinguish a group from its last common ancestors 4) Specialized or derived relative to an ancestral condition

Question 29

Another name for Derived traits

Answer 29

Apomorphy

Question 30

Another name for primitive traits

Answer 30

Plesiomorphy

Question 31

PRIMATES - 4 groups of primate characteristics: The primate pattern - Grasping hands (4)

Answer 31

1) Pentadactyly opposable hands 2) Nails not claws 3) Sensitive Tactile pads (finger tips) 4) Power / precision grips

Question 32

PRIMATES - 4 groups of primate characteristics: The primate pattern (4) - Feet

Answer 32

Symmetrical

Question 33

PRIMATES - 4 groups of primate characteristics: The primate pattern (4) - Hands Primate hands Pentadactyly

Answer 33

1) Prescence of 5 digits among all primates

Question 34

Shared by species that acquired it by descendants from a common ancestor (mammals, reptiles, amphibinas)

Answer 34

Pentadactyly

Question 35

PRIMATES - 4 groups of primate characteristics: The primate pattern - Grasping hands- Vision and Olfaction

Answer 35

1) Forward facing eyes 2) Stereoscoptic eyes - Depth perception 3) Greater reliance on vision 4) Colour vision - only placental mammal with trichromatic

Question 36

PRIMATES - 4 groups of primate characteristics: The primate pattern - Large complex brains

Answer 36

1) Large brains relative to body size 2) Learning and socializing is very important 3) Can learn from experience 4) Reduction on instinct responses

Question 37

Are primates K selected or R selected?

Answer 37

K - they have fewer offspring and rear them with better care

Question 38

What is the difference between K and R selected

Answer 38

K - few children, take care of them | R- Lots of children, little care

Question 39

Why are K selected need longer juvenile periods?

Answer 39

1) Require lots of learning

Question 40

PRIMATES - 4 groups of primate characteristics: The primate pattern - Tendency towards sociability

Answer 40

yes

Question 41

PRIMATES - 4 groups of primate characteristics: The primate pattern - Features of the skeleton and dentals (4)

Answer 41

1) Generalized limb structure = nothing too specialized 2) Generalized flexible morphology 3) Retention of an unspecialized skeleton, particular in the limbs

Question 42

PRIMATES - 4 groups of primate characteristics: The primate pattern - Features of the skeleton and dentals - Generalized flexible morphology- example

Answer 42

us having a clavicle and letting us have mobility vs horses that do not -> less mobility

Question 43

PRIMATES - 4 groups of primate characteristics: The primate pattern - Features of the skeleton and dentals - Generalized Dentals (4)

Answer 43

1) Most primates have relative unspecialized teeth 2) 2.1.2.3 3) ( incisor,canine, Premolars, molars )

Question 44

Cranial Anatomy - What is the difference between postorbital bars vs postorbital closure

Answer 44

1) Postorbital is the side of the eye bone 2) The postorbital Closure is the bone in the back of the eye been closed - rather than open 3) Function, increase reliance on vision and keep eyes looking froward while providing support so they dont sqush when you chew

Question 45

Theories on the orgin of primates: Plesiadapifroms - Paleocene (3)

Answer 45

1) Small brain relative to primates 2) Long fingers for grasping 3) Lack of adaptation - postorbital bar & convergent orbit

Question 46

When did the first primate first show up and what year? (2)

Answer 46

1) Eocene | 2) 45 million

Question 47

The Origin of the Primate Pattern - The Arboreal Theory

Answer 47

1) Early primate evolution was shaped by the selection for traits that benefited animals who lived up in the tree