Anthro 421 (Primates)

Color Vision: (3)

-Monochromatic -Dichromatic -Trichromatic

Where and when did primates evolve?

65 million years ago - K/T Boundary. After the K/T Boundary you see the: -extinction of the dinosaurs -mammalian adaptive radiation You see the diversity of the types of animals. Primates exploded within that mammalian adaptive radiation. First primates are found in Europe and North America!!

Where are primates found?

New world monkeys; Central South America Old world Monkeys and apes; South East Asia

What is a primate?

Primates are an order of mammals that include prosimians, monkeys, apes, and humans. -grouped together at the level of the order

How large are the primates?

Smallest: mouse lemur -The smallest primate is the pygmy mouse lemur (Microcebus myoxinus) which weighs approximately 60mg or 2 ounces. Largest: Gorilla -(Gorilla gorilla) females weigh 220 pounds, males can be up to twice as large. Black backs; males that haven't reach sexual maturity. (Largest primate to ever have lived was called Gigantopithecus)

Learned Behavior

Variable behavior; it is learned; they can learn to alter their behavior to fit new situations or novel problems that they come across. -More emphasis on primates that is learned as opposed to instinctual behaviors.

Do primates rely more on sights then smell?

Yes, Primates rely more on sights (vision) than on smell (olfaction). -Smell is not the most important of our senses -not a dog -our first greeting with someone is not to go smell them

Skeleton

all primates have a post(behind) oribital(eye) bar -protection of the eye -All primates has the post orbital bar; but sheep and deer do as well. It doesn't distinguish them from all other mammals.

Gallery forest

forest that is along the edges of rivers

Savanna woodland

open grassy areas with a few trees that the primates use as sanctuary; baboons.

Primary forest

the big old growth trees that have been there forever; humans haven't done anything; things cant grow on the ground; no sun gets through. -different animals that live in these forests; high up at the trees and never come down; mid animals that live in the middle; and some species that live in the under tree, and some live on the ground. Gorillas live on the ground cause they are big. -These are the animals that are endangered; people want the wood.

Trichromatic

(OWM and APes) -All old world monkeys and apes we can perceives differences between white versus black, red versus green, blue versus yellow

Dichromatic

(most NWM) -They can perceive two fields of color; white versus black; variation within the blue and yellow color waves. This are red-green color blind. Most new world monkeys.

Monochromatic

(nocturnal, most prosimians) -see the world in white verses thru black. White black and grey (color blind) -All nocturnal(active at night) animals are monochromatic.

Example of female dependency:

-A female orangoutang wont give birth until her baby is fully dependent; they only give birth every 7 to 9 years. With humans even tho we have the biggest brain; we are able to give birth much sooner; 2 to 5 years. Why? Babysitting; help. -No one is helping these animals. -The family structures we have; as humans.

Primates are highly manipulative animals:

-Ability to manipulate environment with their hands and their feet -hand structure is different then other animals; the fact that we have 5 digits on hands and feet; ancestral condition. Bats, birds, whales, even some fish. Its a very old trait to have 5 digits. -Grasping hands and feet (opposable thumb and hallux) Can be used to grasps things, can use their feet as hands. Humans lost that ability. -Finger tips are also more sensitive then the pores of cat or dogs (for example); we have nails instead of claws; and we have this sensitive area that is very sensitive to the touch. Claw has two laters which is why they can shed another layer; but nail only has one layer. -Horse; lost all but one.

Why did they evolve?

-Arboreal Habitat? -leaping from branch to branch --forward facing eyes, grasping feet; all traits that would be excellent for living in trees with is a three dimensional environment -food location; the insects; predators of fruit.

Primates are Placental (Eutherian) Mammals:

-Female has placenta; allows nutrients; allows them to stay in the womb for a much longer period of time so they are born at a more developed state. -Give birth to live young -But have a placenta that nourishes offspring to a more advanced stage of development prior to birth

Who did the primates evolve from?

-From an animal called the Shrew; which is an insectivorous animal. -they do not have a post orbital bar; are they primates are they not? Currently they are not.

Infant dependency

-Longer periods of infant dependency; infants are allowed to make mistakes; primates have very long periods of infant dependency; this period of infancy becomes even longer. -Latter is directly related to the size of the brain; species that have bigger brains are the ones that have the longest period of infant dependency.

What different forests can primates live in?

-Primary forest -Secondary forest -Gallery forest -Savanna woodland

Brain size

-Primates have a much larger brain than other mammalian groups -brain size=body size example; elephant is big animal so big brain; rat is small and small brain -Only group that has larger brains are the Cetaceans; whales and dolphins -species that has largest brain for body size is humans. -Area of greatest enlargement is the Neocortex. -cognitive thought -Fish brain; neocortex is small; Dori; fish mental capabilities; memory is 30 seconds. -Primate brain: logical thought.

Visual adaptations

-Primates have forward facing eyes; it allows us to see in three dimensions because the fields of visions from each eye over lap. -For all predators; they all have forward facing eyes because they need three dimensions; depth and distance so they can jump on their prey. -You loose fielder vision; horses, deer, sheep. There eyes are on the side of their head so they can see behind them; so they can see predator coming. -Binocular vision

Posture

-Primates show a tendency towards more upright/erect posture. -they all sit upright and can use their hands; they do not need to support themselves with their front limbs.

Primate are Mammals: Warm blooded? Fur/hair? Give birth to young? Mammary glands?

-Warm blooded? Yes, but its not just mammals that are warm blooded. -Fur/hair covered? Not all mammals have fur and hair; whales, dolphins, hairless cats and there are other animals that have hair; tarantulas. -Give birth to live young? No, platypus, mono trains they lay eggs. Many fish give birth to live young; fish, frogs. -Mammary glands; only thing that defines mammals. The females of the species have modified sweat glands that produce sweat to produce milk. All mammals have them.

What kind of environment do primates live?

-primates are tropical animals; they live in tropical environments -Exceptions: -Japanese Macaques -(Snow monkeys) -Asian Snubnosed Monkeys (high in the mountains in china) -Some Baboons (Not tropical) -Primates are forest dwelling animals; very rarely will you find a primate that doesn't live in the forest.

Taxonomy

-ways of classifying the primates -a human based grouping scheme; humans doing this based on what we see as similarities or differences between the group and how important we think these similarities and differences are. -Classification based naming system -Super family — Oidea -Family - idea -Subfamily - inae

Secondary forest

has been regenerating from some kind of disturbed; human related; or hurricanes. Once a forest is destroyed it starts to regenerated