Unit 1.2: Primate Diversity (Tarsiers, Lorises, Lemurs)

Tarsier Basics (locations, diet, social behavior)

Location: only found in SE Asia: Bottom portion of Sumatra, Borneo, Sulwesi, Philippines (only some portions) Diet: hyper carnivores - only eat other animals Aboreal and nocturnal Social behaviors: Some are solitary and some are pair living (male and female pairs specifically)

Aye-aye lemur

Long middle finger, long claw like nail, and chisel shaped incisor

Big picture differences between the two semiorders of primates: Haplorhines and Strepsirrhines

Strepsirrhines (lemurs, galagos, lorises): have poorer eyesight but better olfactory capabilities Haps (tarsiers, new and old world monkeys, apes, and humans): have better eyesight but lowered olfactory capabilities

Primate tree of life

The basic tree of life for primates

Characteristics that are unique to strepsirrhines

Tooth comb teeth: optimal for grooming Grooming claw: long nail on one finger only

Lemuriformes Basics: Location, Diet, and activity

Diet: insects, fruit, gum Activity: Nocturnal and arboreal mostly Social: groups various sizes Location: Found ONLY in madagascar; adaptive radiation when madagascar broke off from Africa.

Family Lemuridae (Lemurs)

Includes bigger lemurs which are 4-6 lbs in size Activity: Some arboreal (black lemur) and some more terrestrial (ring tailed) Social: some gregarious social groups (ring tailed) and some live in pairs (mongoose and black lemur) Diet: fruit, leaves, and bamboo for bamboo lemurs EX: mongoose lemur, black, bamboo, ring tailed

Family Cheirogaleidae

Includes mouse and dwarf lemurs both of which are very small Activity: nocturnal and arboreal. Social: social groups preferred Diet: bugs, fruit **Fat tailed dwarf lemurs use their tails for fat storage for the dry season

Two infraorders of Strepsirrhines

Lemuriformes (lemurs) and Lorisiformes (lorises and galagos or bush babies)

Differences between streps and haps: Strepsirrhine characteristics

- 4-5 olfactory terminals - Big olfactory bulb in brain -rhinarium; wet hairless nose and split upper lip - excellent sense of smell as a result ^ which is a more primitive characteristic - moderate visual acuity **they almost have more characteristics similar to mammals bc they're more primitive, but they still have the defining characteristics of primates so they're a sort of primitive primate.

Differences between streps and haps: Haplorhine characteristics

- NO rhinarium; instead have a dry nose - reduced complexity of nasal cavity - 1-2 olfactory terminals and small olfactory bulb in brain - retinal fovea and extreme visual acuity due to the fact that haps have moved a bunch of cells in the eye such that light has a more unobstructed path to the photoreceptors (rods and cones)

Galagids Basics: Location, Diet, and activity

Also known as bush babies Diet: insects, fruit, gum Activity: Nocturnal; vertical tree clingers and leapers Social: generally live in gregarious social groups Location: Found only in subsaharan africa Ex: Allen's bushbaby, Demidoff's bush baby, Southern bush baby, fat tailed bush baby, and needle claw bush baby (gum)

Families of Lemuriformes

Cheirogaleidae, lemuridae, indriidae,

Lorisid Basics: Location, Diet, and activity

Diet: 100% carnivorous like tarsiers (only tarsiers and loris are 100% carnivorous) Activity: Nocturnal and arboreal; move real slow Social: groups Location: Found west africa and around the equator in africa, S/SE Asia. Ex: slender loris and slow loris (only venomous primate; mimic cobra when threatened)

Family Indriidae

Includes the biggest lemurs Activity: Some arboreal, made for vertical clinging and leaping Social: some gregarious social groups and some live in pairs and sing (leaping lemurs shown in image) Diet: fruit and leaves EX: leaping lemurs (indri), sifaka

Where does the name tarsiers come from? What are their specific adaptations

They are named that way because they have very long feet (tarsel bones). Adaptations: Muscular legs: cling and leap vertically in trees Long toes/feet and hands: Grasping made easier Eye balls are HUGE for body size: maximize light and vision especially at night

Retinal fovea

a specialized depression on the retina where light senstive cells are packed