ANTH 171 FINAL STUDY GUIDE
What are ring-tailed lemurs? What is unusual about ring-tailed lemur locomotion compared to other lemurs?
"True lemurs", diurnal, male-male competition, females are philopatric, they are terrestrial
When do African/Asian monkeys first appear in the fossil record, and what is an example of an early family/member of this group?
12.5 million years ago, leaf eating monkeys in africa
What are howler monkeys? What is unique about howler monkeys compared to other primates? What is unique about their diet for platyrrhine monkeys?
Adapted to have a large mouth able to howl
When do platyrrhines first appear in the fossil record? From where do they likely originate? How did they most likely get to the Americas?
African origins, likely rafted from africa to south america
What are spider monkeys? How have spider monkeys converged behaviorally on apes, and how is this reflected in their skeletons?
Arboreal climbers, leaping suspension, adapted to forelimb suspension and below branch swinging similar to apes, their bod plan has converged similar to an ape condition
How do lorises and galagos differ from galagos in locomotion?
Both are arboreal quadrupeds but galagos are much faster
What is unique about gibbon locomotion and how are they adapted to this mode of travel? How do they compare to other primates in regard to quickness and agility in the trees?
Brachiation used to climb and hang high in forest canopy not seen in any other primate group, used to find fruit
What are the two major groups of living African/Asian monkey? What distinguishes them from one another?
Cheek pouch monkeys (macaques, baboons, mandrills) and leaf eating monkeys (proboscis, hanuman langur, red colobus), stomach is complex in leaf eaters and large cheek pouches to store food in cheek pouch monkeys
What are chimpanzees and bonobos? What are the genus and species names for these primates? Where are they found? What is their social structure and mating system? What is their diet? Locomotion?
Chimps-west Africa to central Africa, endangered, polygynandrous mating, males are philopatric, very territorial, male dominance society, meat used as a social currency, knuckle walkers and arboreal. Bonobos- endangered, polygynandrous mating, female dispersal, female dominated groups, much less aggression than chimps, mother-son bonds are strong, sex is used to create alliances and reduce tensions, tool use and hunting not as prevalent compared to chimps
What is a saki? What type of diet does the white-faced saki have, and what adaptation does it have for this food resource?
Diurnal arboreal frugivores and granivores
Adult social interactions within gorilla societies occur primarily among what individuals?
Females do not typically affiliate with non-related females, most social interaction is between adult females and silverback males
What are tarsiers? Where are tarsiers found?
Found in asia, nocturnal, grooming claw, multiple mammae, no rhinarium, reduced olfactory bulbs
When did lorises diverge from galagos? How do we know? From where is the evidence found? What is Saharagalago?
Galagos have larger radii in their canals for faster movement
What is the largest primate to have ever lived?
Gigantopithecus
Why is the Miocene known as the "Age of Apes?" What is different about ape and monkey diversity in the Miocene compared to today?
Greater diversity of ape species and apes found all across Europe who moved in different ways and different sizes than they are now
What are gorillas? What is the genus name for these primates? Where are they found? How many species are there? What is their social structure and mating system? What is their diet? Locomotion?
Hominidae, western gorilla, eastern gorilla, both highly endangered, one male multi female social structure, polygynous mating system, high rate of infanticide, largely vegetarian, suspensory in trees and knuckle walkers while terrestrial
What is allomothering?
Individual other than biological mother performs functions of a mother
What is unusual about the leaf eating monkey infant/neonatal coat pattern?
Infants are a completely different color than adult leaf eating monkeys
What shared derived traits distinguish African/Asian monkeys from other primates?
Ischial callosities and bilophodont molars
What shared derived features unite the living apes?
Large primates that lack a tail, large brains, flat y-5 molars, long arms and short lower back, high intermembral index and orthograde posture
Where are lemurs found? Why does this place have such high levels of biodiversity?
Lemurs are found exclusively in Madagascar which has a high diversity of habitats and low competition from other mammals which has allowed lemurs to survive there
What are aye-ayes? What are distinguishing features of aye-ayes? What is their foraging behavior similar to, and what adaptations do they show?
Lemurs, arboreal quadrupeds, not a seasonal breeder which is unique among primates as foragers with derived traits
What special adaptations do lorises have for their locomotion?
Lorises have less of a 2nd digit and hold on tightly to branches while slow climbing, always have a limb attached to the branches
What is a capuchin? What behaviors are capuchins known for? What enables them to conduct these activities?
Medium sized monkeys, able to associate well with humans, used often in the entertainment industry, large social brain
What are features generally shared by the haplorrhines?
No toothcomb, no attached upper lip, reduced olfactory bulbs, larger brain
What are mouse lemurs? What are distinguishing features of mouse lemurs and other members of their family?
Nocturnal and go through torpor
Where are African/Asian monkeys found, and what is outstanding about their distribution compared to other living non-human primates?
North africa and southern asia, individuals other than biological mother care for offspring (allomothering)
What is an owl monkey? What is unique about owl monkeys?
Only nocturnal anthropoid, very large eyes
What are the traits that distinguish platyrrhines from catarrhines?
Platyrrhines have flat noses, outward facing nostrils, 2-1-3-3 dental formula, possible prehensile tails, are arboreal
What are marmosets and tamarins? What anatomical adaptations and aspects of social behavior make them unique?
Polyandrous which is uncommon in mammals
What are orangutans? What is the genus name for these primates? Where are they found? How many species are there? What is their social structure and mating system? What is their diet? Locomotion?
Pongo, found in Sumatra and Borneo, 2-3 species, quadrumanous climbing using arms and legs in the same manner,
What shared derived traits distinguish catarrhines from other primates?
Raised nose, downward facing nostrils, 2-1-2-3 dental formula
What are gibbons and siamangs? Where are they found? What is their social structure? Mating system? Diet?
Southern Asian small apes, they are monogamous and arboreal, mostly frugivorous
What are lorises and pottos? Where are they found?
Strepsirrhines found in southeast asia
What are galagos? Where are they found?
Strepsirrhines found in sub-Saharan Africa
Tapetum Lucidum
Strepsirrhines have reflective layer of tissue found inside the eye, primitive retention
What is the tarsier activity pattern? What adaptations does it show for this, and why is it unusual? What does it mean for a character to be secondarily derived?
They are nocturnal but do not have a tapetum lucidem so they have evolved larger eyes to see in the dark, secondarily derived trait that has been reevolved back to the primitive condition
What is highly unusual about the orangutan social structure? Why do they display this type of structure? Under what condition does their social structure change?
They are very solitary because their reproductive period and interbirth interval is so long that it is difficult to be social
Why has it been it difficult to place tarsiers in the primate phylogenetic tree? What is unusual about the tarsier diet?
They share traits with strepsirrhines and haplorrhines and had previously been classified as prosimians with lemurs and galagos but they are more closely related to apes and humans. Exclusively faunivorous
What is an example of a Miocene ape from Africa? Europe? Asia? What is unusual about the locomotion of some of these extinct apes compared to modern apes?
They were more flexible and faster and different sizes, Dryopithecus from Europe
What are two alternative mating strategies for adult male orangutans?
Two adult male forms, flange males and unflanged males which use two different mating strategies
What do we know (or not know) about lemur evolutionary history based on their fossil record?
We do not know much about the history of lemurs because their fossils aren't even old enough to be fossilized fully and are difficult to analyze
What behaviors do nearly all lemurs have in common?
all arboreal quadrupeds
Tooth Comb
all strepsirrhines have a dental comb for grooming
Rhinarium
furless skin surface surrounding external openings of nostrils only in strepsirrhines
Postorbital Bar
lateral side of the orbit is formed by bone
Turbinates
more complex in strepsirrhines, showing more olfactory reliance Vomeronasal Organ- olfactory organ found in strepsirrhines
Sublingua
muscular second tongue found below primary tongue in strepsirrhines, use of it is not completely known
Grooming Claw
strepsirrhines retentions of at least on claw used for grooming (toilet claw)
Vibrissae
whiskers, much more common and pronounced in strepsirrhines