Week 3: Living Primates There are EXTRA TA LAB TIPS on this lab.-----------------------------------------------------------------
Know your primates! Go to the zoo.
Ringtailed lemur (Lemur catta) Madagascar. Lemurs are prosimians. They have evolved a set of flattened out lower front teeth that look like a comb that is good at grooming fur.
Habitat: Lower levels of continuous canopy, brush, scrub, & mixed forests. Note the prognathism.
Two Ringtailed lemurs. A single ring-tailed female dominates the family group.
The lemurs' fingertips spread out to improve their climbing.
Jumping coordination is improved by having the eyes located on the front of the face, although they do not have the degree of overlap in their visual field that humans do.
Brown lemur (Lemur f. fulvus). Habitat: Intermediate levels to emergent crowns of continuous forest canopies. Prosimians have post-orbital bars, not post-orbital partitions.
Brown lemur. The prosimians have evolved in appearance into a highly diverse group.
The Emperor tamarin (saguinas imperator) is one of the platyrrhine monkeys (family Callitrichidae) and reevolved claws to take advantage of tropical rain forest tree trunks where insects and tree gum are available as food.
Wooly Monkey (Lagothrix lagotricha) New World Monkey from South America with a prehensile tail and 2-1-3-3 New World dental pattern.
Prehensile tails are like a long fifth hand with a grip.
Humans and monkeys both have a gripping hand.
New World Monkeys have adapted to leaping between trees in an arboreal environment.
Baboon (Old World Monkey) from the U of M Physical Anthropology Laboratory. Note the ground adapted quadrupedalism, tail and prognathism.
Gibbon skeleton (Hylobatidae) from the Old World. U of M Physical Anthropology Lab. Gibbons have no tails, have a 2-1-2-3 Old World dental pattern.
Gibbons brachiate and have permanently curved fingers.
For more primate skeletons go to LIVING PRIMATES LAB SPECIMENS(Photos of primate skeletons)
Orangatan (Pongo pygmaeus) S.E. Asia. Habitat: Trees in lower and middle storeys of top rain forests.
Orangutans are very skillful at using their hands and simple tools. Orangutans are very intelligent and curious. They eat fruits and vegetables in the wild. In the zoo they like popsicles, peanut butter sandwiches, and dill pickles.
Orangutan lips are very mobile and frequently indicate an animal's mood.
Casey likes children, but has been known to break the glass with his fist if a man has his arm around his wife.
Lowland gorilla (Species name: Gorilla gorilla gorilla)
Casey is enormously powerful and can jump six feet in the air and kick the glass. He is the alpha male silverback in a group of unrelated males.
Gorillas are knucklewalkers.
Casey was born in 1982, Schroeder was born in 1985, Gordy was born in 1986, and Togo was born in 1988.
Lowland gorilla habitat: Primary and secondary vegetation of tropical rain forests.
Gorillas have large canines for sexual and aggressive display. They are vegetarians. This one is just yawning.
Chimps hug, and kiss, and are Homo sapiens closest living primate relative.Click here to see how your brain stack's up against a chimp's
Gigantopithecus had extremely large molars. Some extinct priomates had 4 premolars. We have 2.
Gorilla and Chimpanzee skulls.
This lab exercise will help you learn some important physical characteristics of humans and other primates. The text and lectures introduce you to differences in the lifestyle, diet, habitat, and physical abilities of the living primates. In this lab, you will examine several primate skeletons in order to observe the way these differences are reflected in the skeleton of primates and to consider our place amongst primates. By the end of the lab you should be able to determine what type of primate is located at each station. You may want to refer back to the skeleton diagrams in Week 1 for anatomical terms used in this lab. Quadrupedalism Knucklewalking walking on all four feet walking on hind feet and front knuckles Brachiation Bipedalism swinging from arm to arm walking on two feet TRADITIONAL EVOLUTIONARY PRIMATE TAXONOMY
1) EARLIEST PRIMATES * * * * 2) Suborder PROSIMII 3) Suborder ANTHROPOIDEA * * * * * * * 4) Infraorder PLATYRRHINI 5) Infraorder CATARRHINI * (New World Monkeys) (Old World Primates) * * * * 6) Superfamily * 7) Superfamily CERCOPITHECOIDEA * HOMINOIDEA * * * * * * 8) Family * 9) Family * 10) Family HYLOBATIDAE PONGIDAE HOMINIDAE * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Prosimians New Old Hylobates Pongids Hominids World World Monkeys Monkeys ________________________________________________________________________________ Lemur Marmoset Baboon Gibbon Orangutan Australopithecine Loris Howler Macaque Siamang Gorilla Paranthropine Tarsier Monkey Chimpanzee Human Characteristics of the Primate Taxons 1. Early Primates (~65 mya) - pentadactyly (5 digits on each limb) - emphasis on visual apparatus begins - reduction of olfactory (smell) apparatus begins - still claws instead of nails - grasping hands and feet 2. Prosimians (~55 mya) - post-orbital bar appears (strip of bone extending from the zygomatic arch to the temple) - partial stereoscopic vision - specialized dentition (teeth) - extended snout (muzzle) - quadrupedal (four-footed walkers): - four limbs equal length; - ribs rounded f to b, narrow s to s; - pelvis narrow and long; - scapula to side of body - nails instead of claws 3. Anthropoids (~37 mya) - fully stereoscopic vision - more generalized dentition than prosimians - reduced snout - post-orbital partition (completely enclosed eye socket) 4. Platyrrhini (New World Monkeys) (~40 mya) - 3 premolars (2,1,3,3 dentition) - some have prehensile (grasping) tails - generall arboreal (live in trees) - quadrupedal 5. Catarrhini (Old World Primates) - 2 premolars (2,1,2,3 dentition) - a variety of locomotor (movement) patterns - adapted to a variety of environments 6. Cercopithecoids (Old World Monkeys) (~35 mya) - quadrupedal - non-prehensile tails 7. Hominoids (~25 mya) - variety of locomotor patterns - NO TAILS 8. Hylobates - brachiators (swinging by arms): - arms much longer than legs; - ribs rounded f to b, narrow s to s; - pelvis narrow and long; - big toe at an angle, thumb-like; - scapula to the back of the body; - permanently curved fingers 9. Pongids - knucklewalkers (walk on front knuckles and back feet): - arms longer than legs; - ribs rounded f to b, flared s to s; - pelvis narrow and long; - big toe at an angle, thumb-like; - fingers not permanently curved; - scapula to back of body - can move in other ways for short periods of time 10. Hominids (+5 mya) - bipedal (two-footed walking): - legs longer than arms; - ribs narrow f to b, rounded s to s; - skull balanced atop spine; - lumbar curve in spine; - pelvis compact, short, bowl-shaped; - legs able to lock at knee; - arched foot; - big toe in-line, elongated; - femurs angle in from hip to knee; - scapula to back of body - dexterous hands with elongated thumb Living Primate Exercise Use the physical characteristics described in the previous pages and on the handout to help you make the following observations at each of the numbered stations. You should be able to figure out the taxonomic name of each specimen by the end of this lab. In some cases you may be able to guess the species. Use the next page to record your observations. Hint: It may be difficult to answer these questions at first. Some of your judgments will be relative: X is flatter than Y, but more rounded than Z. Use the human skeleton as a reference point for these judgments. The sheets handed out at the beginning of lab will also help. Observation questions for stations 1-5 1. Are the eyes facing fully forward, or are they somewhat off to the sides? Is a post-orbital bar present? A post-orbital partition? 2. Does the specimen have a prominent snout (an elongated muzzle with the nasal passage at the tip)? Which sense, visual or olfactory, does this suggest is most important to this species? 3. Examine the teeth of the specimen. Is any one type of tooth ignificantly larger than the rest? What is the dental pattern? Are the teeth generalized or specialized? Additional questions for stations 3-5 4. Does the specimen have a tail? (NOTE: It is NOT possible to tell whether a tail is prehensile or not from the skeleton.) 5. Compare the lengths of the limbs. Are they of equal or unequal length? If unequal, which set is longer? 6. What is the shape of the rib cage? For example, is it broad from side to side and compressed from front to back? See the lab handout for examples. 7. What is the shape of the pelvis? Is it short and bowl-shaped or long and narrow? 8. What is the shape of the spinal column? Is it straight or curved? Does the thickness of the vertebrae vary from the top of the spine to the bottom (and if so can you guess why)? 9. Examine the shape of the brain case. Is the cranial vault high or low? Does the specimen have a vertical forehead? 10. Consider the specimen's foot. Is it arched? What is the position of the big toe relative to the other toes, in-line or at an angle? Observation notes for Stations 1-5: Station 1: 1. 2. 3. Identity:_________________________ Station 2: 1. 2. 3. Identity:_________________________ Station 3: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Identity:_________________________ Station 4: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Identity:_________________________ Station 5: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Identity:_________________________
Prehensile tails are like a long fifth hand with a grip.
Humans and monkeys both have a gripping hand.
New World Monkeys have adapted to leaping between trees in an arboreal environment.
Classification of the Human Species
http://www.ed.uiuc.edu/students/b-sklar/hierarchy.html
the position of humans within the taxonomy is as follows:
Class -- Mammalia
Subclass -- Theria
Infraclass -- Eutheria
Order -- Primates
Suborder -- Anthropoidea
Infraorder -- Catarrhini
Superfamily -- Hominoidea
Family -- Hominidae
Genus -- Homo
Species – sapiens
Primates taxon.
Catarrhini
Cercopithecidae (Old World monkeys)
Cercopithecinae
Colobinae
Cercopithecidae gen. sp. (monkey)
Hominidae
Gorilla
Homo
Pan (chimpanzees)
Pongo
Hylobatidae (gibbons)
Hylobates
Platyrrhini (New World monkeys)
Callitrichidae (marmosets and tamarins)
Callimico
Callithrix
Cebuella
Leontopithecus
Saguinus
Cebidae
Alouattinae
Aotinae
Atelinae
Callicebinae
Cebinae
Pitheciinae
unclassified Cebidae
Strepsirhini (prosimians)
Cheirogaleidae (dwarf and mouse lemurs)
Cheirogaleus
Microcebus
Daubentoniidae (aye-ayes)
Daubentonia
Galagonidae (galagos)
Galago
Otolemur (greater bushbabies)
Indridae
Indri
Propithecus (sifakas)
Lemuridae (lemurs)
Eulemur
Hapalemur
Lemur
Varecia
Loridae (lorises)
Loris
Nycticebus
Perodicticus
Megaladapidae
Lepilemur
Tarsii (tarsiers)
Tarsiidae (tarsiers)
Tarsius
unclassified Primates
Japanese monkeys
marmosets
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hominidae
Gorilla
Gorilla gorilla (gorilla)
Gorilla gorilla beringei (mountain gorilla)
Gorilla gorilla gorilla (lowland gorilla)
Gorilla gorilla graueri
Homo
Homo sapiens (human)
Pan (chimpanzees)
Pan paniscus (pygmy chimpanzee)
Pan troglodytes (chimpanzee)
Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii
Pan troglodytes troglodytes
Pan troglodytes verus
Pongo
Pongo pygmaeus (orangutan)
Pongo pygmaeus abelii (Sumatran orangutan)
Pongo pygmaeus pygmaeus (Bornean orangutan)
Pongo sp.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Homo sapiens
Taxonomy Id: 9606
Preferred common name: human
Rank: species
Other names:
man[common name]
Lineage( abbreviated ):
Eukaryotae; mitochondrial eukaryotes; Metazoa; Chordata; Vertebrata; Eutheria; Primates; Catarrhini; Hominidae; Homo
Do you have a 
GO TO LIVING PRIMATES LAB SPECIMENS(Photos of primate skeletons)
Get your own Free Home Page