Primates

PRIMATES Taxonomy and Characteristics

Mammal Taxonomy Monotremes (5) Marsupial mammals Order Didelphimorphia: American opossums Order Paucituberculata: shrew opossums Order Microbiotheria: monito del monte Order Notoryctemorphia: marsupial moles Order Dasyuromophia: Tasmanian devil, Thylacine, numbats Order Peramelemorphia: bandicoots and bilbies Order: Diprotodontia: kangaroos, wallabies, koala, possums Placental mammals Pangolins (8) Armadillos (21) Anteaters, sloths, tamanduas (10) Rabbits, hares (93) Rodents (2,277) Elephant shrews (15) Primates (330) Tree shrews (20) Colugos (2) Bats (1,116) Otter shrews, golden moles, tenrecs (51) Hedgehogs, moonrats, gymnures (24) Shrews, moles (428) Carnivores (287) Even-toed ungulates (240) Whales, dolphins, porpoises (84) Aardvark (1) Odd-toed ungulates (17) Hyraxes (4) Manatees, dugongs (5) Elephants (3) Mammals

Primate Distribution Primates are found primarily in tropical regions in 92 countries around the world Neotropics: New World monkeys Asia: Lorises (prosimian) Tarsiers (prosimian) Old World monkeys Gibbons/siamangs (lesser apes) Orangutans (great apes) Madagascar: Lemurs (prosimian) Africa: Galagos (prosimian) Pottos (prosimian) Old World monkeys Gorillas (great ape) Chimps/bonobos (great ape)

Primates – evolutionary model Early prosimians 30 million years ago 20 million years ago 15 million years ago 10 million years ago 5 million years ago 2 million years ago Orangutans Gorilla s Humans Bonobos Chimps Order: Primates One possible evolutionary model Gibbons Monkeys

Primates – General Characteristics The following apply to most primates: Opposable first digit on hands and feet Social animals Arboreal part or all of the time Color vision Omnivorous DeBrazza’s guenons

Forward-facing eyes for stereoscopic vision (ability to judge distance) Five digits on each limb, usually with nails Longer gestation, reduced number of offspring Increased complexity of brain Drawings by Sue Cockrell Primates – General Characteristics

PRIMATES Prosimians Apes New World monkeys Old World monkeys

Prosimians (pro = before, simian = monkey/ape) Includes: lemurs (Madagascar), lorises (Asia), tarsiers (Asia), pottos and bushbabies/galagos (Africa) Primarily nocturnal Excellent sense of smell Smaller brains than other primates Pygmy lorisRed ruffed lemur photo by Dana Payne Tarsiers photo by Katie Remine

Monkeys Includes (among others): marmosets, tamarins, macaques, howler monkeys, capuchins, baboons, colobus monkeys, mandrills, spider monkeys Primarily diurnal Have some form of tail Fore and hindlegs similar in length Pygmy marmoset Japanese macaque

Old World & New World Monkeys New World Inhabit neotropics in Mexico and South and Central America Some have prehensile tails Wide, sideways-facing nostrils Old World Native to Africa and Asia Do not have prehensile tails Nostrils close together Toughened rump patches Spider monkey photo by Dana Payne DeBrazza’s guenon

Old World Monkeys Japanese macaque Patas monkeys Lion-tailed macaque Black and white colobus monkey

New World Monkeys Goeldi’s monkey Pygmy marmoset photo by Ryan Hawk/WPZ Golden lion tamarin Spider monkey photo by Dana Payne

Apes Lesser apes include: gibbons and siamangs Great apes include: orangutans (Asia), chimpanzees (common and bonobos) and gorillas (Africa) Found in Africa and southeast Asia Tails are absent Long arms relative to body length Mountain gorilla Siamang

Lesser Apes (family Hylobatidae) Siamangs

Great Apes (family Pongidae) Lowland gorillaOrangutans Chimpanzees

Apes—Locomotion SpeciesPrimary Locomotion Patterns Bonoboknuckle-walking Chimpanzeeknuckle-walking Gibbonsbrachiation, bipedal walk Gorillaknuckle-walking Orangutansfist-walking, suspensory climbing Siamangs Orangutans Gorilla

PRIMATES Social Structure and Behavior

Social Behavior of Primates Primates are social animals Only a few species are more solitary (orangutans, tarsiers, galagos) Galago Photo by Ryan Hawk/WPZ Orangutan

Social Behavior of Primates Strong mother-infant bond throughout the slow maturation period, during which significant learning occurs Gorillas Golden lion tamarins Photo by Ryan Hawk/WPZ Western lowland gorilla Photo by Ryan Hawk/WPZ

Social Strategies of Primates Social organization is complex and dynamic, influenced by: -age, gender, kinship, dominance ranking -short- and long-term alliances Troop of Guinea baboons in West Africa Photo by Katie Remine

Social Strategies of Primates Social strategies of prosimian and monkey species at Woodland Park Zoo: Prosimians Red ruffed lemurs –social structure variable: ♀+♂, or multi ♀+ multi ♂, 5 to 16 in group –diurnal, little sexual dimorphism, ♂ dominant over ♀♀ groups –nocturnal lemurs are more solitary than diurnal lemurs Monkeys Tamarins: only dominant ♀ breeds, ♂ dominant to ♀, 5 to 8 in group Macaques: ♂+ multi ♀ or ♂♂ +multi ♀, 4 to 30 in group Patas monkeys: ♂ +multi ♀, 5 to 34 in group, ♀♀ engage in boundary disputes but ♂ do not join in, ♀ remain with group but ♂ disperse, allomothering Colobus monkeys: ♂ +multi ♀ (males have short tenure – 2 years), 7 to 11 in group, allomothering common

Social Strategies of Apes Gorillas Photo by Ryan Hawk/WPZ

Primates – Communication Olfactory – scent marking, pheromones for sexual interaction Tactile – grooming, touching Visual – facial expression, tail position, body posture, piloerection, hand gestures Auditory – calls and vocalizations Social interactions require a variety of modes of communication: Red ruffed lemurs Patas monkeys

Primates – Tool Use A tool is an object that can be manipulated to complete a task Apes are capable of altering objects to facilitate a task (tool making) All of the great apes have been observed using tools in the wild; bonobos, chimpanzees and orangutans have been observed making tools Gorilla Photo by Dennis Dow/WPZ

Primates – Culture Culture is considered to be a set of behavioral traits passed on through learning Culture in apes is reflected through variations between populations of apes in: –Hunting behaviors –Tool-making and tool use Juveniles often learn behaviors from adults, observing and practicing over a long period of time Gorilla Photo by Katie Remine Chimpanzees at Mahale Mountains National Park, Tanzania

Primates – Culture: Chimpanzee cultural variation across long-term study sites Gorilla

Threats to Primates Deforestation Hunted for meat and skins Captured for pet trade Killed in retribution for raiding crops Susceptible to human diseases Parts used in traditional medicine Gorilla Photo by Katie Remine Forest understory, West Africa Photo by Katie Remine

More to learn! New species are being discovered and new information is uncovered about primate behavior every year. This understanding can inspire deeper appreciation and protection for the world’s primates. Gorilla Photo by Katie Remine

Woodland Park Zoo 2013 All photos by K. Remine/M. White/J. Mears unless otherwise noted. All WPZ photos property of Woodland Park Zoo. All rights reserved.