Prosimians Prehistoric Cultures Tim Roufs’ section ©

Introduction to Primtes... or how to make sense out of Ch. 6 and Ch. 7 of the text... Prehistoric Cultures Tim Roufs’ section ©2009

Understanding Humans, 10 th ed., p. 101 Classification chart (after Linnaeus)

Understanding Humans, 10 th ed., p. 101 Classification chart (after Linnaeus)

Primate taxonomic classification Understanding Humans, 10 th ed., p. 129 Prosimians (pre-monkeys)

Taxonomy Prosimii tree shrew (insectivore) lemur loris tarsier Common NameSuborder Anthropoidea

Taxonomy Prosimii tree shrew (insectivore) Common NameSuborder

(Pen – Tailed) Tree Shrew, Borneo REM: the tree shrew is an insectivore not a primate S.E. Asia and Indonesia

Indonesia and Borneo Java Borneo Indonesia Understanding Humans, 10 th ed., p. 133 Borneo Indonesia

(Pen – Tailed) Tree Shrew, Borneo REM: the tree shrew is an insectivore not a primate S.E. Asia and Indonesia sharp-clawed digits old fossil forms show flattened nails some are nocturnal about the size of a squirrel approximation of earliest phase in the evolution of primates

Pen – Tailed Tree Shrew, Borneo The Primates, Time-Life (1974) p. 20 p. 133

Taxonomy Prosimii tree shrew (insectivore) lemur Common NameSuborder

Primate taxonomic classification Understanding Humans, 10 th ed., p. 129 Lemur

Geographical distribution of modern lemurs Madagascar Understanding Humans, 10 th ed., p. 131

(Dwarf) Lemur, Madagascar size and appearance of a raccoon independently moveable ears mostly nocturnal approximate midpoint between insectivores and monkeys widespread during Eocene, and is of interest because of little change since Eocene –(36-58 million yrs. B.P.) most digits have flat nails rather than claws has uneven body temperature

(Dwarf) Lemur, Madagascar The Primates, Time-Life (1974) p. 12 p. 131

Ring-tailed lemur Understanding Humans, 10 th ed., p. 132 p. 131

Sifakas in their native habitat in Madagascar Understanding Humans, 10 th ed., p. 132 p. 131

Lemur, Madagascar p. 131

Taxonomy Prosimii tree shrew (insectivore) lemur loris Common NameSuborder

Primate taxonomic classification Understanding Humans, 10 th ed., p. 129 Loris

Loris Malaysia, S.E. Asia

Java Understanding Humans, 10 th ed., p. 133 Malaysia

Loris Malaysia, S.E. Asia nocturnal large eyes feeds largely on insects, birds, and bird’s eggs strong hands backbone has more vertebrae than any other primate

Loris, Loris, Malaysia The Primates, Time-Life (1974) p. 29 p. 133

Slow loris p. 126 Understanding Humans, 10 th ed., p. 132 p. 133

Taxonomy Prosimii tree shrew (insectivore) lemur loris –bush baby Common NameSuborder

Galago, or “bush baby” (Lorisiforme) Understanding Humans, 10 th ed., p. 132 p. 133

Taxonomy Prosimii tree shrew (insectivore) lemur loris –bush baby tarsier Common NameSuborder

Primate taxonomic classification Understanding Humans, 10 th ed., p. 129 Tarsier

Java Understanding Humans, 10 th ed., p. 133 Malaysia Indonesia Borneo Java Geographical distribution of modern tarsiers

Tarsier North central Indonesia extreme development of tarsal bones smaller than lemur, about the size of a rat small nose, large goggly eyes at least 25 genera in Eocene times (36-58 million yrs. B.P.) –today there is only one arboreal nocturnal 180 degree head swivel

Tarsier, Tarsier, Indonesia The Primates, Time-Life (1974) p. 23 p. 133

Tarsier Understanding Humans, 10 th ed., p. 133 p. 133

Primates Earliest primates = Prosimians (pre-monkeys)

Primate taxonomic classification Understanding Humans, 10 th ed., p. 129 Prosimians

A Primate Family Tree The Emergence of Humankind, 4th ed., p. 64

New World Monkeys Old World Monkeys ca. 50 mya

Primate taxonomic classification Understanding Humans, 10 th ed., p. 129 Next: Monkeys