PRIMATES Include prosimians, apes, monkeys and human Chapter 43: Section 4

Primate Characteristics Large brain parts relative to size Acute Color Vision (binocular vision, depth perception) Generalist Teeth (herbivorous and omnivorous teeth) Communication (broad range of expression and sounds) Infant Care (attention to young, mammary glands) Manual Dexterity (opposable thumbs, Flattened nails for Protection) Social Organization (groups with complex behaviors among members.) Characteristic skeletal structure (sit upright, cling)

Prosimians Most primitive primates “pre-monkeys” Nocturnal Sensitive vision Complex tactile hairs Large, movable ears Strong sense of smell Developed hand control Tropical woodlands Most are endangered

Lemurs of the night

Brown Mouse Lemur

Old World Monkeys: RED New World Monkeys: Orange

Monkeys New World vs Old World Flat nosed Nostrils far apart and open to the side No cheek pouches No buttock pads Thumb lies in line with other digits Small to medium sized Down-facing nose Nostrils close together and open downward Prominent buttock pads that they sit on Thumb is rotated and more opposable Generally larger

Capuchin Monkey Primate Clip Folder

Colobus Monkey Primate Video Clip

Proboscis Monkey

Larger and heavier No tail More upright body posture Broad chest

Meeting the Gibbons

GREAT APES Orangutans, Chimpanzees, orangutans, gorillas, bonobos and human Family Hominidae Face is almost naked Round ears No cheek pouches Thumb is shorter than fingers Wide range of vocalizations and facial expressions *at DNA level, human is more related to chimp, than a chimp is related to a gorilla

Hominids Include: humans and extinct humanlike species Bipedalism: ability to walk upright Why? Adaptations –Bowl-shaped human pelvis to support internal organs –Spine curves in an S shape-allows for upright posture –Toes are aligned with each other and shorter than apes

Ardipithecus ramidus “Ardi” Discovered in Ethiopia (1992-took 15 years to fully analyze and publish) 125 pieces of the skeleton 4.4 mya Small-brained, 110-pound female Oldest fossil skeleton of a human ancestor Shows unexpected mix of advanced characteristics and of primitive traits

Feet, pelvis, leg and hands suggests she was a biped on the ground but a quadruped when moving in trees Grasping big toe like apes Upper pelvis positioned to walk on two legs Lower pelvis built like an ape Intermediate stage in our evolution that nobody knew about Ardipithecus, then Australopithecus, than Homo

Australopithecus anamensis Found 1995, Mary Leakey Kenya Similar to Chimpanzee but bipedal 4.2 mya Oldest known member of genus

Australopithecus afarensis (Lucy) 1974 Afar Valley of N. Ethiopia 3.2 mya

Australopithecus africanus Southern Africa mya Taller/heavier than Lucy Slightly larger brain capacity

Australopithecus robustus Southern Africa Large teeth and jaws Different lineage than Lucy Australopithecus boisei Eastern Africa Boney ridge on crest of head Anchor large jaw muscles 2 mya

Homo habilis “handy-man” 1960s, East Africa Stone tools Body not much taller than Lucy 4 ft tall 2 mya

Homo erectus “upright human” “Java man” Thicker skull, larger brow ridges Lower forehead Large, protruding teeth 5 ft tall Crude tools and fire Hunted and cooked Lived in tribes of 20-50

Homo neaderthalensis Europe and Asia 230, ,000 yrs ago Heavy bones Thick brows Protruding jaws Lived in caves Stone scraper tools Care for dead Not sure what caused extinction

Homo sapiens Appeared in Africa 1st discovery in Cro- Magnon cave in France (Cro-Magnons) Hunted Complex patterns of social organization Sophisticated language tools

How did Homo sapiens occupy the entire globe?

Dr. Spencer Wells Found genetic evidence, based on thousands of DNA samples taken across the world, that shows that all humans alive today have descended from a single man who lived in Africa some 60,000 years ago Y-Adam “We are all Africans under our skin”

Y Chromosome Develop genetic markers As inherited, they are passed down through generations, forming a complex story that can be traced backwards in time Each son has inherited the marker Find the point at which it first occurred…most recent common ancestor

Exodus began 60, ,000 years ago