Biological Anthropology

 In order to understand the place of humans in nature, it is first necessary to understand the group of mammals to which humans belong– the primates

 May have inherited the trait form a common ancestor  Humans and monkeys both have 5 digits on each limb because they inherited this trait from a distant common ancestor  The two species may have developed the same trait independently in their evolution  The canary and bat are both small animals capable of flight because their species evolved flight independently

 Homologous traits: traits that show similar structure but may or may not show the same function  Arm bones of a human, bird and whale  Analogous traits: traits that have the same function but not the same structure  Wings of a bird and a flying insect

 Primitive traits: trait has been inherited from an earlier form  Derived: traits that have changed from an ancestral state  Example- 1 st mammals had 5 digits on each hand and foot. Humans have retained this condition. Horses have developed a single digit (toe).

 Kingdom: Animal  Phylum: Chordata  Subphylum: Vertebrata  Class: Mammals  Reproduction: placental mammals  Parental Care: prenatal and postnatal patterns  Temperature Regulation: homoiotherms  Teeth: deciduous teeth/permanent teeth ▪ 4 types: incisors, canines, premolars, molars  Skeletal structure: orientation of limbs of 4legged mammals are tucked under body  Behavior: larger forebrain which includes cerebrum  Order: Primates

 Many features are related to living in trees  2 most important  ability to use hands and feet to grasp branches  Ability to perceive distance and depth

 Prehensile (capable of grasping) hands and feet  Expanded tactile pads  Generalized skeletal structure that can be used in a variety of ways  Binocular stereoscopic vision (eyes are located on front of skull so vision overlaps)  Larger, more complex brains associated with learning, intelligence, body control, and coordination  Small number of offspring, strong mother-infant bond, extended period of growth, variable paternal care

 Social creatures- but social structures vary greatly  Social groups  Solitary group  Monogamous family group  Polyandrous group  Uni-male group  Multimale/multifemale group (most common non-human primate group)  Social organization by dominance (non-human)

 “before simians” (monkeys and apes)  More primitive  Usually lack one or more primate characteristic (i.e lack color vision)  Rely more on smell  Brains are generally smaller relative to body size  Many are nocturnal  All living species are found in Old World  3 different groups:  Lorises- small, solitary, nocturnal in Asia and Africa  Tarsiers- small, solitary, nocturnal in Indonesia  Lemurs- biologically and socially diverse

 Monkeys and hominoids (apes and humans)  Generally larger bodies  Larger and more complex brains  Rely more on visual abilities  More complex social structures  Almost all diurnal  Both arboreal and terrestrial species  Found in Old World and New World

 Tails!  Smaller brains relative to body size  Quadrapedal  Arms and legs similar length  New World  Prehensile tails and four more premolars  More proficient in acrobatic agility  Old World  Biochemically and physically more similar to humans (i.e. same number of teeth)  More adaptable to different environments (rainforest, savanna, snowy mountains)

 Do not have tails  Larger than monkeys  Brain is more complex and larger than monkeys  Invest the most time in raising their young  Can raise arms above head  Anatomy allows different type of movement from monkeys- adept at climbing and hanging from branches- suspensory climbers

 Lesser apes  Great apes  Humans

 Smallest of the living apes  Usual form of movement is brachiating (hand-over- hand swinging from branch to branch)  Live in tropical rainforests of SE Asia  Diet primarily includes fruits supplemented by leaves  Social group is a monogamous family structure (adult male, adult female, and offspring)

 Males larger than females  Agile climbers and hangers  Arboreal  Uses fist-walking for moving on the ground  Lives in tropical rainforest  Diet consists of mostly fruit (vegetarian)  Solitary social group structure and polygamous “Man of the Forest”

 Largest living primate  Found only in equatorial Africa  Males larger than females  Males have have larger canine teeth and large crests of bone on top of skulls  Most have blackish hair, but some mature males have silver gray hair on backs “silverbacks”  Predominately terrestrial  Use knuckle-walking to move about on all fours  Arms longer than legs  Live in small social groups (about a dozen)- one adult male, several females and offspring

 Live mostly in African rainforests  Slight sexual dimorphism  Knuckle walkers  Terrestrial and arboreal  Diet consists of mostly fruit; some leaves, seeds, nuts, insects, and meat  Have been observed hunting in planned coordinated groups  Live in large communities of 50 or more where males are dominant over females  Show great variation in facial features and physical appearance

 “pygmy chimpanzee”  Longer legs, higher center of gravity, narrower chest than chimpanzee  Frequent knuckle walkers  Walk upright more easily  Found only in a restricted rain forest region in Zaire  Diet consists of mostly fruit and some plants  Live in large social groups in which females are dominant  Sex play used as a method of peacekeeping