1. INTRODUCTION TO PRIMATES AND PRIMATE TAXONOMY

2. Taxonomy Each taxon tells us more about that group’s adaptations
Makes important biological statements about genetic & evolutionary relationships

3. Adaptive Radiation
The evolution & spreading out of related species into new environmental niches
Juramaia sinensis

4. The Primate Order
Diverse and varied order

5. I. Characteristics of the Order Primates
Features that define a distinct “primate way of life”
Arboreal adaptations

6. A. Vision is predominant sense
Binocular vision
Forward facing eyes
Overlapping field of vision
Stereoscopic (3-D) vision
Depth perception
Essential for agility in trees
Increased protection of the eyes
Color vision
Locating ripe fruit
Spotting different individuals/predators
Reliance on visual communication
facial expressions/gestures

7. B. Reduced sense of smell
Reflected by flat faces
Progressive shortening of snout
Tree shrew
Monkey

8. C. Locomotion/Movement
Upright posture
Flexible limbs
Prehensile (grasping) hands AND feet
Five digits on hands and feet
Opposable thumb
Divergent & partially opposable big toe
Enhanced sense of touch from tactile pads with sensitive nerve fibers
Nails instead of claws

9. C. Locomotion, cont. Variety of loctomotive patterns
Terrestrial & arboreal quadrupedalism – walking on all fours (primary mode)

10. C. Locomotion, continued
Vertical leaping
Jumping
Sifaka locomotion
Tarsier

11. Locomotive Patterns, cont.
Brachiating – arm over arm swinging from beneath branches
Gibbon

12. Locomotive patterns, cont.
Knuckle-walking
Occasional bipedalism
Bipedal
Knuckle-walker
Arboreal
quadruped

13. D. Diet & Teeth
Generalized dentition – variety of non- specialized teeth
Lack of dietary specialization
Mostly omnivorous – variety of food (mostly plants/fruit)
Dietary preferences, tooth structure varies by species

14. E. Reproduction
Only occurs while female is in estrus = period of sexual receptivity
Long gestational period
Usually single infant births
Distinct life stages
Prolonged infant dependency
Delayed sexual maturation

15. F. Behavior & Organization
Highly social & intelligent
2. Tendency to live in social groups
Mother-infant unit is foundation
Greater dependence on learned behavior

16. G. Communication Use of vocalizations/call systems
Alert to danger/threat
Location of food source
Can USE but not SPEAK language
Lack the vocal apparatus necessary to form words
Specific genes (Foxp2) involved in spoken language

17. H. Habitat Primarily arboreal (tree-dwelling)
Tropical forests and woodlands
Occupy different layers/levels of forest
Some terrestrial species (baboons, gorillas)

18. Forest Layers/Levels

19. I. Threats to Primates Loss of habitat due to deforestation
Hunting (for meat)
Poaching
Captured for sale
Killed for body parts

20. Why study non-human primates?
To decipher evolutionary trends
Transition from quadrupedalism to bipedalism
Transition from arboreal to terrestrial way of life
To use as a basis of comparison
Biological development (comparative anatomy)
Social development (how our ancestors may have lived)
Life in the Trees