ORDER: PRIMATESMonkeys, Apes, Prosimians, and Us

Primate Evolutionary History

Primate Evolutionary History

The origin of the order is commonly given as 65 MYA (million years ago)

Some estimates go back to 85 MYA

Purgatorius unio

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Purgatorius_BW.jpg

Purgatorius unio

55-65 MYA Lived in N. America and Europe Its fossils first discovered in Montana Member of a Genus called the

plesiadapiforms

Primate Evolutionary History

About 50 MYA, pretty soon after the dinosaurs go extinct, there is an explosion in the number of primate species—about 6000 species arise.

The 200 species now living are the what remains of this differentiation. (Lewin 2005:64)

Primate Classification

Linnaean classificationTAXON EXAMPLE: YOUR PUPPYKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataSubphylum VertebrataClass MammaliaOrder CarnivoraFamily CanidaeGenus CanisSpecies C. lupus

Linnaean classification Note: When writing the binomen of a

species, use italics, and capitalize the name of the Genus!

Linnaean classificationTAXON YOUR PUPPY YOUKingdom Animalia AnimaliaPhylum Chordata ChordataSubphylum Vertebrata VertebrataClass Mammalia MammaliaOrder Carnivora PrimatesFamily Canidae Great ApesGenus Canis Homo Species C. lupus H. sapiens

The Primates, a quick tour…

The Primates, a quick tour…The most basic groups to think about:

Prosimians Monkeys Apes and humans

Prosimians: LORIS

Prosimians: LEMURS

Prosimians: TARSIERS

OLD WORLD MONKEYS: MANDRIL

OLD WORLD MONKEYS: SNOW MONKEYS

OLD WORLD MONKEYS: BABOONS

NEW WORLD MONKEYS: SPIDER MONKEYS

NEW WORLD MONKEYS: SQUIRREL MONKEY

APE: ORANGUTAN

APE: GORILLA

APE: GORILLA

APE: CHIMPANZEE

APE: H. sapiens

APE: GIBBON

Typical Primate Characteristics

Adapted from Jurmain et al. (1998)

Primate characteristics Limbs and locomotion:

› Erect or semi-erect posture› Generalized limb structure allows a variety

of locomotive behaviors.

SIFAKAS

Primate characteristics Limbs and locomotion:

› Prehensile hands and feet. Five digits Opposable thumbs and big toes Fingernail instead of claws

. SLOW LORIS

Primate characteristics

Generalized diet and teeth

Primate characteristics The senses and the brain:

› Color vision (diurnal primates only)

Primate characteristics The senses and the brain:

› Stereoscopic vision (depth perception) Eyes to the front Visual information from each eye

transmitted to visual centers in both hemispheres in the brain

Visual information processed by specialized brain structures

TARSIER

Primate characteristics The senses and the brain:

› Large and complex brains Visual information processing Large areas involved with the hand

Primate characteristics Maturation, Learning and Behavior

› Long gestation› Single births instead of litters› Delayed maturation› Tendency to live in mixed-age groups› Dependence on learned behavior

Gua and Donald Holding Hands.

http://www.psy.fsu.edu/history/wnk/ape.html