Lecture 1 The Order of Primates Prosimians Monkeys Apes Primitive older ancestral Derived more newly evolved specialized Primitive vs Derived Traits Primates are heterodonts Different kinds of teeth Primates have incisors canines premolars and molars Front to back Dental Formula The dental formula is species specific It counts the number of each type of tooth per quadrant of the mouth Example a Humans 2 1 2 3 b New World monkey South and Central America 2 1 3 3 What is a Primate Primates with about 200 250 species have few derived traits and are therefore hard to define Must use a combination of traits They live in sub tropical and tropical places Mammals Diapods fertilized egg in reserve Kangaroo Internalize egg then expelled after birth Why Behavior complexity cognition is different because of bigger brain Marsupials Placental Egg Laying Primates as Mammals Body hair Long gestation live birth Mammary glands Heterodont Homeothermy Increased brain size Capacity for learning and behavioral flexibility Primate Characteristics Most primates have five digits on their hands and feet which is called pentadactyly Ancestral homology from mammalian common ancestor Primates have prehensile grasping hands and feet with opposable thumbs most species and big toes With more tactile sensitivity primates have sensitive finger tips prints most have nails instead of claws Primates have retained a clavicle collarbone from the common mammalian ancestor Look at cats and dogs Primates have stereoscopic binocular vision which gives them distance and depth perception Front view Convergent orbits Postorbital bar closure Primates especially ones like us have a reduced reliance on the sense of smell olfaction Reduced olfactory area in brain Better eye sight Primates have an expansion and increased complexity of the brain Primates eat an omnivorous generalized diet although most eat a majority of one food type Insectivore insects Frugivore fruits Folivore leaves Fun fact They all love termites Most primates are partially or totally arboreal tree living Other characteristics Tendency towards erect posture Delayed maturation and extension of life span Greater dependence on learned behavior Tendency to live social groups with males Diurnal activity patterns 2 Sub orders Prosimians Anthropoids The most primitive primates Characteristics Taxonomy Prosimians more laterally placed eyes shorter gestation maturation dental comb grooming claw unfused mandible Where can you find them All Old World Africa and Asia Lemurs Madagascar Tasier SE Asia Lorises bushbabies galago India Sri Lanka Se Asia Africa Other Small bodied nocturnal solitary Few are social some are diurnal Anthropoids Monkeys apes and humans Larger body size Larger brains Reduced olfaction Increased reliance on vision Fully enclosed eye orbits Fused mandible Longer gestation maturation Increased parental car Catarrhines Downward noses Like humans Platyrrhines Big nose holes Apes and humans we are classified into hominoidea Superfamily
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