ANTH 110 1st Edition Lecture 13Outline of Last Lecture I. Evolutionary Trends, cont. Outline of Current Lecture I. Sensory Trends A. A Comparison of Primate SkullsB. SightC. Color VisionD. Eye Protection II. Life History/Behavioral TrendsCurrent Lecture I. Sensory Trends, cont. Primates have short snouts. If we have less reliance on smell, it seems logical that we have a smaller snout. Because of this, our face is more directly beneath our brain, making for a taller head. A. A Comparison of Primate SkullsThe skull of a male baboon compared with that of a red wolf:1. Lengthwise, the shapes are similar. The difference is that the primate has a taller, larger brain case. 2. The baboon has forward-facing eyes above the snout and the eyes of the wolf are located one on each side of the face. It is also important to note that primates have a big brain relative to body size. This is especially true for Haplorhinis. These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.B. Sight Primates have binocular sight. Because the eyes of primates face forward, both eyes have overlapping fields of vision. Primates also have stereoscopic sight. This means that information from each eye is transmitted to both sides of the brain. This gives primates a better depth perception. C. Color VisionStrepsirhinis have monochromatic vision, meaning they can only see black, white, and gray. Since they can only see black and white, they use their sense of smell far more than Haplorhinis do. All primates (except for the owl monkey) have Dichromatic and Trichomatic vision. Why is color vision important? The color of fur often is a sign of dominance, some primates exhibit different colors on their body parts when fertile, and color allows animals to tell when berries or fruits are rip enough to eat. D. Eye Protection Every primate has a post-orbital bar which is a bony ring around the eye. Anthropoids (an infraorder of primates that includes monkeys, apes, and us) also have post-orbital closure which extends behind the eye ball in order to better protectand support it. We have more protection because we rely more on sight than other infraorders. II. Life History/ Behavioral TrendsPrimates have a long period of infant dependency and parental investment is high. We have fewer offspring, so we have to be more involved and more protective. There is a higher probability that primates will survive to reproduce. Also, primates have primarily single
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