233 what are primates

1. What’s important
§Primate evolutionary trends
§Taxonomic classifications down to family
lSubfamily in case of Old World anthropoids
§Characteristics of various groups:
lProsimians
lNew World monkeys
lOld World monkeys
lApes

2. PRIMATE TAXONOMY
AND
CHARACTERISTICS

3. Suborder
Infraorder
Superfamily
Family
Infraorder:-formes; Superfamily:-oidea; Family:-idae;
Subfamily:-inae, and Parvorder & tribe:–ini
(Strepsirhini)
Prosimians

4. Catarrhini
§Suborder: Anthropoidea
(Haplorrhini – dry/simple-
nosed primates – includes
tarsiers)
§Infraorder: Simiiformes
§Parvorder: Catarrhini

5. EVOLUTIONARY TRENDS
NAPIER AND NAPIER
LE GROS CLARK

6. Generalized/unspecialized skeleton
allows varied locomotion

7. Pentadactyly, prehensility,
opposability, nails, tactile pads

8. Reduction of snout/muzzle
and olfaction

9. Increased visual acuity, color perception,
binocular and stereoscopic vision

10. Generalized dentition/diet
Dental formula

11. Increased complexity of brain,
especially cerebral cortex
Increase in efficiency of prenatal fetal
nourishment
Tendency toward upright posture
Capable of bipedalism at least for short periods
Long pre- and postnatal life periods with
greater reliance on learned behavior
Tendency toward diurnality

12. PROSIMIANS

13. Suborder
Infraorder
Superfamily
Family

16. PROCUMBENT INCISORS /
DENTAL COMB

17. Tendency
toward VCL

18. More pronounced muzzle
Higher reliance on olfaction
Scent marking
Mulitple scent glands
Moist rhinarium
Immobile upper lip
Inexpressive face
Large laterally oriented eyes
Most species nocturnal
Tapetum lucidum
Higher reliance on audition
Mobile ears

19. Digits act together
in power grip
Multiple pairs of
teats
Frequent multiple
births

20. TARSIERS

23. NEW WORLD MONKEYS

25. PARVORDERS:
Platyrrhini: rounded widely-spaced nostrils
Catarrhini: narrow downward-facing nostrils

27. ARBOREAL

28. Long tails norm
Some prehensile

29. §2-1-3-3 dental
formula
§Twinning in
Callitrichines

31. Catarrhini

32. Catarrhini
(relative to Platyrrhini)
2-1-2-3
Expanded ischial tuberosities
Larger-bodied (in general)
More folivorous and
terrestrial species
More complex derived brain
Nose

34. OLD WORLD MONKEYS
CERCOPITHECINES

35. OLD WORLD MONKEYS
COLOBINES

37. Evolutionarily successful /
Taxonomically diverse
More closely resemble
earliest anthropoids than
do apes
Many have long tails and
sexual swellings
Ischial callosities
Opposable thumbs except
African colobines –
thumbless (see left)

40. APES

44. Suspensory
hanging
adaptation

46. LESSER APES

47. Relative to great apes
Smaller
Gracile skeleton
More primitive but most
specialized
Monomorphic
Shorter snouts
Long canines
↑IMI
Longer upper limbs/hands
Long curved fingers, no thumb
Strictly arboreal
Ischial callosities
Most lack sexual swellings

48. GREAT
APES

49. Relative to lesser apes
Less suspensory
Varying degrees of terrestriality
Build nests
Larger-bodied
Longer-lived
Long developmental/dependency period
Sexually dimorphic
In captivity, symbolic behavior seen