Introduction to Primates

For crying out loud, Phil….Can’t you just beat your chest like everyone else?

Objectives • What are the approaches to studying primates? • Why is primate conservation important? • Know (memorize) the classification of primates • Locate the geographical distribution of primates • Present an overview of the strepsirhines • What is the haplorhine condition? • What makes tarsiers unique? • How are prosimians, monkeys, apes and humans classified? 1

Approaches to Studying Evoluon

Paleontological: Fossil Record

Comparave approach

2

Comparisons

Modern human hunters-gatherers e.g., Australian Aborigines, Ainu, Bushmen Social Carnivores (wild dogs, lions, hyenas, gers, wolves) Non-human primates

3

1 Primate Studies

Non-human primates

Reasoning by homology

Reasoning by analogy

Primatology - study of living as well as deceased primates

Distribuon of primates

4

Primate Conservaon

The silky sifaka (Propithecus candidus), found only in Madagascar, has been on The World's 25 Most Endangered Primates list since its inception in 2000. Between 100 and 1,000 individuals are left in the wild.

5

Order Primates (approx. 200 species)

(1) Tree-shrew; (2) Lemur; (3) Tarsier; (4) Cercopithecoid monkey; (5) Chimpanzee; (6) Australian Aboriginal

6

2 Geographic Distribuon

7

n Nocturnal Terms n Diurnal n Crepuscular n Arboreal n Terrestrial n Insectivorous n Frugivorous

8

Primate Classification(s)

9

3 Classificaon of Primates

Two suborders: Prosimii-prosimians (“pre-apes”) Anthropoidea (humanlike)

10

Strepsirhine/Haplorhine

11

Traditional & Alternative Classifications

Traditional

Alternative

12

4 Tree Shrews

Order Scandentia

not a primate

13

Prosimians

lemurs

tarsiers lorises

14

Prosimians

XXXXXXXXX

15

5 Lemurs

3 Families 1. Lemuridae (true lemurs)

Sifaka (Family 2. Indriidae Indriidae) (indris, avahis & sifakas) 3. Daubentoniidae (aye-ayes)

Aye‑aye (Family Daubentoniidae) 16 Lemur

Loris

Potto

Galago

17 Slow loris

Tarsiers (Infraorder Tarsiiformes)

18

6 Infraorder Anthropoidea

Anthropoidea:145 species 90% are monkeys most successful primates

19

Platyrrhine/Catarrhine

Platyrrhine (“flat nosed”) New World monkeys

Catarrhine (“narrow nosed”) Old World monkeys, apes, and humans

Parvorders: Catarrhini & Platyrrhini

20

New World Monkeys

Extra premolar 2.1.3.3. Prehensile tails

21

7 New World Monkeys (Ceboidea)

Callitrichidae Cebidae See text for alternave classificaon of NW Monkeys

22

O.W. Monkeys: Cercopithecoidea

Colobinae Cercopithecinae

Ischial callosities

23

Superfamily: Hominoidea

Hylobadae (gibbons & siamangs)

Hominidae (great apes & humans)

Ponginae (Pongo) Gorillinae (Gorilla) Homininae (chimps, bonobos & humans)

Panini (chimps & bonobos) Hominin (humans)

24

8 F. Hylobadae (gibbons & siamangs)

25

Subfamily: Ponginae (Pongo)

Pongo pygmaeus

26

Subfamily: Gorillinae Gorilla gorilla

27

9 Chimpanzee (Tribe: Panini)

Pan troglodytes

28

Bonobo Pan paniscus

29

Tribe: Hominini

Homo sapiens 30

10