37 Evolution of Primates

							ZO 150 by Cable TV           Lecture 37


                                 Order Primates
                             Adaptations and Diversity

                                   Primate Relationships
                                        Fig. 34.33

                             Primate Skulls and Dentition

                                  Primate Characteristics
•   arboreal, brachiating and diurnal
    –   rotating shoulders
    –   opposable thumb
    –   sensitive, ridged fingers
    –   binocular, color vision
•   fingernails (sometimes also claws)
•   complex social behavior, fast learners


                              Primate Opposable Thumbs

                                        Brachiation
                                    compare Fig. 34.37 a

                                      Enlarged Brain

                          Phylogenetic Groups of Primates
•   lemurs, bushbabies, pottos, and lorises
•   tarsiers
•   simians or anthropoids ... monkeys
    – apes
       • gibbons
       • Hominidae




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ZO 150 by Cable TV       Lecture 37


                               Phylogeny of Primates
                                 compare Fig. 34.35

                         Aye-Aye (related to lemurs)

                          ”Prosimians” (paraphyletic)
                                   Fig. 34.34

                             Anthropoids (= monkeys)

                         Old and New World Monkeys
•   Old World = Africa and Asia
•   New World = South America
    – geographic types are
    also phylogenetic groups


                               New World Monkeys
                               compare Fig. 34.36a

                                Old World Monkeys
                                    Fig. 34.36b

                                        Apes
•   large, tailless Old World monkeys
•   more herbivorous, have broader molars than most monkeys
    – African apes: ground-dwelling, more social
    – Asian apes: arboreal, less social




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ZO 150 by Cable TV       Lecture 37


                              Great Ape Diversity
• Family Hylobatidae - 11 species
   – Hylobates (gibbons and siamangs, Asian)
• Family Hominidae - 5 species living:
   –   Pongo (orangutan, Asian)
   –   Gorilla (African, 2 subspecies)
   –   Pan troglodytes (chimpanzee, African)
   –   P. paniscus (bonobo, African)
   –   Homo sapiens (African origin)


                                African Apes
                             compare Fig. 34.37c-e

                              Ape Hands and Feet
                              National Geographic

                                 Asian Apes
                             compare Fig. 34.37a, b

                                 Ape Evolution
                               compare Fig. 34.35

                        Immediately Threatened Apes

                                      Questions
1. In what ways are humans more like chimpanzees than like gorillas?
2. In what ways are humans more like gorillas than like chimpanzees?
3. Are the latter convergences or derived characteristics?




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