chapter 5: introduction to the primates why do anthropologists study primates? –to understand...
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Chapter 5: Introduction to the Primates
• Why do anthropologists study primates?– To understand human evolution by:
• Homology– The same adaptations in close relatives offer
clues to design structures in ancestral and contemporary human populations (culture?)
• Analogy– How do other primates respond to the same
and different environmental pressures?
Derived Traits
• Opposable Thumbs• Nails (no claws)• Hind limb dominated locomotion• Reduced sense of smell• Increase importance of sight (stereoscopic
vision)• Small litters• Large Brain• Unspecialized teeth
Distribution
Two types (suborder):
• Prosimians: VCL, Lemurs (Madagascar), Aya-ayes, Lorises, & Galagos.
• Anthropoides: Old and New World Monkey and Apes (humans)
(see table 5-3)
New World Monkeys
• Marmosets and tamarins (small bodied)– Twins– Polyandry– Monogamous families with alloparental care
• Others: – Howlers– Spider– Wooly– Squirrel– Capuchins (tool users)– Night monkeys (owl monkey)– others
Old World Monkeys
• Colobus & Lagurs (harems)
• Macaques, baboons & vervets (multi-male and multi-female, female phylopatry)
• Apes– Lack tails– Bigger brains– Y-Shaped pattern on lower molar
Lesser apes: Gibbons and Siamangs (Asia, brachiators, Monogamous)
Great Apes:– Gorilla (Africa, polygamous harems)
Orangutans (Asia, solitary, home range, rape )
Common Chimps (Africa, promiscuous, multi-male and
multi-female)
Bonobos “Pygmy Chimps” (Africa, very promiscuous, multi-male and multi-female,
matriarchal)
Chimps and Humans are our closest relatives (98.4% Genes)
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