• The mammalian order Primates includes lemurs, tarsiers, monkeys, and apes

• Humans are members of the ape group

Primates

Have a BackboneLive births; mammary glands

Eyes in front; opposable thumbs

Bipedal locomotion; large brain

Uses tools; little body hair

Social interaction; use of language

Eukaryotic cells, digestive chambers

47 million yr. old fossil earliest complete primate fossil~ 2 feet long

“Living Primates”

A phylogenetic tree of primates

ANCESTRALPRIMATE

Lemurs, lorises,and bush babies

Tarsiers

New World monkeys

Old World monkeys

Gibbons

Orangutans

Gorillas

Humans

Chimpanzeesand bonobos

Anthropoids

70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0Time (millions of years ago)

Hominid Phylogeny

New World monkeys and

Old World monkeys

New World monkey:spider monkey

Old World monkey:macaque

(b)

(a)

New World and Old World monkeys underwent separate adaptive radiations during their many millions of years of separation

Apes(a) Gibbon

(b) Orangutan

(e) Bonobos(d) Chimpanzees – a cousin?

(c) Gorilla