…. Just a child’s toy of a cute fictional creature?

FURBY

…Or based on a rare mammal?

TARSIER

TarsiersMAMMALIA

Monotremata Marsupialia EUTHERIANS

Xenathra Afrotheria BOREOEUTHERIA

Laurasiatheria EUARCHONTOGLIRES

Rodentia Lagomorpha PRIMATES

Strepsirrhinies HAPLORRHINES

TARSIUS Simmians

Humans

Scandentia Dermoptera

Tarsiers are a Haplorrhine primate, very closely related to Humans

Classification & Taxonomy Characteristics of Mammals

• Mammals– The presence of hair– The ability to lactate – The ability to produce its own heat– The synapomorhic trait of the squamosal-dentary articulation in the

jaw• The plesiomorphic quadrate-articular jaw articulation

– Now the incus and the malleus within the Definitive Mammalian Middle Ear

Synapomorphic – shared derived traitPlesiomorphic – ancestrial trait

Classification & Taxonomy –Background info

• Primates – Strepsirrhines – non tarsier prosimians– Haplorrhines - simmians & tarsiers

• Tarsiers are the only prosimian primates to be grouped with simians– due to the suppressed skin area around the

nostrils of their “dry-nose”

MAMMALIA

Monotremata Marsupialia EUTHERIANS

Xenathra Afrotheria BOREOEUTHERIA

Laurasiatheria EUARCHONTOGLIRES

Rodentia Lagomorpha PRIMATES

Strepsirrhines HAPLORRHINES

TARSIUS Simmians

Scandentia Dermoptera

The 3 Groups Of Tarsiers

The Philippine Tarsier

T.Syrichta – The Philippine Tarsier

The 3 Groups Of Tarsiers

The Philippine Tarsier(The Philippines)

T.Syrichta – The Philippine Tarsier

Borneo

The Philippines

Sulawesi

A Comparison Between The Tarsier Species

Subspecies Tarsius pumilus T. spectrum T. dentatus T.lariang T.syrichta T.bancanus

Distribution Central Sulawesi Northern Sulawesi

Western Sulawesi

Central Sulawesi Philippines Borneo

Habitat Highland moss forest

Lowland rain forest

Lowland rain forest

Lowland rain forest

Lowland rain forest

Lowland rain forest

Altitude (m) 2100 Sea level 1000 500 100-200 Sea level

Mass (g) 50.07 ♀=108.2♂=125.8

♀=113.0♂=132.0

♀=108.7♂=111.0

♀=120.0♂=135.5

♀=116.9♂=127.8

Head&body length (mm)

80 127.8 163.15 Skull 38.35 127.3 132.2

Femur/thigh length (mm)

Thigh 49.4 Femur 49-53 Thigh♀=55.5♂=60.5

n/a Femur 56.9 Femur 64.0

Conservational Status

• Most of the Tarsier are considered ‘data deficient’ and can’t be officially listed as endangered

• In 1987– the world checklist of threatened mammals

• the Western Tarsier [T. bancanus] • 2 Sulawesi Tarsiers [T.tarsier & ‘its subgroup’ T.pumilus]

• In 1994– IUCN red list of threatened animals

• 3 Sulawesi Tarsiers [including T. dentatus this time]

Conservational Status

• Pygmy Tarsier– Listed as ‘threatened’

• but was considered extinct since the 1920’s – In 2000

• Indonesian scientists accidently killed one in Central Sulawesi – In 2008

• Nanda Grow and Sharon Gursky-Doyen captured the first live pygmy Tarsiers in Sulawesi– [2 males and 1 female]

• “Mount Rore Katimbo” in “Lore Lindu National Park”

Behaviour and EcologyGeneral

• Tarsiers– Live in the lowland rainforest around Indonesia– Arboreal– Insectivores – Nocturnal/crepuscular – Live in family groups

• 1 male, 1 or 2 females & offspring• pair-bonded with facultative polygony

• Most family groups are territorial – Use vocalization and scent marks to maintain home ranges

Arboreal – Lives in the TreesInsectivores – Consumes InsectsCrepuscular – Active Around Dusk & Dawn

Behaviour and EcologyReproduction

• There are 2 breeding seasons– The beginning of the rainy season– The end of the rainy season

• gestation 178 days

• a single precocial offspring– born furred, with eyes open – Within a day of birth, the offspring can climb trees– After 42 days they can capture their own prey

Precocial – Relatively Mature Young

Group Benefits

• The decision to live alone or in groups is determined by factors such as:– Foraging costs– Travelling costs– Intragroup vs intergroup feeding competition – Predation risk

• Some Tarsiers live in groups of 2-6– Prevention of Heat Loss– Predator Detection– Predator Defense (mobbing)

Prevention of Heat Loss

•Tarsiers live in high altitudes –Colder weather

•Thermoregulatory adaptations–Bergmann’s rule

•Big body size–Allen’s rule

•Short limbs

•Tarsier have evolved to be opposite of the thermoregulatory adaptations

–Due to small body size and long limbs

• In order to compensate, Tarsiers live in groups and share sleeping sites–Huddling allows less heat loss

Predator DefenseMobbing

• When a snake enters the territory, an alarm call is sounded– Pregnant females move away from the call– Lactating females move towards the call

• Mobbing Occurs– 3-10 Tarsiers– Around 33 minutes

• Males– Adult males are most likely to participate in mobbings– Adult males from OTHER family groups join the mob

• All territorial boundaries are forgotten for the benefit of the population

PREDATOR!!!

Tarsier PhysiologyGeneral

• soft fur (buff, beige or ochre in color)• Weigh 100-140g

– Pygmy Tarsier is only 50g

• Big ears• Elongated & specialized limbs• Unique skull

Tarsier PhysiologyLimbs

• elongated tarsus bone in their hind limbs– the head-body length is about 100-150 mm

• the feet & legs combined are usually twice this length

• long fingers – to vertically cling to the trees

• the second and third toes of the hind feet bear claws which are used for grooming

Tarsier PhysiologySkull

• Postorbital plate• unique dentition

– 2/1 1/1 3/3 3/3

• large eyes – Each is about 16mm in diameter

• As large as the brain

• Enhanced auditory senses– In order to use vocalization

• For territorial purposes• For predator detection

• Enhanced visual senses– The Tarsier is a visual predator

• The most prominent features are the enormous eyes– Evolved to compensate for the lack of tapetum lucidum

• reflective layer within the eye of most nocturnal primates

– Despite being nocturnal• capable of Stereoscopic vision

– The retinal disparity allows depth perception• Capable of the perception of color

– Trichromacy

Tarsier Sensory Systems

Tapetum Lucidum

Stereoscopic vision – The ability to percieve depth

Tarsier Sensory Systems Trichromacy

• Trichromacy– 3 Cone cells (in the eye) are needed

• Each is sensitive to a certain wavelenght of light• Interactions between 3 cone cells distinguish colors from one another

• Many nocturnal mammals are monochromatic– Cone visual pigment genes reduced from four to two

• Primate trichromacy arises from a polymorphism/duplication of one of these genes

Trichromacy - the ability to perceive different colorsMonochromatic – unable to perceive different colors

Sample Questions

• Why are the prosimian Tarsiers listed as haplorrhines instead ofStrepsirrhines (all other prosimians)?

• Why is it beneficial to live in groups? • Explain how Tarsiers have evolved to be the opposite of

Thermoregulatory Adaptaions• What is the name of the reflective layer within the eye of most

nocturnal primates?• How does Trichromacy function? • Explain why Trichromacy is a polymorphism in primates

Any Other Questions?