1. Primates
Chapters 14-15

2. Primate Patterns

3. What is a Primate? Primate Characteristics 5-digit hands with a thumb
Having an opposable thumb increases gripping power, precision, and dexterity.
Nonspecialization
Many other animals have specialized limbs, such as fins for swimming, wings for flying, hooves for running etc. Primates do not have specialized limbs.
Limb flexibility
Living in trees caused primates to evolve the ability to rotate their arms in their sockets and rotate the hand 180 degrees without moving the arm or elbow.

4. What is a Primate? Nails instead of claws
Nails free up the hand to feel and explore the environment
Visual acuity
Developed because making a mistake high up in a tree could be costly. Mistakes in reaching or moving could quickly lead to death.
Upright posture
Standing up allowed primates to scan the environment and identify predators, food, or water sources nearby.

5. Primate Classifications
Prosimians
Monkeys
Old World
New World
Apes
Great Apes
Lesser Apes

6. Prosimians Primitive primates
Generally small, furry, arboreal and nocturnal
Longer noses, more developed sense of spmell and smaller brains than other primates
Diet consists of insects and plants
Examples
Lorises, lemurs, sifakas, aye-aye, indri, mouse lemurs, bush babies, tarsiers, pottos

7. Prosimians Creepers: Lorises Slender and Slow Loris
Large eyes, nails, thick fur, lots of vertebrae allowing it to move easier than any other primate species
Nocturnal hunter, arboreal, slow and solitary
Habitat: dense forests
Range: SE Asia
Diet: insects, lizards, bird eggs, some fruit
Offspring: Have 1 at a time, hangs on mother
Defense mechanism: Freezing (for several hours if needed)

8. Prosimians Slow Loris cont.
Interesting fact……they have a toxin-producing gland located on the inner elbow
When feeling threatened, will raise its arm to its head and quickly take the toxin (which smells like sweaty socks) from the inside of its elbow into its mouth
The small incisors of the lower jaw will conduct the toxin-laced saliva through capillary action into the bite wound
Very little is known about the chemical nature of the toxin secreted from the slow loris

9. Prosimians Leapers: Lemurs Range in size from 5in-4ft tall
Diurnal, female dominant species (the more submissive males are found more attractive)
Generally solitary, territorial and aggressive
Habitat- Dense forest
Range- Madagascar
Diet- Fruit and plants
Offspring- 1-2 per pregnancy, stay in nest and moved around in the mouth of the mother or hang off of the mother
Defense- Scent marking and clawing
Examples
True lemurs, mouse lemurs, indris, sikafas, wooly lemurs, ring-tailed lemurs

10. Prosimians
Leapers: Lemurs

11. Monkeys
Larger and more prominent skulls, greater intelligence and full color 3D vision
New World = South America
Flat nosed
Examples
Spider monkey, howler monkey, tamarin/marmoset, capuchin
Old World = Africa/Asia
Downward nose
Baboons, Macques, Langurs, Colubus

12. New World Monkeys Arboreal Diurnal
Prehensile tails or non-prehensile tails
Prehensile tails are tails used to grasp onto objects, such as tree limbs
Habitat: Rainforest
Range: South and Central America
Diet: Insects, fruit, plants
Offspring: 2 on average, but can have anywhere from 1-4 at a time
Defense: Calls, Fight and Flee

13. New World Monkeys Callers: Howler Monkeys
Largest and most widespread New World monkey
Arboreal and diurnal
Live in groups
Have prehensile tails, specialized digestive system to adapt to a leaf diet
Habitat: Dense rainforest
Range: Central and South America
Diet: fruit and plants (50% of diet is leaves)
Offspring: 1-2 young, stay in nests and move around by hanging onto mother or her carrying them in her mouth
Defense: Howl to warn off other howler groups
Interesting fact: Have one of the loudest sounds of any animal- can be heard from 1 km away

14. New World Monkeys Squabblers: Squirrel Monkeys
Most populated primate species in South America
Arboreal and diurnal
Live in large groups
Non-prehensile tail
Habitat: Dense rainforest
Range: Northern South America
Diet: Fruits and Plants
Offspring: 1-2 on average
Defense: Living in large groups

15. Old World Monkeys Tails Habitat: Dense forest to open Savannahs
Range: Africa and Asia
Diet: Fruit and Plants

16. Old World Monkeys Lookers: Guenon Monkeys
Include blue monkeys, Owl-faced vervet, Moustached monkey, Redtail etc.
Blue Monkeys
Arboreal
Non-prehensile tails
Sexually dimorphic
Habitat: Dense forest
Range: Central Africa
Diet: fruit, plants, leaves, insects, seeds and flowers
Offspring: 1-2 on average
Defense: Calls

17. Old World Monkeys

18. Old World Monkeys Walkers: Savanna Baboons Largest of all monkeys
Sexually dimorphic
5cm long canine teeth
Non-prehensile tail
Live in large groups
Habitat: dense forest to open savannas
Range: Africa and Asia
Diet: Fruit, plants, roots, seeds, reptiles, monkeys, gazelle, rabbit, eggs, insects
Offspring: 1-2 on average
Defense: Calls, displaying canines, fighting

19. Old World Monkeys

20. Apes No tails More complex behaviors due to a larger brain
Two classifications
Lesser Ape
Gibbons
Greater Ape
Chimps, gorillas, orangutans, bonobos

21. Apes Swingers: Gibbons Smallest of all apes (3 ft tall)
Monogamous species of ape
Arboreal and use brachiation to move around
Brachiation: process of swinging under one branch to get to another
Very fast, rarely on ground but can walk upright
Habitat: rainforst
Range: SE Asia
Diet: fruit, plants, sometimes bird eggs
Offspring: 1-2 at a time
Defense: Calls, very loud and can be heard for up to 2 miles away; flee
Examples:
White-handed/Lar, Siamang, White cheeked gibbon

22. Apes Orangutans Borean and Sumatran
Solitary, slow, arborial, 5 ft tall with an 8ft arm span
Heaviest tree dwelling animal
Habitat: Dense forest to open savanna
Range: Asia (islands of Borneo and Sumatra only)
Diet: Fruit, plants, insects, and eggs
Young: hang on for first 2 years of life and may be nursed until it is 6
Defense: calls

23. Apes
Gorillas
Most gentle and shyest of all primates despite their large size
Live in groups of 8-24 called troops
Each troop is lead by one dominant silver-backed male
Habitat: Dense forest to open savannah
Range: Africa and Asia
Diet: Fruit and plants
Offspring: 1 every 3-5 years
Defense: baring teeth, series of panting sounds, beating their chest
Much of what we know about gorillas can be attributed to the research done by Dian Fossey in the 1960’s and 1970’s

24. Dian Fossey

25. Apes Common Chimpanzees Our closest living relative
We share 99% our DNA with chimps
Habitat: Dense forest to mixed forest/savannah areas
Range: West and Central Africa
Diet: Fruit, but can adapt to whatever is available in the environment such as insects and meat
Offspring: 1 every two years, but stay with mother until they are about 6 or 7
Defense: Bare teeth, facial expressions, calls

26. Communities and Parties
Common Chimpanzees