What is a Primate? Primate – group of mammals that includes lemurs, monkeys, apes and humans. Share unique characteristics among the mammals. rounded heads flat faces large brain (cerebrum) forward facing eyes, binocular vision flexible shoulders and hips opposable thumb: can cross the palm to meet other fingertips.

Primate Family Tree

Adapted to Tree Living Primates are mainly arboreal, meaning they live in the trees They are well adapted to tree life. Flexible shoulder and hip joints Brachiating Grasping feet Opposable thumbs Binocular vision (color vision) Brain volume

Primate Origins Primates are grouped through fossil, comparative anatomical, genetic, and biochemical (RNA/DNA/Protein) evidence. There are 2 major categories Prosimians and Anthropoids.

Prosimians Examples: Lemurs, aye-ayes, bush babies and tarsiers Have large eyes and are nocturnal. (active at night.) Typically small in size Do not have good color vision because they are nocturnal. Live in Southeast Asia and Africa Eat insects and fruit Earliest fossils 50-55 million years old.

Anthropoids Anthropoids – means “human-like primates.” Are humans, apes (hominids) and most monkeys Split into three major branches Old World Monkeys New World Monkeys Hominoids How are they different than prosimians? Larger brains Larger, different skeleton More upright posture

New World / Old World Monkeys New World Monkeys Live in Central and South America Arboreal Have a long, prehensile tail (as a 5th limb, grasping) Example: Squirrel & Spider Monkeys Fossils 30-35 Million years old Old World Monkeys Live in Africa and Asia Much larger than new world Do not have a prehensile tail At home in trees or on the ground Example: Langurs and Macaques Fossils are 20-22 Million years old Evolved independently due to geographic isolation.

Hominoids Namely Apes & Humans Bigger, stronger, no tails Include: gibbons, humans orangutans, chimpanzees, bonobos and gorillas Fossils date 37-40 Million years ago. Apes – lack tails and have larger muscles for ground / tree living Long-term parental care Larger brain capacity Increased Intelligence

Human Ancestry 6-8 million years ago, in Africa, African Apes and Humans Speciated. There have been 20 or more species, most of which were “dead ends” Chimps and humans share 98% of their DNA African apes developed into Gorillas and Chimpanzees. The other line into humans. These two lines are called hominids – primates who can walk upright on two legs. Include Gorillas, Chimpanzees, Bonobos, and Humans Hominids are not gibbons and orangutans.

Speciation Causes Environmental changes may have driven ancestral apes from the treetops to the ground to find food. Needed to be bipedal. Kept hands free for hunting, feeding, protecting young, and using tools.

Better Adaptation = Survival Raymond Dart in 1924 discovered a skull of Australopithecus africanus. Means “southern ape from Africa.” Dated to about 1-2 Million years ago. Had an apelike braincase and facial structure. Unique position of the foramen magnum. What does this mean?

Hominid Time Scale

Australopithecine?! Early hominid that lived in Africa and possessed both apelike and humanlike characteristics. 1974 Donald Johanson found a skeleton he named “Lucy.” Lucy was about 3-5 Million years old She was a new species called Australopithecus afarensis. (or A. afarensis.) Lived 4-1 million years ago 1 meter tall and bipedal Likely lived in small family groups, sleeping and eating in trees but upright on the ground. Rarely lived more than 25 years!

Emergence of Homo Line of Evolution Australopithecines had a smaller apelike brain case. About 1 Million years ago they became extinct. Selection towards a larger braincase (cerebrum), advanced hands and bipedalism. Branched from other hominoids 6-7 million years ago.

Genus Homo arrives Larger braincases, smaller teeth and jaws. 2.5 Million years ago Homo habilis “Handy Human” Used stone tools likely to scrape meat from carcasses of animals killed by other animals. Were they scavengers?

Homo Erectus 1.6 Millions years ago, a new species evolved. “Upright Human.” Had a larger brain and more humanlike face. Had prominent brow ridge and a lower jaw without a chin that are apelike characteristics. Likely hunted. Used Fire and lived in caves. Migrated throughout Europe and Asia from Africa Went extinct 300,000 to 500,000 years ago.

Neanderthals 35,000 to about 200,000 years ago Lived in Europe, Asia and the Middle East Found in 1856 in Neander, Germany. Brains as large as modern humans Thick bones & Large Faces & Prominent Noses Lived in caves during ice ages Evidence indicates they had religious views and spoken language. (Hunting evidence) May have interbred with humans of that time! (Portugal) Scientists are currently trying to sequence the Neanderthal genome. (454 Life Sciences) http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/neanderthal-code-3228/Overview

Cro-Magnons 30,000 to 40,000 years ago a more modern type of homo sapiens spread throughout Europe. Cro-Magnon are identical to modern humans in height, skull structure, tooth structure, and brain size. Have a bulge in brain where speech is involved in humans. Are NOT a product of evolution from Neanderthals. (Convergent Evolution) Does not mesh with current archeological data or genetic evidence Fossil evidence suggests Neanderthals were a side branch of Homo sapiens.

Archaic H. sapiens look similar to H Archaic H. sapiens look similar to H. erectus except for less prominent brow ridges, more bulging foreheads and smaller teeth. Out of Africa theory: Evolved in East Africa 200,000 years ago. Started colonizing the world 60,000 years ago. Braincases are larger, 1000-1400 cm3, about modern human range. Had Language & Rituals. Homo sapiens! Our Language gene is called Foxp2 on Chromosome 7. Emerged about 200,000 years ago, the same time humans emerged in East Africa.

Patterns of Human Migration

Homo Sapiens & Modern Humans (Homo sapiens sapiens) May have evolved as early as 200,000 years ago to 100,000 years ago in Middle East and Europe 50,000 years ago H. n. disappeared and H. s. evolved into modern humans: Homo sapiens sapiens Fossil evidence shows not much has changed anatomically over these years. Lived in Africa, Europe and Asia. Crossed a land bridge in North America 12,000 years ago. Bering Land Bridge (Beringia) Pollen evidence shows it was tundra at the time Warmer than present Alaska Indicates the end of an ice age 8,000 to 10,000 years ago Native Americans built permanent settlements & were domesticating animals and farming. Caused mass extinctions of animals with population explosion of humans.

Patterns of Global Migration