1. PRIMATES

2. I. Common Features of Mammals
1. Hair
2. Warm-blooded – temperature remains constant & body temperature can be warmer than the air around them
3. Give birth to live young and then nurse their young

3. I. Common Features of Mammals
4. Their young have relatively long periods of dependence on adults after birth
5. Behavior is often learned rather than instinctive
6. Play is a learning technique common to mammal young

4. II. Physical Features of Primates
1. Generally omnivorous – eat all kinds of food (meat and plants)
2. Teeth reflect this diet – chewing teeth (molars) and front teeth (incisors and canines)

5. II. Physical Features of Primates
Have prehensile-grasping hands which can be wrapped around an object

6. II. Physical Features of Primates
4. Five digits on both hands and feet
5. Nails are broad and flat – not claw-like – helps them to grip things
6. Opposable thumbs – also used to grip
7. Vision is important – eyes directed forward rather than sideways (allows focus on object with both eyes)

7. II. Physical Features of Primates
8. Color vision – allows them to recognize when certain plants are ready to eat
9. Large brain relative to body size – BECAUSE survival depends on enormous amounts of learning rather than instinct

8. II. Physical Features of Primates
10. Usually animals with larger brains grow slower and live longer than animals with small brains
11. Reproductive organs – only hold one fetus (usually) – quality over quantity
12. Most infant primates take long to sexually mature

9. III. Social Features of Primates
Diurnal – they are active during the day
Group life may be crucial to survival

10. III. Social Features of Primates
Long dependency period has advantages because it allows the infant more time to observe and learn complex behaviors essential to survival

11. III. Social Features of Primates
Primates without a warm, social relationship with a mother or other individual do not develop appropriate patterns of social interaction

12. IV. Importance of Play
1. Play important for normal development during dependency period

13. IV. Importance of Play
2. Play provides practice for the physical skills necessary or useful in adulthood

14. IV. Importance of Play
3. It’s a way of learning social skills – communicating with other members of the group

15. IV. Importance of Play
4. Dominance relationships seem to be established through rough and tumble play – winning depends on size, agility, strength (influence adult’s status)

16. IV. Importance of Play
In some primates the mother’s status has also shown her to be very important

17. V. Learning
Primates can learn from direct teaching – but mostly learn from imitation and trial and error
EXAMPLE: science teacher can tell you all about a lab but you don’t fully grasp it until you actually do it

18. V. Learning
The first time you do it you might make mistakes but you learn from those