1. I. What is a Primate?

2. A. Characteristics 1. Thought to have appeared 60 million years ago
2. Have grasping fingers and toes with nails not claws
3. Eyes with overlapping fields of vision
a. Called binocular vision
b. Allows judging of distances
4. Flexible shoulders

3. Organisms 1. Earliest are the prosimians a. Name means before apes
b. Includes lemurs and tarsiers
c. Mostly nocturnal
d. No color vision

5. 2. Monkeys
a. Become diurnal
b. Develop opposable thumb
c. Old world monkeys- Asia and Africa
d. New world monkeys- South America
e. Have tails

8. 3. Apes
a. no tail
b. Never reached North or South America
c. Larger brains

10. 4. Humans
a. Walk upright
b. Advanced brain= tool use
1. more recently discarded as distinguishing characteristic