ANTH 1210: Living Primates

• Lectures 14 & L15 about living primates occurs on February 10 and 12, 2025
• The course code is ANTH 1210 A01

Shared Traits in Mammals

• Mammals typically give birth to live young
• Mammals nourish their offspring with mother's milk
• Mammals have a relatively long period of dependence
• Mammals learn through play

Primate Physical Traits

• Primates possess a unique combination of physical traits
• Primates are adapted for arboreal living
• Primates have prehensile hands and feet allowing them to grasp and manipulate objects
• Primates feature an opposable thumb for precise gripping
• Primates exhibit flexible arm movement
• Specific upper and lower limb bone structures are primate traits
• Primates have an omnivorous diet
• Primates are characterized by specialized teeth
• Primates have forward facing eyes which provide Stereoscopic and color vision
• Primates have a relatively larger brain compared to body size

Primate Reproduction

• Primates typically have only one to a few offspring at a time
• Primate infants are born helpless and require extended care
• Primates take longer to reach sexual maturity compared to other mammals

Dependency and Play

• Primates have a long period of dependency and care
• A strong mother-infant bond is characteristic of primates
• Play is important for developing physical and social skills
• Primates learn through observation and imitation
• Primates exhibit independent learning abilities
• Primates engage in deliberate teaching behaviors

Social Communication Features

• Referential communication is a feature among primates
• Primates use sounds associated with specific objects or events
• Semantic communication is present in the primate world
• Symbolic communication is a feature
• Communication may take the form of an arbitrary meaning
• Primate communication operates as a closed system

Primate Classification

• Primate classification uses clade approach, evaluating traits as ancestral or derived
• See Etting 2023 Chapter 5 for discussion of traits

Strepsirrhini Traits

• Strepsirrhini primates share mammal like features
• Strepsirrhini primates have longer snouts
• Strepsirrhini primates have a rhinarium
• Strepsirrhini primates have strong olfactory senses
• Strepsirrhini primates have mobile ears
• Strepsirrhini primates exhibit primate traits
• Strepsirrhini primates possess grasping hands
• Strepsirrhini primates possess stereoscopic vision

Strepsirrhini Characteristics: Lemurs, Lorises, Galagos

• Strepsirrhines are lemurs, lorises and galagos
• Among Strepsirrhines, females dominate social groups
• Strepsirrhines are typically not sexually dimorphic
• Strepsirrhines have a vegetarian diet, insects
• Strepsirrhines are quadrupedal
• Strepsirrhines demonstrate vertical clinging and leaping locomotion

Haplorrhini Traits-humans, apes, monkeys

• Haplorrhines, are humans, apes and monkeys
• Haplorrhines possess a rounded braincase
• Haplorrhines have better vision and lack a rhinarium (dry nose)
• Haplorrhines have reduced, non-mobile ears
• Haplorrhines have relatively small, flat faces
• Haplorrhines feature a more fully formed placenta
• Haplorrhines have highly dexterous hands

Tarsier Traits

• Tarsiers are nocturnal and arboreal
• Tarsiers are insectivores
• Tarsiers are Haplorrhines
• Tarsiers have eyes in bony orbits and lack a tapetum lucidum
• Tarsiers are vertical clinger leapers, similar to lemurs

Platyrrhines: New World Monkeys Traits

• New World Monkeys have three premolars
• New World Monkeys may have a prehensile tail
• New World Monkeys lead an arboreal lifestyle
• New World Monkeys dentition is 2.1.3.3/2.1.3.3
• Marmosets and tamarins are Platyrrhines
• Cebids (e.g. capuchins) are Platyrrhines

Catarrhines: Cercopithecoids Traits

• Arboreal Colobine Monkeys are Catarrhines
• Terrestrial Baboons are Catarrhines
• Catarrhines feature a dental formula of 2.1.2.3/2.1.2.3
• Catarrhines exhibit variable group size
• Catarrhines are typically Male dominated
• Catarrhines have Few offspring
• Sexually dimorphic Female troops are Catarrhines
• Catarrhines have a complex stomach

Hominoids Traits: Apes and Humans

• Hominoids are Hylobates, Pongids and Hominins
• Hominoids have larger brains
• Hominoids have greater flexibility
• Hominoids have longer limbs
• Hominoids have short, broad trunk and no tail

Hominoid Dentition

• Hominoids dentition features flat and rounded teeth
• Hominoids dentition includes a Y-5 pattern
• Hominoids feature a canine diastema in dentition

Hominoids: Hylobates

• Hylobates exhibit brachiation
• Hylobates have a small body size and weight
• Hylobates are frugivores
• Hylobates live in small family units
• Hylobates have little sexual dimorphism

Pongids: Orangutans

• Orangutans are arboreal
• Orangutans are frugivores
• Orangutans are sexually dimorphic
• Orangutans are socially solitary, diet unknown, predation unknown

Pongids: Gorillas

• Gorillas are quadrupeds
• Gorillas walk on their knuckles
• Gorillas eat and sleep in trees
• Gorillas are led by a dominant male protector
• Gorillas live by flexible membership

Pongids: Bonobos and Chimpanzees

• Bonobos and Chimpanzees have stable, female centered groups
• Bonobos and Chimpanzees are capable of Quadrupedal and bipedal movement
• Bonobos and Chimpanzees are Frugivores and eat some meat
• Bonobos and Chimpanzees are Highly social and live in large groups
• Bonobos and Chimpanzees live in Fluid groups

Primate Adaptations Based on Body Size

• Primate adaptations vary based on body size
• Small bodied primates are typically nocturnal
• Small bodied primates are typically arboreal
• Small bodied primates are typically frugivores
• Small bodied primates are fast moving in trees
• Small bodied primates have a body size and weight
• Small bodied primates consume fruit sugars for high energy
• Small bodied primates move around easier at night
• Large bodied primates are typically diurnal
• Large bodied primates are typically terrestrial
• Large bodied primates are typically vegetarian
• Large bodied primates move slowly in terrestrial habits
• Large bodied primates need a large body size
• Large bodied primates consume vegetation for carbohydrates
• Large bodied primates have large guts to process vegetation
• Large bodied primates are active during the day
• Large bodied primates live in large groups provide protection

More Primate Adaptations

• Primates increase brain size relative to body size
• Frugivores have larger brains
• Primates remember where and when fruit is produced
• Primates group size is variable
• Primates group for safety
• smaller number when feeding at night
• larger number when feeding in the day

Hominins: Homo sapiens

• Homo sapiens are bipedal
• Homo sapiens have a dish shaped pelvis
• Homo sapiens have straight lower limbs
• Homo sapiens feet are not prehensile
• Homo sapiens have hands that are dexterous
• Homo sapiens do not have large teeth or claws

Hominins: Homo sapiens Brain and Dentition

• Homo sapiens have a Large complex brain
• Homo sapiens have Cerebral cortex large
  • Homo sapiens have = thinking & spoken language
• Homo sapiens have a Lowered larynx
• Homo sapiens have a dentition which reflect an omnivorous diet
• Homo sapiens have incisors and canines that are similar
• Homo sapiens have no spaces between teeth

Hominins: Homo sapiens Culture

• Homo sapiens exhibit learning through culture
• Greater apes display use of tools as culture
• Chimpanzees use termite sticks
• Chimpanzee do ‘planning’ and tool use
• Chimpanzees crack seeds open with two rocks

Understanding Hominin Behavior Models

• Understanding Hominin Behavior include Homologous vs Analogous traits
• Homologous traits include a trait from common ancestor vs trait independently derived in two primates
• Understanding Hominin Behavior include Using Living primate behavior as model
• Understanding Hominin Behavior include Ethnographic analogy
• Ethnographic analogy includes Non-Western traditional societies
• Limitations exist among cultural groups due to Own qualities
• Understanding Hominin Behavior does not always reflective of a universal pattern