Primate Classification and Anatomy Overview

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Questions and Answers

What order has bilophodont molars?

Cercopithecoidea

What order has Y-5 molars?

Hominoidea

What is the scientific method?

The way of generating, testing, accepting, and/or rejecting hypotheses

What are the three basic steps of the scientific method?

Observing phenomena, generating hypotheses, testing and falsifying hypotheses Signup and view all the answers

What does empirical mean?

Relying on or derived from observation or experiment Signup and view all the answers

What does cranial mean in humans?

Toward the head end of the body Signup and view all the answers

What does caudal mean in humans?

Toward the tail end of the body Signup and view all the answers

What does ventral mean in anatomical terms?

Toward the belly Signup and view all the answers

What does dorsal mean in humans?

Toward the back Signup and view all the answers

What does medial mean?

Toward the midline of the body Signup and view all the answers

What does lateral mean?

Away from the midline of the body Signup and view all the answers

What does proximal mean?

Nearer to the axial skeleton Signup and view all the answers

What does distal mean?

Farther from the axial skeleton Signup and view all the answers

What is the sagittal plane?

Divides the body into symmetrical right and left halves Signup and view all the answers

What is the coronal plane?

Divides the body into anterior and posterior halves Signup and view all the answers

What is the transverse plane?

A horizontal plane that slices through the body at any height Signup and view all the answers

What does mesial mean?

Towards the midline at the front of the mouth Signup and view all the answers

What does distally mean?

Towards the back of each tooth row Signup and view all the answers

What does lingual mean?

Toward the tongue Signup and view all the answers

What does buccal mean?

Toward the cheek Signup and view all the answers

What is the occlusal surface?

The chewing surface of each tooth Signup and view all the answers

What does flexion mean?

Bending movement that decreases the angle between body parts Signup and view all the answers

What does extension mean?

A straightening movement that increases the angle between body parts Signup and view all the answers

What does abduction mean?

Movement of a body part away from the midline Signup and view all the answers

What does adduction mean?

Movement of a body part toward the midline Signup and view all the answers

What does rotation mean?

Motion occurring as one body part turns on its long axis Signup and view all the answers

What does pronation mean?

Rotary motion of the forearm that turns the hand palm down Signup and view all the answers

What does supination mean?

Rotary motion of the forearm that turns the hand palm up Signup and view all the answers

What are cranial elements?

Everything above the neck Signup and view all the answers

What are postcranial elements?

Everything below the neck Signup and view all the answers

What does phylogenetic refer to?

Evolutionary relationship Signup and view all the answers

What does phenetic refer to?

Ecological relationship (niche) Signup and view all the answers

What is the highest taxonomic level?

Kingdom Signup and view all the answers

What are lower taxonomic levels?

Phylum, class, order, family, genus, species Signup and view all the answers

What is a taxon?

Each level in the Linnaean taxonomic hierarchy Signup and view all the answers

Who created the system of classifying organisms?

Carolus Linnaeus Signup and view all the answers

What is the order of classification?

Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Suborder, Infraorder, Superfamily, Family, Genus, Species Signup and view all the answers

What are primates?

An order of mammals Signup and view all the answers

What is an apomorphic trait?

Derived evolutionary novelties Signup and view all the answers

What is a plesiomorphic trait?

Primitive characteristics retained from a more distant ancestor Signup and view all the answers

What does forward-facing eyes refer to?

An apomorphic trait Signup and view all the answers

What does hair represent in mammalian traits?

Plesiomorphic trait Signup and view all the answers

List three plesiomorphic traits.

<ol> <li>Generalized dentition, 2. Retention of five digits, 3. Retention of the clavicle</li> </ol> Signup and view all the answers

List some apomorphic traits of primates.

<ol> <li>Grasping hands and feet, 2. Nails instead of claws, 3. Forward-facing eyes, 4. Stereoscopic vision</li> </ol> Signup and view all the answers

What are the two suborders of Primates based on phylogeny?

Strepsirrhini and Haplorhini Signup and view all the answers

What do strepsirrhines include?

Lemurs, lorises, galagos Signup and view all the answers

What are traits that characterize strepsirrhines?

Unfused mandibular symphysis, grooming claw, postorbital bar, presence of rhinarium Signup and view all the answers

What unique features do tarsiers possess?

Two grooming claws on each foot Signup and view all the answers

How are tarsiers classified regarding anthropoids?

They share apomorphies with anthropoids Signup and view all the answers

What are anthropoids further divided into?

Platyrrhini and Catarrhini Signup and view all the answers

What are traits of anthropoids?

Fused mandibular symphysis, absence of a grooming claw, larger relative brain size Signup and view all the answers

What are Platyrrhini traits?

Flat noses, three premolars, arboreal lifestyle, mostly diurnal Signup and view all the answers

What are Catarrhini traits?

Narrow nostrils, two premolars, bony ear tube, diverse habitats Signup and view all the answers

What are traits of Cercopithecoidea?

Old World monkeys with bilophodont molars Signup and view all the answers

What are the dietary adaptations of two subfamilies of Cercopithecoids?

Colobinae (folivorous) and Cercopithecinae (frugivorous) Signup and view all the answers

What does the family name end in?

'-dae' Signup and view all the answers

What does the subfamily name end in?

'-nae' Signup and view all the answers

What are traits of Colobinae?

Primarily folivorous with complex stomachs and sharp molar cusps Signup and view all the answers

What are traits of Cercopithecinae?

Primarily frugivorous with broader incisors and cheek pouches Signup and view all the answers

What are traits of Hominoidea?

Includes apes and humans, has Y-5 molars, lacks tails Signup and view all the answers

What does frugivorous mean?

Primates whose diets are primarily composed of fruit Signup and view all the answers

What is a key dietary trait of frugivores?

Less specialized gut and rounded cusps for mashing fruit Signup and view all the answers

What does folivorous mean?

Primates whose diets are primarily composed of leaves Signup and view all the answers

Why are leaves difficult to digest?

They are tough to chew and contain cellulose and secondary compounds Signup and view all the answers

What are secondary compounds?

Chemical components that protect plants from herbivory Signup and view all the answers

What is cellulose?

A structural carbohydrate in plant cell walls, source of energy for herbivores Signup and view all the answers

What do folivores typically have?

Broad molars with sharp, high shearing crests Signup and view all the answers

What is a sacculated stomach?

A specialized stomach structure that aids in leaf digestion Signup and view all the answers

What do some folivorous primates have?

Enlarged colons acting as fermentation chambers Signup and view all the answers

What makes folivores tend to be lethargic?

Slow digestion processes Signup and view all the answers

What does gummivorous mean?

Primates whose diets are primarily composed of plant exudates Signup and view all the answers

What do some gummivorous primates possess?

Specialized anterior teeth for gouging bark Signup and view all the answers

What do some gummivorous primates have on their hands and feet?

Claw-like nails to facilitate clinging to tree trunks Signup and view all the answers

What are cheek teeth used for?

Fine mechanical breakdown of food during chewing Signup and view all the answers

What do insectivores typically have regarding teeth?

Sharp pointed cusps for puncturing insect exoskeletons Signup and view all the answers

What do frugivores typically have regarding teeth?

Rounded molar cusps and broad basins for mashing fruit pulp Signup and view all the answers

What do folivores typically have regarding teeth?

Sharp, well-developed molar shearing crests Signup and view all the answers

What are anterior teeth used for?

Ingestion and have non-dietary functions like grooming Signup and view all the answers

What does enamel thickness affect?

Occlusal forces resistance and tooth wear speed Signup and view all the answers

What do species with thick enamel typically consume?

Hard food items that might damage thin-enameled teeth Signup and view all the answers

What do species with thin molar enamel consume?

Foods that produce little wear like ripe fruit Signup and view all the answers

What do other species, like insectivores, have?

Thin enamel to retain sharp edges Signup and view all the answers

What is Kay's Threshold?

500g cut-off point for dietary types Signup and view all the answers

What is a niche?

A particular way of making a living in an ecosystem Signup and view all the answers

What are niche axes?

Range of conditions necessary for a species' persistence Signup and view all the answers

What are the two components of an ecological niche?

Effects of the environment on a species and effects of the species on the environment Signup and view all the answers

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Study Notes

Primate Classification and Dental Morphology

Circopithecoidea: Order characterized by bilophodont molars.
Hominoidea: Order characterized by Y-5 molars.

Scientific Method Overview

Comprises the process of generating, testing, and evaluating hypotheses.
Basic steps include: observing phenomena, generating hypotheses, and testing them empirically.

Anatomical Terminology

Cranial: Toward the head.
Caudal: Toward the tail.
Ventral: Toward the belly; anterior in humans.
Dorsal: Toward the back; posterior in humans.
Medial: Toward the midline of the body.
Lateral: Away from the midline.
Proximal: Closer to the axial skeleton; often refers to limb bones.
Distal: Farther from the axial skeleton.

Planes of the Body

Sagittal Plane: Divides the body into right and left halves.
Coronal Plane: Divides the body into anterior and posterior halves.
Transverse Plane: Horizontal plane slicing through the body, perpendicular to sagittal and coronal planes.

Dental Terms in Primate Anatomy

Mesial: Toward midline at the front of the mouth.
Distal: Toward the back of each tooth row.
Lingual: Toward the tongue;
Buccal: Toward the cheek.
Occlusal: The chewing surface of teeth.

Movement Terminology

Flexion: Decreases the angle between body parts.
Extension: Increases the angle; opposite of flexion.
Abduction: Movement away from the midline.
Adduction: Movement toward the midline.
Rotation: Turning around the long axis of a body part.
Pronation: Forearm motion turning the palm down.
Supination: Forearm motion turning the palm up.

Taxonomic Classification

Taxonomic Hierarchy: Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species.
Taxon: Each level of classification created by Carolus Linnaeus.

Primate Evolution and Traits

Primate order is split into Strepsirrhini and Haplorhini (Anthropoids).
Strepsirrhines include lemurs, lorises, and galagos; exhibit features like postorbital bars and grooming claws.
Tarsiers have unique traits bridging strepsirrhines and anthropoids, including nocturnality.
Anthropoids further divided into Platyrrhini (New World monkeys) and Catarrhini (Old World monkeys, apes, humans).

Dietary Adaptations in Primates

Folivores: Primarily eat leaves, have sharp molar cusps and complex stomachs for digestion.
Frugivores: Primarily eat fruits, possess broad, rounded molars for mashing.
Insectivores: Target insects; generally small with sharp-cusped molars to slice exoskeletons.
Graminivores: Primarily consume grasses, have durable molars.
Gummivores: Eat plant exudates, often have specialized teeth for extracting gum.

Ecological Concepts

Niche: The role of a species, including food acquisition methods and environmental interactions.
Niche Partitioning: Similar species separate their niches to reduce competition, following the competitive exclusion principle, which states that no two species can coexist indefinitely on the same resource.

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