Primates

Mammalogy 4630
 Order Primates
 Suborder: Strepsirrhini
› Infraorder: Lemuriformes, Chiromyiformes and
Lorsiformes

 Suborder: Haplorrhini
› Tarsiiformes and Simiiformes
 Basic Characteristics
 LOCOMOTOR TRENDS
› Grasping hands, feet; opposable thumbs, toes; Nail on most digits, including hallux
› Elongate calcaneus
› Hind limb dominant in locomotion
 Some lemurs: quadrupedal
 Tarsiers: leap between vertical trunks
 Most arboreal monkeys have well developed hindlimbs and long tail for balancing
 Ground dwellers have forelimbs at least as long as their hindlimbs
 The knuckle‐walking gorilla is the most terrestrial ape
 Gibbons brachiate; sometimes walk like chimpanzee
 Vision and brain
› Forward rotation of orbits -> reduced distance between orbits
› Enlarged orbital cavities
› Stereoscopic vision
› Increased emphasis on vision, less on olfaction
› Increased relative brain size and complexity
 Fossil Forms
 Purgatorius
› KT boundary (latest Cretaceous or earliest Paleocene)
› Ancient member of colugo/tree shrew/primate clade
 Plesiadapiforms closer to Primates
› Central to understanding primate evolution
› Early (56 Ma) plesiadapiform Carpolestes simpsoni
› mosaic of traits
› specialized for arboreality
› diet: flowers, fruits, seeds
› pollex with nail implies tactile abilities; opposable
 Earliest primate fossils ~55 Ma
› simultaneous in Eurasia, North America
› Fossil analysis* suggests crown-group primates appeared 62 Ma
 Fossil analysis suggests:
› plesiadapiforms with Euprimates
› Primates diverged from other euarchontans ~65 Ma
› anatomical features associated with specialized pedal
› grasping (including nail on hallux)
› phylogeny agrees with others: Dermoptera + Scandentia
 Suborder: Strepsirrhini
 Lemurs, aye-aye, lorises & galagos
 Naked rhinarium
 Tooth comb (lower incisors + canines)
 Grooming claw: pes digit II
 Large eye sockets
 Complete postorbital bar
 Binocular vision
 Suborder: Strepsirrhini
 Lemuriformes
 Cheirogaleidae: Dwarf Lemurs, Mouse Lemurs
› mouse and dwarf lemurs
› small, nocturnal, arboreal
› quadrupedal walk or bipedal
› leaps between branches, trees
› Cheirogaleus medius
› diet: fruits, flowers, nectar, leaves, insects
› Phaner: specializes on gum, sap; gouge into gum-producing
layers; large caecum with symbiotic microbes
› Cheirogaleus may aestivate --- 6 months (fat reserves in tails)
 Suborder: Strepsirrhini
 Lemuriformes: Cheirogaleidae

Microcebus rufus:
Brown Mouse Lemur
 Suborder: Strepsirrhini
 Lemuriformes: Cheirogaleidae

Cheirogaleus major: Cheirogaleus medius:

Greater Dwarf Lemur fat-tailed dwarf lemur
 Suborder: Strepsirrhini
 Lemuriformes
 Indriidae: woolly lemur, sifakas (3 species),
indri
› fairly large (􀃆 10 kg); largely herbivorous
› slow deliberate climbers; hop on ground
› subfossil terrestrial Archeoindris to 200 kg
› limited manual dexterity
 Suborder: Strepsirrhini
 Lemuriformes: Indriidae
Indri indri:
indri

Avahi laniger:
avahi
 Suborder: Strepsirrhini
 Lemuriformes: Indriidae Propithecus
diadema:
diademed
sifaka

Propithecus edwardsi:
Milne-Edward’s Sifaka Propithecus verreauxi:
Woolly Lemur
 Suborder: Strepsirrhini
 Lemuriformes
 Megaladapidae: sportive or ruffed lemurs
› nocturnal folivores
› No upper incisors, unusual jaw articulation
› Large cecum with symbiotic microbes, coprophagous
 Suborder: Strepsirrhini
 Lemuriformes: Megaladipidae

Varecia variegata:
Ruffed Lemur
Varecia rubra:
Ruffed Lemur
 Suborder: Strepsirrhini
 Lemuriformes: Megaladipidae

Lepilemur septentrionalis: Lepilemur

Northern Sportive Lemur microdon:
Small-toothed
Sportive Lemur
 Suborder: Strepsirrhini
 Chiromyiformes
 Daubentoniidae: aye-aye
› critically endangered
› lowland forests; nocturnal insectivores
› elongate manus digit III:
› taps bamboo to test for presence of boring insects; gnaws in;
extracts insects with finger
› incisors: large, procumbent, constant-growing enamel on
front surface
› only hallux has nail
› lack toothcomb
 Suborder: Strepsirrhini
 Chiromyiformes: Daubentoniidae
 Suborder: Strepsirrhini
 Chiromyiformes: Daubentoniidae

Daubentonia madagascariensis: aye-aye

 Suborder: Strepsirrhini
 Lorsiformes
 Lorisidae: lorises, angwantibo, pottos
› sub-Saharan Africa, India, Sri Lanka, SE Asia, Indonesia
› eyes face forward; short rostrum
› tail short to absent
› arboreal; slow hand-over-hand locomotion
› Arctocebus: pincer-like hand (II & III reduced); pes digit
I opposable, often enlarged
› Arctocebus insectivorous, carnivorous: stalk prey;
› Perodicticus eats fruit, gum
 Suborder: Strepsirrhini
 Lorsiformes: Lorisidae

Nycticebus coucang: Slow Loris

Perodicticus potto:
Potto
 Suborder: Strepsirrhini
 Lorsiformes: Lorisidae

Arctocebus aureus: Golden Angwantibo

Loris tardigradus: Slender Loris

 Suborder: Strepsirrhini
 Lorsiformes
 Galagidae: galagos, bushbabies
› sub-Saharan Africa
› arboreal: leap and bound to 7 m between branches,
trees
› long powerful hindlimbs; long bushy tail
› hands and feet specialized for grasping
› pollex and hallux opposable
› traction pads
 Suborder: Strepsirrhini
 Lorsiformes: Galagidae

Galago moholi:
Bushbaby
Galagoides demidovil:
Demidoff’s dwarf galago
 Suborder: Haplorrhini
 DIFFERENCES FROM LOWER PRIMATES
› Short snout
› Unsplit nostrils
› Undifferentiated skin around nose
› Postorbital closure
› Diurnal (some secondarily nocturnal)
› No tapetum
› Fused mandibular symphysis
› Internal carotid artery
 All strepsirrhines have tapetum lucidum*, like many nocturnal mammals
 Crystalline layer behind retina:
› reflects light back through retina, increasing visual sensitivity in dim light
› Other retinal differences e.g. all haplorrhines** have: Fovea (pit) and macula lutea (yellow spot) in central retina
› Associated with diurnal vision
 Strepsorrhines have bony bar around outer edge of the orbit
 Haplorrhines have more complete protection:
› Wall or septum that closes back of the orbit
› Separates eyeball from distorting effect of chewing muscles
 Suborder: Haplorrhini
 Tarsiiformes
 7+ species; unique primate diet: insectivorous, carnivorous
 SE Asia; fossils from throughout N Hemisphere
 Largest eyes relative to body size
› in one species, each eye is ~16 mm and > brain mass
› eyes important for seeing prey (e.g. insects) at night
 Long fingers: form “net” for capturing insects
› in one species, digit III is 10% longer than humerus
 Vertical clingers and leapers: can jump > 40x body length
› hind limb ~2x head‐body length
› thigh, lower leg, foot ~equal in length
 Largest babies relative to maternal mass (~25%)
 One species is smallest extant primate (<100 g)
 Suborder: Haplorrhini
 Tarsiiformes
Tarsius tarsier:
Spectral tarsier

Tarsius dentatus: Dian’s tarsier

Tarsius sangirensis:
Sangihe tarsier
 Suborder: Haplorrhini
 Simiiformes
› Platyrrhini: New World monkeys
 nostrils wide open and far apart
 prehensile tail in larger New World monkeys
 no ischial callosities
 Suborder: Haplorrhini
 Simiiformes: Platyrrhines: new world monkeys
 Cebidae
› Marmosets, tamarins, squirrel monkeys, capuchins
 Aotidae
› Night monkeys
 Atelidae
› Howler and prehensile-tailed monkeys
 Pitheciidae
› titi monkeys, sakis, uakaris
 Suborder: Haplorrhini
 Simiiformes: Platyrrhines: Cebidae

Mico humeralifer:
Saimiri oerstedii: black and white
Red-backed squirrel tassel-ear marmoset
monkey

Cebus capucinus:
white-throated
capuchin
 Suborder: Haplorrhini
 Simiiformes: Platyrrhines: Aotidae

Aotus trivirgatus:
Northern night monkey

Aotus
Aotus lemurinus:
griseimembra:
Colombian night
grey-legged night
monkey
monkey
 Suborder: Haplorrhini
 Simiiformes: Platyrrhines: Atelidae

Alouatta ceniculus:
Colombian red howler monkey

Lagothrix
lagotricha:
common woolly Ateles hybridus:
monkey Variegated spider
monkey
 Suborder: Haplorrhini
 Simiiformes: Platyrrhines: Pitheciidae

Cacajao calvus:
Bald-headed
uakari

Pithecia pithecia:
Golden-faced Callicebus
saki bernhardi:
Prince Bernhard’s
Titi Monkey
 Suborder: Haplorrhini
 Simiiformes
› Catarrhini: Old World monkeys
 nostrils narrow and close together
 no prehensile tail
 ischial callosities: hard pads on lower buttocks for
sitting
 Suborder: Haplorrhini
 Simiiformes: Catarrhini
› Cercopithecidae
 Colobinae
 Cercopithecinae

› Hominoidea
 Hylobatidae
 Hominidae
 Suborder: Haplorrhini
 Simiiformes: Catarrhini: Cercopithecidae:
› Colobinae >40 species; “typical monkeys”
 Mainly tree dwellers living in small groups
 Mainly Asian
 Suborder: Haplorrhini
 Simiiformes: Catarrhini: Cercopithecidae: Colobinae

Colobus guereza: guereza

Trachypithecus Piliocolobus kirkii:
auratus: Javan Kirk’s red colobus
langer
 Suborder: Haplorrhini
 Simiiformes: Catarrhini: Cercopithecidae:
› Cercopithecinae > 75 species; “cercopithecines
 Usually families of females living near where born
 Groups of females, offspring and > 1 adult males
 Mainly sub‐Saharan Africa
 Suborder: Haplorrhini
 Simiiformes: Catarrhini: Cercopithecidae: Cercopithecinae
 Suborder: Haplorrhini
 Simiiformes: Catarrhini: Hominoidae:
› Hylobatidae: Lesser Apes
 Small apes; specialized for brachiation:
 long legs, extremely long arms, hook-like hands
 SE Asia
 ~16 species in four genera
 Hylobates: “true” or dwarf gibbons
 Bunopithecus: hoolock gibbons
 Symphalangus: siamang
 Nomascus: crested gibbons
 Suborder: Haplorrhini
 Simiiformes: Catarrhini: Hominoidae:
› Hominidae: Greater Apes
 Largest extant primates; lack tails
 Single young; long period of dependence
 Sexual-size dimorphism (M>F)
 Four genera:
 Pongo
 Gorilla
 Pan
 Homo
 Suborder: Haplorrhini
 Simiiformes: Catarrhini Hominoidae Hominidae:
 Pongo: 2 species:
› Bornean orangutan P. pygmaeus Endangered
› Sumatran orangutan P. abelii Critically Endangered
 Males, 90 kg; females, 50 kg
 Lowland, hilly tropical rainforests
 Solitary; most of time in trees
 Diet: fruit, leaves, shoots, bark; some bird eggs, small vertebrates
 Massive teeth, jaws
 Range slowly, widely
 Highly intelligent
 Social sex ratio: 2 females per adult male
 Long-lived, slow-breeding: 1 offspring every 6 yr
 Male home ranges large to include >1 female
 Males have facial pads; utter loud “long call”
 Suborder: Haplorrhini
 Simiiformes: Catarrhini Hominoidae Hominidae Pongo

Pongo abelii: Samatran

Orangutan
 Suborder: Haplorrhini
 Simiiformes: Catarrhini Hominoidae Hominidae Pongo
Pongo pygmaeus:
Bornean orangutan
 Suborder: Haplorrhini
 Simiiformes: Catarrhini Hominoidae Hominidae:
 Gorilla, 2 species:
› Western Gorilla G. gorilla
› Eastern G. beringei
 Largest living primate: to 2 m, 190 kg
 Tropical secondary forest, west-central Africa
 Most intelligent non-human primate
 Folivorous
 Terrestrial; quadrupedal
› More arboreal in west (many fruiting trees)
 No distinct breeding season; 1 young every 4 yr; 40% juvenile mortality
 Social system depends on male; young females disperse
 Stable small social groups: Females in harem mainly unrelated; Male-
female bonds important; Social grooming uncommon
 Important male qualities for female choice relate to his
 predator-defense abilities
 Suborder: Haplorrhini
 Simiiformes: Catarrhini Hominoidae Hominidae Gorilla

Gorilla gorilla:
Western Gorilla
 Suborder: Haplorrhini
 Simiiformes: Catarrhini Hominoidae Hominidae Gorilla

Gorilla beringei:
Eastern gorilla
 Suborder: Haplorrhini
 Simiiformes: Catarrhini Hominoidae Hominidae :
 Pan, 2 species:
› Pan paniscus Bonobo
› Pan troglodytes Common chimpanzee
 Closest living relatives to humans: LCA ~6 Ma
 Bonobo-chimpanzees divergence ~1.5 Ma, when Bonobo
ancestors became isolated on south side of Congo River
 Chimpanzees: mainly rain forest, also other forest types,
and some savanna–woodland areas with fruiting trees
 Bonobos: humid lowland tropical rain forests only
 Mainly vegetarian; some animal protein (especially chimps)
 Suborder: Haplorrhini
 Simiiformes: Catarrhini Hominoidae Hominidae Pan

Pan troglodytes: chimpanzee

 Suborder: Haplorrhini
 Simiiformes: Catarrhini Hominoidae Hominidae Pan

Pan paniscus:
bonobo
 Suborder: Haplorrhini
 Simiiformes: Catarrhini Hominoidae
Hominidae
 Homo, 1 species:
› Sapiens

Birute Gladikas Jane Goodall Dian Fossey