primates taxonomy

prosimians

• sub order

• earliest primate group (55 million years ago)

• long snout 

• moist fleshy pad (rhinarium) at end of nose 

• use scent marking 

• ‘split’ upper lip 

• dental comb 

• unfused mandible (lower jaw bones)

• dental formula most 2133 / 2133 

• post orbital bar ONLY

• many nocturnal 

• tapetum lucidum (reflective layer in eye that maximises use of light)

• quadrupedal & mostly arboreal 

lorisoidea

• sub order : prosimii

• super family

• 2 families 

• LORISES (lorisidae)

• GALAGOS (galagidae)

• africa and south east africa 

• 2133 / 2133

• quadrupedal climbers

• nocturnal arboreal and solitary 

• leave their dependent offspring in nests

lorisidae

• sub order : prosimii

• family

• 2 species

Nycticebus coucang (slow loris)

• lorisidae family

• south east asia 

• 400 grams 

• nocturnal 

• venomous 

Loris tardigradus (slender loris)

• lorisidae family

• south india 

• 200 grams 

• ‘banana on stilts’

• slow and cryptic 

• powerful grasp 

• nocturnal

galagos (bush babies)

• family : galagidae

• continental africa

• long bushy tails

• large ear pinna 

• nocturnal 

• leapers

lemuroidea

• super family

• sub order: prosimii

• family : lemuridae

• madagascar

• diverse taxon 

• most nocturnal 

• some torpor (state of decreased physiological activity) 

• females dominant

Lemur catta (ring tailed lemur)

• super family : lemuroidea

• family : lemuridae

• madagascar

• 3kg

• live in groups of up to 30

• diurnal, partly terrestrial 

• social

• scent mark vegetation

• males display waving ‘scented’ tails (stink fight) 

Indri indri (indri)

• super family : lemuroidea

• family : indridae

• madagascar 

• diurnal

• arboreal

• Ca 7kg

• vertical clinging and leaping

tarsioidea

• sub order

• east asia 

• nocturnal and arboreal 

• 110 grams 

• dental formula 2133 / 1133

• diet = 100% animal prey 

• incomplete postorbital plate 

• post orbital bar

• grooming claws 

• eyes larger than brain 

• hairy upper lip

• rotate head almost 180

• clinging and leaping

• solitary (expect females + young) 

anthropoidea (monkeys and apes)

• sub order

• humans belong to the anthropoids 

• no grooming claw (nails)

• no tapetum lucidum

• largely diurnal 

• fused lower jaw

• short snout / reduced olfactory reliance 

• complete postorbital plate 

• larger relative brain size than prosimians

platyrrhini (‘flat noses’) ceboidea (new world monkeys)

• intra order : platyrrhini

• ceboidea: super family

• only ceboidea (most) have prehensile (grasping) tails 

• location: south america

• dental usually 2133 / 2133

• sideways- facing nares (nostrils) 

• completely arboreal 

• diurnal (except 1 genus) 

• two large families (new world monkeys)

• CEBIDAE

• CALLITRICHIDAE

• reduced body size 

• 2132 / 2132 

cebidae

• super family : ceboidea

• family

• dental 2133 / 22133

• 3-8kg

• all nails 

• many with prehensile tail 

• diurnal

• social

• leaves, fruits, animal matter

challitrichidae

• super family : ceboidea

• family

• all smaller than 1kg

• dental = 2132 / 2132 

• molar reduction (as their faces are smaller/ not enough room to accommodate another molar) 

• claw-like nails (reversal except 1st toe)

• diurnal 

• diet= fruit, gum, animals 

• family groups of 5-10

• usually produce twins 

catarrhini (‘narrow noses’) cercopithecoidea (old world monkeys)

• 1 family (cercopithecidae) = old world monkeys 

• dental 2123 / 2123

• bilophodont molars 

• ischial callosities near tail (help to reduce the impact of nerves when in a seated position - ie sitting pads)

• some with sexual swellings (females develop these swelling around ovulation which are attractive to males)

• tails are NOT prehensile 

• wide variety of habitats

• 2 sub families

• cercopithecinae (largely fruit eating)

• colobinae (largely leaf eating)

primate teeth : bilophondonty vs Y-5

• types of molars

• great apes and early hominids contain the Y-5 molar

• old world monkeys contained the bilophodonty molar

colobinae

• subfamily of cercopithecidae

• africa and asia 

• arboreal (most)

• leaf and seed eaters lichen (some)

• have complex stomachs

• often found in ‘harems’

cercopithecinae

• subfamily of cercopithecidae

• africa and asia 

• variable in size 

• typically live in medium or large bisexual groups 

• (multimale - multifemale)

examles of cercopithecinae

Patas (Erythrocebus)

• largely terrestrial

• fastest runner among all primates, reaching 55km/ h

• found in open habitats (savannahs and grasslands)

Mandril (Mandrillus)

• most brightly coloured mammal

• lives in supergroups sometimes exceeding 1000

hominoidea (apes and humans)

• super family of catarrhini

• larger bodies (usually)

• NO tails 

• limb arrangement reflecting brachiation 

• rotation of shoulder & scapula 

• ventral-dorsal flattening of trunk (shallow chest) 

• wrist joint flexibility

• longer forelimb than hindlimb 

• human reversal

• Y-5 molar pattern on mandible (in all hominoids) 

• relatively even larger brains 

• prolonged dependency of young

hylobatidae (gibbons)

• family of hominoidea (super family)

• south east asia 

• diurnal and arboreal 

• 6-8kg 

• brachiators 

• ischial callosities 

• monomorphic body size (but some dichromatism) 

• mostly fruit 

• monogamous (having one mate at a time) 

• territorial 

• vocal duets

pongidae (orangutans)

• family of hominoidea (super family)

• orangutan (pongo)

• 2 species

• BORNEO & SUMATRA 

• Ca 36-77kg 

• males 2x female body weight 

• no ischial callosities 

• quadrumanous 

• cheek flanges in dominant males 

• diurnal and arboreal 

• most solitary 

• slowest life history of all primates 

• age at first reproduction = 15 yrs 

• inter-birth interval 9 yrs

hominidae (apes and humans) - gorillas

• family of hominoidea (super family)

• ie gorilla

• 70 to 170kg males

• males are twice the weight of females

• knuckle walk

• more terrestrial

• mainly forivorous (leaf based diet)

• typically in one-male groups

hominidae (apes and humans) - chimpanzees and bonobos

• 31-60kg

• knuckle walk 

• quadruped and climbing 

• diet= fruit, leaves, animals

postorbital plate vs bar

• prosimians have a postorbital plate 

• anthropoids have a postorbital bar