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Characteristics of primates

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Amirnur2

This document outlines the key characteristics that define primates as a group. It discusses their hands and feet having opposable thumbs and toes for grasping. Primates also have flexible shoulders and hips, stereoscopic vision from forward-facing eyes, and larger brains relative to other mammals. Other defining traits include an emphasis on vision over smell, lengthened development periods for offspring, and specialized dentition. Primates exhibit increased behavioral complexity and social grouping as well.

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AMIR MUMIN
INTRODUCTION  Primates is an order of mammals.  What are characteristics that define mammals? Constant body temperature Females give birth to live offspring Well formed and differentiated teeth Nutritional efficiency Multiple developed life stages  Primates include ; PROSIMIANS (apes, monkeys, hominids(man) ) - and Simians
What features define primates? CHARACTERISTICS OF PRIMATES Hands and feet-  prehensile for power and precision grips. Have opposable thumbs and big toes to achieve this. Man doesn’t have opposable big toes . Fingers and toes show tactile sensitivity with increased sensory Innervation with dermoglyphs.  Presence of flat nails/fingernails instead of claws  Pentadactylism (with the exception of spider monkeys)
 Shoulders and hips- unlike many mammals primates have particularly flexible shoulders and hip joints.  Primates possess a clavicle ( unguiculate) this connects the upperlimb as a strut to the trunk allowing for greater mobility of the shoulder joint helping them to have overarm movement ideal for brachiation( swinging movements).An adaptation to aid in primates’ primary arboreal life.  Reduced thumb for brachiation for most primates
 Improved vision:  Which is explained by the arboreal theory and visual predation theories.  Large eye sockets placed forwards. Overlapping visual fields(binocular vision). Showing stereoscopic vision (depth perception) and colour vision.
 Deemphasis on smell The olfactory region in the brain and nose sizes( except lemurs) has been reduced greatly in most species and the cerebrum expanded to accept the increasing reliance on sight and social behaviors This gives primates a lesser prognathic jaw and flatter face.
 Primate brain areas involving eye-hand coordination,stereoscopic vision and manual dexterity have expanded more. Bigger brains compared to all other mammals with more folds (gyri and sulci)
 Lengthening of prenatal and postnatal cycles. This improves gestational nourishment,there is reduction of litter with longer periods of learning. This periods are longer compared with other mammals. e.g Mouse lemurs -60 days compared to rodent mouse 20 days. This is for offsprings to be more mature for better survival.  Long natural life spans. Baboons can live for upto 30 years. Chimpanzees can live for upto 50-75+ years with good medical care. This is due to the slower metabolic rates associated with slower rates of growth,aging and reproduction
 Dental specialization- primates possess various sets of well formed and differentiated teeth which include Incisors, Canines, Premolars and molars for diet and nutritional efficiency . Decreased no. of teeth probably due to decrease in size of face and jaw.  Primitive mammals dental formula 3.1.4.3 =44 teeth
 Increased behaviour complexity. Social grouping  Rhythmical sexual cycle  Tendency to have erect bodies. This trait is visible when in primates sitting and standing postures. Most species exhibit bipedalism.
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Characteristics of primates

  • 2. INTRODUCTION  Primates is an order of mammals.  What are characteristics that define mammals? Constant body temperature Females give birth to live offspring Well formed and differentiated teeth Nutritional efficiency Multiple developed life stages  Primates include ; PROSIMIANS (apes, monkeys, hominids(man) ) - and Simians
  • 3. What features define primates? CHARACTERISTICS OF PRIMATES Hands and feet-  prehensile for power and precision grips. Have opposable thumbs and big toes to achieve this. Man doesn’t have opposable big toes . Fingers and toes show tactile sensitivity with increased sensory Innervation with dermoglyphs.  Presence of flat nails/fingernails instead of claws  Pentadactylism (with the exception of spider monkeys)
  • 4.  Shoulders and hips- unlike many mammals primates have particularly flexible shoulders and hip joints.  Primates possess a clavicle ( unguiculate) this connects the upperlimb as a strut to the trunk allowing for greater mobility of the shoulder joint helping them to have overarm movement ideal for brachiation( swinging movements).An adaptation to aid in primates’ primary arboreal life.  Reduced thumb for brachiation for most primates
  • 5.  Improved vision:  Which is explained by the arboreal theory and visual predation theories.  Large eye sockets placed forwards. Overlapping visual fields(binocular vision). Showing stereoscopic vision (depth perception) and colour vision.
  • 6.  Deemphasis on smell The olfactory region in the brain and nose sizes( except lemurs) has been reduced greatly in most species and the cerebrum expanded to accept the increasing reliance on sight and social behaviors This gives primates a lesser prognathic jaw and flatter face.
  • 7.  Primate brain areas involving eye-hand coordination,stereoscopic vision and manual dexterity have expanded more. Bigger brains compared to all other mammals with more folds (gyri and sulci)
  • 8.  Lengthening of prenatal and postnatal cycles. This improves gestational nourishment,there is reduction of litter with longer periods of learning. This periods are longer compared with other mammals. e.g Mouse lemurs -60 days compared to rodent mouse 20 days. This is for offsprings to be more mature for better survival.  Long natural life spans. Baboons can live for upto 30 years. Chimpanzees can live for upto 50-75+ years with good medical care. This is due to the slower metabolic rates associated with slower rates of growth,aging and reproduction
  • 9.  Dental specialization- primates possess various sets of well formed and differentiated teeth which include Incisors, Canines, Premolars and molars for diet and nutritional efficiency . Decreased no. of teeth probably due to decrease in size of face and jaw.  Primitive mammals dental formula 3.1.4.3 =44 teeth
  • 10.  Increased behaviour complexity. Social grouping  Rhythmical sexual cycle  Tendency to have erect bodies. This trait is visible when in primates sitting and standing postures. Most species exhibit bipedalism.