
The origin of the order is commonly given
as 65 MYA (million years ago)

Some estimates go back to 85 MYA
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Purgatorius_BW.jpg
55-65 MYA
 Lived in N. America and Europe
 Its fossils first discovered in Montana

About 50 MYA, pretty soon after the
dinosaurs go extinct, there is an
explosion in the number of primate
species—about 6000 species arise.
 The 200 species now living are the what
remains of this differentiation, and the
descendants of the survivors.

TAXON
EXAMPLE: YOUR PUPPY
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Subphylum
Vertebrata
Class
Mammalia
Order
Carnivora
Family
Canidae
Genus
Canis
Species
C. lupus

Note: When writing the binomen of a
species, use italics, and capitalize the
name of the Genus!
TAXON
YOUR PUPPY
YOU
Kingdom
Animalia
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Chordata
Subphylum
Vertebrata
Vertebrata
Class
Mammalia
Mammalia
Order
Carnivora
Primates
Family
Canidae
Great Apes
Genus
Canis
Homo
Species
C. lupus
H. sapiens
The most basic groups to think about:
Prosimians
 Monkeys
 Apes and humans

Adapted from Jurmain et al. (1998)

Limbs and locomotion:
› Erect or semi-erect posture
› Generalized limb structure allows a variety of
locomotive behaviors.

Limbs and locomotion:
› Prehensile hands and feet.
 Five digits
 Opposable thumbs and big toes
 Fingernail instead of claws
SLOW LORIS

Generalized diet and teeth

The senses and the brain:
› Color vision (diurnal primates only)

The senses and the brain:
› Stereoscopic vision (depth perception)
 Eyes to the front
 Visual information from each eye transmitted
to visual centers in both hemispheres in the
brain
 Visual information processed by specialized
brain structures
TARSIER

The senses and the brain:
› Large and complex brains
 Visual information processing
 Large areas involved with the hand

Maturation, Learning and Behavior
› Long gestation
› Single births instead of litters
› Delayed maturation
› Tendency to live in mixed-age groups
› Dependence on learned behavior

Theories:
› Improved access to food
› Protection from predators

Types of groups:
› Multi-male/multi-female
› Most common type.
› Chimps and Bonobos usually live in mm/mf
fission-fusion groups.

Types of groups:
› Pair-bond
› Examples: Gibbons and Siamangs, some
monkeys

Types of groups: One-Male/Multi Female
› Gorilla

The study of animals and their habitats
that looks for patterns of relationship
between the environment and social
behavior.

Assumes that the various components of an
environment have evolved together.
Food (amounts, qualities, distribution)
 Distribution of water
 Predators (distribution, types)
 Distribution of sleeping sites
 Activity patterns (nocturnal/diurnal)
 Relationships with other species
 Impact of human activities


Of the baboon…
› (MM/MF)
› Savanna
› Predators can be common

Of the Slow Loris…
› Solitary foraging
› Insectivor
› Slow moving

The study of the relationship between
behavior and natural selection.
Sociobiological theory states that certain
behaviors or behavioral pattern have
been selected for because they
increase reproductive success in
individuals.
Infanticide
 K-selection (vs. r-selection)
 Male / Female behaviors
 Sexual dimorphism


The lack of long-term data:
› On demography
› On social behavior
› Resource distribution
Little data on relatedness through male
line
 How to assign reproductive costs and
benefits to particular behaviors
