Assignment: Primates
Name:
Jane Goodall made great strides in the area of primate research, but she wasn’t the only
one and not everyone agreed with her findings or methodology.
Go to http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/Primates/Facts/
Answer the following:
Characteristics of Primates
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What kingdom, phylum, subphylum, class and order do primates belong to?
What are the defining characteristics of the phylum? Subphylum?
What are some mammalian characteristics that primates possess?
Select and list three of the primate characteristics related to vision.
Select and list three primate characteristics related to hand and limb structure.
Select and list three primate characteristics related to behavior.
Select and list three primate characteristics related to reproduction and offspring.
Of the above characteristics, which ones do humans exhibit? Which ones don’t
humans exhibit? (This is NOT listed on the website. Make educated guesses!)
Another significant primate field researcher was Dian Fossey.
Complete some research on Dian Fossey and answer the following:
1. In what ways were the experiences of Dian Fossey similar to those of Jane
Goodall?
2. How were their experiences different?
3. What were some of the long range results of Dian Fossey’s work?
4. Assume that you’d been given an opportunity to complete a summer of field study
with Jane Goodall or Dian Fossey. Which primate researcher would you pick?
Your reasons can be from a personal or professional standpoint, but you must
explain your answer.