Living Primates
Professor Janaki Natalie Parikh
profjnp@gmail.com
Types of Primate Social Organization
– Monogamous Mated Pair
– Multi Male/Multi Female
– Single Male/ Multi Female
– Most common in primates?
Single-male, multi-female
• Sing. Male, multi-female, FLDS style!
Correlation btwn dimorphism & type of soc.
organization
Levels of dimorphism:
Levels of dimorphism &
Predation pressure:
Levels of dimorphism &
Predation pressure:
monogamy
multimulti-
singlemulti-
Habitat & Social Organization
• Home range: larger area exploited by an organism
• Territory: portion of an
organisms home range
that is aggresively defended
against whom?
• con specifics: members of
own same species
Suborder: Prosimii (Prosimians)
 Most closely resemble the earliest primates
 At first, widely distributed, but anthropoids
outcompeted them, thus shifted their activity
patterns
 Lemuriformes (Lemurs) & Lorisiformes (Lorises) are
considered Strepsirhines
 Tarsiformes are Haplorhines, once considered
Prosimians, now being reclassified w/ Anthropoids
Prosimii
Lemuriformes (Lemurs)

Madagascar: only remaining diurnal prosimians
 Wet rhinarium: moist nose
 Post-orbital bar (lowest degree of skeletal
protection)
 Toilet claws
 Dental comb: procumbent incisors

Diverse Social Organization

http://elucy.org/compant.html
Prosimians: Ring tailed lemurs
• Family lemuridae, Lemur catta
• Indigenous: Madagascar (notice the diurnal
pattern)
• Endangered species
Prosimians: Pygmy Mouse Lemur
• Family Lemuridae
• Indigenous: Madagascar
• World’s smallest primate! (Endangered)
Prosimians: Red fronted lemurs
• Family lemuridae, (E. fulvus rufus)
• Indigenous: Madagascar
• Threatened species (habitat destruction)
Prosimians: Black Lemur
• Family lemuridae, E. macaco
• Vulnerable species, one subspecies now believed to be extinct
Prosimii
Lorisiformes (Lorises)
 Found in Africa & Asia
(Noyau soc. org)
 Nocturnal activity patterns
 Wet rhinarium: moist nose
 Post-orbital bar (lowest degree of skeletal
protection)
 Toilet claws
 Dental comb: procumbent incisors
Prosimians: Pygmy Lorises
 Family: Loridae, N. pygmaeus
 Indigenous: Cambodia, China, Laos, Thailand,
Vietnam
Prosimians: Slow Loris
• Family Loridae: N. coucang
• Status: Endangered (oft. Killed for “medicinal properties”)
• http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6731631.stm
(attempts to make them pets)
Anthropoids:Tarsiformes (Tarsiers)
 Found in SE Asia
 Monogamous social organization
 Nocturnal Activity Patterns
Nostrils (no wet rhinarium)
Incomplete p.o. septum (intermed. protection)
Toilet claws
Anthropoids
Tarsiformes (Tarsier)
Family Tarsiidae
Indigenous: SE Asian Islands: Borneo, Sumatra
& Phillipines
Suborder: Anthropoidea
Platyrrhini
(New World Monkeys)
“flat nosed” –
thick nasal septum
Dental formulas
2: 1: 3: 3
or
2: 1: 3: 2
Catarrhini
(Old World Monkeys)
“hook nosed” narrow nasal septum
Dental formula
2: 1: 2: 3
Incisors: Canines: Premolars: Molars
Anthropoidea
Platyrrhines (New World Monkeys)
Callitrichidae
(Callitrichids)
Cebidae
(Cebids)
-smaller
-quadrupedal
-often regularly
birth twins
-larger
-also quadrupedal
-some w/
prehensile tails
Callitrichidae
 Golden lion tamarins (Leontopithecus rosalie) &
cotton toppped tamarin (S. oedipus)
 Indigenous: Brazilian coastal forest
 Status: Critically Endangered (Habitat
fragmentation)
Platyrrhini- Cebidae
 Spider monkey (A. geoffroyi)
 Indigenous: Central & South America
 Status: Critically endangered
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REPoVfN-Ij4&feature=related

(Howlers link)
Catarrhini
Cercopithecoidea (Old World Monkeys)




bilophodont molar pattern
CP3 complex: diastema to allow for occlusion
Ischial collosities: thick, callused padding on ischium
Estrus & estrus swelling: specific time period in the female’s
cycle where she is fertile & thus, sexually receptive
 Social grooming & social dominance hierarchy
 ↑ Sexual dimorphism: differences btwn males & females of a
species, unrelated to their genitalia
 Hunt spontaneously & opportunisitically, not a socially
coordinated activity

http://elucy.org/compant.html
Catarrhines- Cercopithecoids




Baboons & Mandrills (P. Anubis & M. sphinx)
Indigenous: East & West Africa (from Cameroon to Guinea)
Status: Vulnerable species
Extremely pronounced canines only in males, purpose?
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tyUVcydx5c
Catarrhines: Old World Monkeys
 Japanese macaques (snow monkeys, M. fuscata)
 Indigenous: Japan & free range pop. in Texas
 Clip regarding the acquisition of innovation: washing food
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-euMlL9O1Kc
Catarrhini
Hominoidea
 Hominoids = all apes & all humans, whereas
Hominids (family level) only humans species
 No external tail, brachiator anatomy
 Wide & shallow chest compared to quadruped
 Shorter backbone and 360° shoulder rotation
 IMI (inter-membral index): Apes high IMI (longer
arms), monkeys IMI approx 100 (equal lengths),
human low IMI (longer legs)
Hominoid
Family Hylobatidae
 Gibbons & siamangs, Indigenous:SE Asia rainforest
 Classic brachiators, very low sexual dimorphism
 Status: Endangered
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOjqdwlBCc8
Hominoid
Pongidae




Orang-utans (Pongo pygmaeus) (plight of orphaned orangs)
Indigenous: Sumatra & Borneo (SE Asian Islands)
Critically endangered (may see tot. loss by 2010!)
Arboreal & fist walking
Hominoid
Pongidae





Chimpanzees: Common & Bonobo (Genus Pan)
Indigenous: Equatorial “belt” in Africa
Over 98.5% DNA match w/ us, Bonobo sexuality studies
Endangered: habitat loss, bush meathttp://songweaver.com/info/bonobos.html
Knuckle-walking http://www.primates.com/bonobos/bonobos-sexual.html
Hominoid
Pongidae
 Gorillas (Genus Gorilla) 2 species: mountain & lowland
 Largest of all living primates, exclusively vegetarian
 Status: Endangered: habitat destruction, poaching & bush
meat
 Knuckle walking
Primates: Is there anything we can do to help
save them?
 http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/nalini_nadkani_on_conserving_the_canopy.html
 Global Warming & primate species
 http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028090530.htm
 Who Am I? Example:
 Narrow nasal septum
 Bilophodont molar pattern
 Bold coloration of snout & hindquarters
Answer?