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Human Evolution Exam 1 Primate Trends
N/A
31
Anthropology
Undergraduate 3
10/18/2012

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Cards

Term
Four groups of primate trends
Definition
Group 1: Locomotor
Group 2: Neural/sensory
Group 3: Feeding
Group 4: Life history-phases the species goes through throughout their lives and milestones they reach.
Term
What kind of skeleton do primates have?
Definition
generalized skeleton
Term
Generalized skeleton
Definition
Not very narrow anatomical specializations.
Retained finger bones, clavicles, ect.
Allows for upper arm to retain mobility
Term
What kinds of hands and feet do primates have?
Definition
prehensile
Term
Prehensile hands/feet
Definition
Enhanced mobility
Grasping ability
Opposable thumb
Term
Nails, not Claws, and Tactile Pads
Definition
Tactile pads have a lot of nerve endings
Better capacity for finer manipulation
Strong grasp
The reason having claws isn’t preferred for primates is because they get bigger. Claws wouldn’t be as effective as grasping.
Term
What kind of Upper Body Posture
Definition
erect
Term
Erect upper body posture
Definition
Easier to free hands to manipulate objects
Bipedal locomotion
“Facultative locomotion"
Term
Reduced Snout and Olfaction
Definition
Don’t rely as much on smell
Reduced parts of brain dedicated to interpreting smells
Dry nose
Term
What kind of eyes?
Definition
Frontated: Stereoscopic Vision
Term
Frontated eyes: Stereoscopic Vision
Definition
Better depth perception
Better able to track/catch prey and jump from tree to tree
Term
What kind of vision?
Definition
color
Term
Color vision
Definition
Some co-opt color into signaling (red and blue on faces for example)
Ability to tell ripe fruit
Term
Rely more on vision or olfaction?
Definition
Vision
Term
What kinds of brains
Definition
large, elaborate
Term
Neocortex
Definition
portions of cortex that appear to have evolved more recently in evolutionary terms than other parts of the brain
Term
Brain Size vs Body Size
Definition
Can’t just say that primates have “bigger brains.” The bigger the body, the bigger the brain. However, given the body size, primates in general have bigger brains than expected. They also have more neocortex in their brain than expected.
Term
How much of a primates brain is neocortex?
Definition
50-80%
Term
What kind of dentition?
Definition
Generalized
Term
Heterodont
Definition
different teeth. Primates have 4 different types of teeth. Canines, incisors, molars, premolars
Term
High quality diet
Definition
Amount of calories per unit of mass
Fairly nutrient rich
Things like fruit and insects
Term
Life history
Definition
Conception, gestation, birth, infancy, weaning, Juvenile, first reproduction, adulthood, death
Things like how long these stages last, length of life, amount of children had and how often, body size, ect. All these can be acted upon by natural selection.
Term
During the gestation process, primates have
Definition
More efficient fetal nutrition
Term
k selected or r selected?
Definition
k selected
Term
k selection
Definition
few offspring, invest a lot in each
(carrying capacity of land)
Term
r selection
Definition
many offspring, little investment
r=reproductive rate
Term
Relative quickness of gestation?
Definition
• Long gestation
Tend to be pregnant for longer periods of time than other non-primate mammals comparative to their size
Term
How many births
Definition
single
Term
Length of lifespan
Definition
long
Term
Time of maturity
Definition
late
Term
diurnal or nocturnal?
Definition
diurnal
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