Primates

Front 1

Lemur catta

Back 1

Ring-Tailed Lemur

Lemur is Latin for 'ghost, spirits of the dead', catta is Latin for 'cat or cat-like'

Front 2

Varecia rubra

Back 2

Red Ruffed Lemur

Varecia comes from the Malagasy word varika, which refers to lemurs; varika also refers to a mark made on the forehead with charcoal or white earth & used as a charm; rubra is Latin for red, ruddy, painted red

Front 3

Propithecus verreauxi

Back 3

Verreaux's Sifaka

Propithecus comes from the Latin 'pro' - before and 'pithecus' - ape, literally meaning 'before ape(s)' or precursor to apes; verrauxi comes from Jules Pierre Verreaux; sifaka is a Malagasy term derived from the threat display made by some sifaka, which is an explosive hiss-like 'shee-fak' sound accompanied by rapid, repetitive backward jerking of the head

Front 4

Microcebus myoxinus

Back 4

Pygmy Mouse Lemur

Microcebus come from the Greek 'mikros' - small and 'kebos' - monkey; the Latin form of 'kebos', 'cebus', is a common suffix for primate names, even when the primates are not monkeys; myoxinus comes from the Greek meaning quick mouse

Front 5

Lepilemur mustelinus

Back 5

Weasel Sportive Lemur

Lepilemur comes from the Latin 'lepidus' - pleasing, agreeable, and 'lemures' - ghost, spirits of the dead; mustelinus comes from the Latin 'mustela' and '-inus' - weasel

Front 6

Daubentonia madagascariensis

Back 6

Aye-Aye

Aye-aye comes from the Malagasy 'heh-heh'; Daubentonia comes from Louis-Jean-Marie Daubenton; madagascariensis refers to Madagascar, where these primates are found

Front 7

Perodicticus potto

Back 7

Potto

Potto comes from West African languages' 'potto' - primate; Perodicticus comes from the Latin 'per'- very, and Greek 'deicticos' - indicates

Front 8

Nycticebus pygmaeus

Back 8

Pygmy slow loris

Loris comes from the Dutch 'loeris' - clown; Nycticebus comes from the Greek 'nyctis' - night, and Latin 'cebus' - monkey (keep in mind that 'cebus' is a common suffix for primate names, even when the primate is not a monkey); pygmaeus comes from the Latin 'pygmaeus' - dwarf

Front 9

Galago senegalensis

Back 9

Senegal bushbaby

Galago comes from the Wolof 'golo' - monkey; Senegalensis refers to Senegal

Front 10

Carlito syrichta

Back 10

Philippine tarsier

Tarsier comes from the ancient Greek 'ταρσός' ('tarsos') - the flat of the foot; Carlito comes from Carlito Pizarras; syrichta comes from the Greek 'syrich' - screech

Front 11

Cacajao calvus

Back 11

Bald-headed Uacari

Uacari comes from the Amazonian languages' 'ouakary' - uacari; Cacajao comes from the Amazonian languages' 'kakáhau' - cacajao; calvus comes from the Latin 'calvus' - bald

Front 12

Alouatta palliata

Back 12

Mantled Howler Monkey

Alouatta comes from the French 'alouate' howler; palliata comes from the Latin 'palliatus' - cloaked (mantle in this case being another word for cloak)

Front 13

Ateles fusciceps

Back 13

Black-headed Spider Monkey

Ateles comes from the Greek 'ἀ-' (a-) - no, and 'τελείως' ('teleios') - complete, with a whole meaning of incomplete; fusciceps is Latin for 'dark-headed'

Front 14

Cebus capuchinus

Back 14

White-throated Capuchin

Capuchin comes from the Italian 'cappuccio' - hood; Cebus comes from the Latin for monkey, in this case used as a word on its own rather than as a suffix and to name an actual monkey; capuchinus is Latin for hood

Front 15

Sanguinus oedipus

Back 15

Cottontop tamarin

Tamarin comes from the Middle French 'tamary' - tamarin; Saguinus comes from the French 'sagouin' - monkey and Latin '-inus' and means squirrel monkey; Oedipus is Greek for swollen foot and refers to the Greek mythological character Oedipus - Linnaeus named this species and apparently often used names from mythology without particular rationale

Front 16

Macaca fuscata

Back 16

Japanese macaque

Macaque and macaca come from the Old Tupi 'makaka' - monkey; fuscata comes from the Latin 'fuscatus' - darkened

Front 17

Papio anubis

Back 17

Olive baboon

Baboon comes from the Old French 'babouin' - grimace; Papio is Latin for 'baboon-like'; anubis come from the Egyptian jackal-headed god Anubis because the baboon's muzzle looks dog-like; the common name comes from the color of the coat, which from a distance appears green-gray

Front 18

Chlorocebus pygerthrus

Back 18

Vervet Monkey

Chlorocebus comes from the Greek 'chloro-' - green, and Latin 'cebus' - monkey, literally green monkey; pygerthrus comes from the Greek 'πυγή' ('pygí') and 'ἐρυθρός' ('erythros') - red rump

Front 19

Colobus guereza

Back 19

Black-and-white Colobus Monkey

Colobus is ancient Greek for mutilated; guereza is the native name of the monkey in Ethiopia

Front 20

Nasalis larvatus

Back 20

Proboscis Monkey

Proboscis refers to the nose; Nasalis comes from the Latin 'nasus' and '-alis' - nasal or nose; larvatus is Latin for veiled

Front 21

Hylobates lar

Back 21

White-handed Gibbon

Gibbon comes from the French gibbon; Hylobates comes from the Greek 'ὕλη' ('ýli') and 'βαίνω' ('vaíno') - forest walker; lar is Latin for guardian spirit (from Roman myth)

Front 22

Pongo pygmaeus

Back 22

Bornean orangutan

Orangutan comes from Malay 'orang' and 'هوتن' - forest man; Pongo comes from the Kongo 'mpongo' - monster; pygmaeus is Latin for dwarf

Front 23

Gorilla gorilla

Back 23

Western Lowland Gorilla

Gorilla comes from the Greek 'Γόριλλαι' ('Górillai') - hairy women

Front 24

Gorilla gorilla berengei

Back 24

Mountain gorilla

Gorilla comes from the Greek 'Γόριλλαι' ('Górillai') - hairy women; berengei comes from Friedrich Robert von Beringe

Front 25

Pan troglodytes

Back 25

Chimpanzee

Chimpanzee comes from Bantu 'ci-mpenzi' - mockman; Pan refers to the Greek god/myth; troglodytes comes from the Latin 'troglodyta' - caveman; Linnaeus originally named chimpanzees Homo troglodytes (cave-dwelling man), recognizing their close relationship to humans. When the distance between chimpanzees and humans was established, they were placed into the genus Pan, but the original scientific species name always travels with an organism even if they change genus or other higher rankings. Therefore, chimpanzees are Pan troglodytes.

Front 26

Pan paniscus

Back 26

Bonobo

Bonobo first appeared in 1954 when Eduard Paul Tratz and Heinz Heck proposed it. It is thought to be a misspelling on a shipping crate from the town of Bolobo on the Congo River. It has also been reported as a word for 'ancestor' in an extinct Bantu language; Pan refers to the Greek god/myth; paniscus means 'little pan greek myth'

Front 27

Paleozoic Era

Back 27

Literally "Old Age of Animals"; the oldest of the three Eras within the Phanerozoic Eon, spanning from 544-248 million years ago, composed of six periods: the Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian, Carboniferous, and the Permian

Front 28

Mesozoic Era

Back 28

Literally "Middle Age of Animals"; the middle of the three Eras within the Phanerozoic Eon, spanning from 248-65 million years ago, composed of three periods: the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous

Front 29

Cenozoic Era

Back 29

Literally "Recent Age of Animals"; the youngest of the three Eras within the Phanerozoic Eon, and the era within which we live, spanning from 65 million years ago to the present, composed of two periods: the Tertiary and Quaternary

Front 30

Cambrian Period

Back 30

Oldest Period in the Paleozoic Era; 542-485 Million years ago; had a massive radiation of complex, multicellular organisms including trilobites (arthropods that resemble seagoing centipedes); the appearance of the first chordates and vertebrates

Front 31

Ordovician Period

Back 31

Second Period in the Paleozoic Era; 485-443 million years ago; featured the first appearance of vertebrates with jaws

Front 32

Silurian Period

Back 32

Third Period in the Paleozoic Era; 443-419 million years ago; featured the first bony fish and early land plants

Front 33

Devonian Period

Back 33

Fourth Period in the Paleozoic Era; 416-359 million years ago; featured the first land vertebrates (tetrapods)

Front 34

Carboniferous Period

Back 34

Fifth Period in the Paleozoic Era; 359-299 million years ago; featured the first synapsids (mammal-like reptiles)

Front 35

Permian Period

Back 35

Sixth and final Period of the Paleozoic Era; 299-252 million years ago; during this period the continents drifted together near the equator to form the supercontinent Pangaea; ended by the Permian-Triassic extinction event (252.58 million years ago) in which roughly 80% of multicellular species went extinct

Front 36

Triassic Period

Back 36

First and oldest Period of the Mesozoic Era; 252-201 million years ago; featured the first dinosaurs and the first true mammals

Front 37

Jurassic Period

Back 37

Second Period of the Mesozoic Era; 201-145 million years ago; during this period, Pangaea splits into Laurasia (north) and Gondwana (south); featured the spread of dinosaurs and the first birds

Front 38

Cretaceous Period

Back 38

Third and final Period of the Mesozoic Era; 145-66 million years ago; ended by the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction event - an asteroid impact off the Yucatan Peninsula that caused 85% of land animals to go extinct (including all species over 55 lbs.)

Front 39

Paleogene Period

Back 39

First half of the Tertiary Period of the Cenozoic Era; 66-23 million years ago; composed of the Paleocene, Eocene, and Oligocene Epochs

Front 40

Neogene Period

Back 40

Second half of the Tertiary Period of the Cenozoic Era; 23-2.6 million years ago; composed of the Miocene and first portion of the Pliocene Epochs

Front 41

Quaternary Period

Back 41

Second Period of the Cenozoic Era; 2.6 million years ago - present; composed of the last portion of the Pliocene and the Pleistocene and Holocene Epochs

Front 42

Paleocene Epoch

Back 42

First Epoch of the Tertiary Period (also the Paleogene period); 66-56 million years ago; featured early mammalian radiations, and the presence of primates is debated

Front 43

Eocene Epoch

Back 43

Second Epoch of the Tertiary Period (also the Paleogene period); 56-34 million years ago; featured the first ungulates, bats, elephants, rodents, whales, and the first true primates

Front 44

Oligocene Epoch

Back 44

Third Epoch of the Tertiary Period (also the Paleogene period); 34-23 million years ago; during this epoch, running mammals evolve, as do the first monkeys

Front 45

Miocene Epoch

Back 45

Fourth Epoch of the Tertiary Period (also the Neogene period); 23-5.3 million years ago; during this epoch, many modern mammalian families evolve, including the first apes and the first hominins

Front 46

Pliocene Epoch

Back 46

Spans the Tertiary and Quaternary Periods; 5.3-2.6 million years ago; many modern mammalian genera evolve, and there is a great diversity in early hominins

Front 47

Pleistocene Epoch

Back 47

First full Epoch of the Quaternary Period; 2.6 million years ago-11.7 thousand years ago; features the evolution and spread of the genus Homo and several ice ages

Front 48

Holocene Epoch

Back 48

Last and present Epoch of the Quaternary Period; 11.7 thousand years ago-present; features the rise of human civilization and has given rise to the Anthropocene

Front 49

Strepsirrhini

Back 49

One of the two major phyletic groups into which primates are divided, a.k.a. the strepsirrhines, composed of the lemurs of Madagascar and the galagos and lorises of Africa and Asia

Front 50

Haplorhini

Back 50

One of the two major phyletic groups into which primates are divided, a.k.a the haplorhines, composed of the tarsiers of southeast Asia and the anthropoids (monkeys, apes, and humans)

Front 51

Lemuriformes

Back 51

Strepsirrhine prosimian primate infraorder composed of the Lemuridae (lemurs), Indriidae (woolly lemurs, sifakas, and indri), Cheirogaleidae (dwarf and mouse lemurs), Lepilemuridae (sportive lemurs), and Daubentoniidae (aye-aye)

Front 52

Lorisiformes

Back 52

Strepsirrhine prosimian primate infraorder composed of the Lorisidae (lorises and pottos) and the Galagidae (galagos/bushbabies)

Front 53

Tarsiiformes

Back 53

Haplorhine prosimian primate infraorder composed of the Tarsiidae (tarsiers)

Front 54

Platyrrhini

Back 54

Haplorhine anthropoid primate infraorder composed of the Pithecidae (titis, sakis, and uacaris), Atelidae (howling, woolly, and spider monkeys and the muriqis), and Cebidae (capuchin, squirrel, and night monkeys and marmosets and tamarins)

Front 55

Catarrhini

Back 55

Haplorhine anthropoid primate infraorder composed of the Cercopithecidae (Old World monkeys), Hylobatidae (gibbons and siamangs), and Hominidae (apes and humans)

Front 56

Lemuridae

Back 56

Family composed of the lemurs; part of Infraorder Lemuriformes; strepsirrhine and prosimian

Front 57

Indriidae

Back 57

Family composed of the woolly lemurs, sifakas, and indri; part of Infraorder Lemuriformes; strepsirrhine and prosimian

Front 58

Cheirogaleidae

Back 58

Family composed of the dwarf and mouse lemurs; part of Infraorder Lemuriformes; strepsirrhine and prosimian

Front 59

Lepilemuridae

Back 59

Family composed of the sportive lemurs; part of Infraorder Lemuriformes; strepsirrhine and prosimian

Front 60

Daubentoniidae

Back 60

Family composed of the aye-ayes; part of Infraorder Lemuriformes; strepsirrhine and prosimian

Front 61

Lorisidae

Back 61

Family composed of the lorises and pottos; part of Infraorder Lorisiformes; strepsirrhine and prosimian

Front 62

Galagidae

Back 62

Family composed of the galagos (bushbabies); part of Infraorder Lorisiformes; strepsirrhine and prosimian

Front 63

Tarsiidae

Back 63

Family composed of the tarsiers; part of Infraorder Tarsiiformes; haplorhine and prosimian

Front 64

Pithecidae

Back 64

Family composed of the titis, sakis, and uacaris; part of Infraorder Platyrrhini; haplorhine and anthropoid

Front 65

Atelidae

Back 65

Family composed of the howling, woolly, and spider monkeys and the muriquis; part of Infraorder Platyrrhini; haplorhine and anthropoid

Front 66

Cebidae

Back 66

Family composed of the capuchin, squirrel, and night monkeys and the marmosets and tamarins; part of Infraorder Platyrrhini; haplorhine and anthropoid

Front 67

Cercopithecidae

Back 67

Family composed of the Old World monkeys; part of Infraorder Catarrhini; haplorhine and anthropoid

Front 68

Hylobatidae

Back 68

Family composed of the gibbons and siamangs; part of Infraorder Catarrhini; haplorhine and anthropoid

Front 69

Hominidae

Back 69

Family composed of the apes and humans; part of Infraorder Catarrhini; haplorhine and anthropoid

Front 70

plesiadapiforms

Back 70

Mammalian order or suborder of mammals that may be ancestral to later Primates, characterized by some but not all of the primate trends (low, flat skull with small braincase and long snout; no post-orbital bar or closure; projecting incisors followed by a diastema; earliest had a 3-1-3-3 dental formula but later forms show a reduction; sharp tooth cusps and small size suggest most were insectivores; postcrania suggest they were arboreal); very abundant during the Paleocene Epoch (66-56 million years ago) and the early Eocene Epoch in what is now North America, Europe, and Asia

Front 71

omomyiforms

Back 71

One of two types of primates of modern aspect; tarsier-like; either ancestors of modern haplorhines or ancestors of modern tarsiiformes; found in North America, Europe, Asia, and possibly Africa; possess ear tubes, large eyes, a short snout, large incisors, small canines, and elongated tarsus and the small species possess sharp pointed molar cusps while larger later species have flat molar teeth; representative genera: Teilhardina, Altanius, Necrolemur, Rooneyia, Shoshonius, and Ekgmowechashala

Front 72

adapiforms

Back 72

One of two types of primates of modern aspect; lemur-like; ancestors of modern Strepsirrhines; found in North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa; possess a ring in the ear, small eyes, a long snout, small incisors, large canines, many premolar and molar shearing crests, and digital nails; representative genera: Darwinius, Notharctus, Smilodectes, Adapis, Cantius, and Europolemur

Front 73

Purgatorius

Back 73

Plesiadapid (possible early primate) genus living in what is now Montana during the Paleocene Epoch (66-56 million years ago); generalized enough to have given rise to the first clear primates that appear in the fossil record of the Eocene

Front 74

Darwinius

Back 74

Darwinius masillae; Representative adapiform genera found near Messel, Germany, in 1983 by a private collector. It is the most complete fossil primate ever found, but it was not examined by scientists until the mid-2000s. It dates to 47 million years old and has been nicknamed "Ida". Some have suggested that it may be ancestral to anthropoids, but most think it is simply an adapiform.

Front 75

Eosimias

Back 75

Eocene Anthropoid that is possibly the earliest anthropoid (45-40 million years ago), possessing a calcaneus that is intermediate to those of a tarsier and a baboon, but closer to that of the baboon

Front 76

Qatrania

Back 76

Eocene early anthropoid (35 million years ago) found in the Fayum Basin, Egypt

Front 77

Biretia

Back 77

Eocene early anthropoid (37 million years ago) found in the Fayum Basin, Egypt

Front 78

Aegyptopithecus

Back 78

Oligocene early catarrhine (30 million years ago) found in the Fayum Basin, Egypt

Front 79

Branisella

Back 79

Oligocene early platyrrhine (26 million years ago) found in Salla, Bolivia possessing molars with low, rounded cusps

Front 80

Proconsul

Back 80

Early to middle Miocene primitive ape (23-16 million years ago); found in several locations around Lake Victoria, Kenya; weighed between 17-50 kg and had a cranial capacity of 167 cubic cm; had ape-like cranium and teeth, Y-5 molars, monkey-like postcranium, and no tail

Front 81

Dryopithecus

Back 81

Middle to late Miocene primitive ape (12-10 million years ago); found in Europe; weighed between 20-35 kg; had a Y-5 molar pattern, no tail, a broad interorbital distance, and a modern ape postcranium, including definitive evidence of suspensory locomotion

Front 82

Sivapithecus

Back 82

Middle to late Miocene primitive ape (12-6 million years ago); found in the Siwalik Hills of India and Pakistan; weighed between 40-90 kg; had a Y-5 molar pattern, a narrow interorbital distance, and the postcranium shows some characteristics that suggest suspensory locomotion and others that suggest arboreal quadrupedalism

Front 83

Gigantopithecus

Back 83

Late Miocene primitive ape (6.5 million years ago); found in India, Pakistan, and China; weighed between 190-225 kg; huge, but only known from its mandibles and teeth, which follow a Y-5 molar pattern

Front 84

primatology

Back 84

The study of non-human primates

Front 85

primate paleontology

Back 85

The study of the primate fossil record

Front 86

taxonomic ranks

Back 86

The hierarchical levels of classification (Kingdom, Phylum, class, order, family, genus, species, etc.)

Front 87

homology

Back 87

A shared trait that was present in a common ancestor (such as the number and order of the bones of the arm)

Front 88

homoplasy

Back 88

A shared trait that was not present in a common ancestor (such as wings, a.k.a. analagous structures)

Front 89

plesiomorphy

Back 89

A primitive trait (shared with other groups - such as generalized skeletal structure, heterodonty, hair, long gestations followed by live birth, endothermy, and increased brain size - traits shared with other mammals)

Front 90

apomorphy

Back 90

A derived trait (unique to a particular group - such as the modification of the hands and feet for manipulation and grasping, the reorganization of the senses (increased vision and reduced olfaction), and the very high level of complex behavior (especially learned behavior) unique to primates)

Front 91

tetrapod

Back 91

Having four legs/limbs (from the Greek 'tetra' - four and 'podia' - feet)

Front 92

pentadactyl

Back 92

Having five rays on the hands and feet (from the Greek 'penta' - five and 'dactyl' - finger, digit)

Front 93

heterodonty

Back 93

Having different types of teeth (from the Greek 'hetero' - different and 'donti' - teeth)

Front 94

incisors

Back 94

The spatulate teeth in the front of the upper and lower jaws used for nibbling and cutting

Front 95

canines

Back 95

Conical biting and tearing teeth next to the incisors in the upper and lower jaws used for stabbing

Front 96

premolars

Back 96

Teeth intermediate in form between biting, grasping, shearing, and grinding, behind the canines in the upper and lower jaw

Front 97

molars

Back 97

Large teeth at the back of the upper and lower jaws whose extensive chewing surfaces emphasize crushing and grinding rather than shearing of food

Front 98

dental formula

Back 98

The number and arrangement of the teeth in the dental arcade (jaw)

Front 99

r-selected

Back 99

Produce many offspring (the majority of which are unlikely to survive to adulthood - think of sea turtles and mice)

Front 100

K-selected

Back 100

Invest heavily in few offspring (the majority of have a good chance of surviving to adulthood - think of whales, elephants, and primates)

Front 101

endothermy

Back 101

The ability to produce heat internally, but the organism must maintain a body temperature within a narrow range and excess heat must be dissipated to prevent overheating

Front 102

opposable hallux

Back 102

The opposable big toe present in many primates (hallux means big toe, and is the pair to the thumb on the foot)

Front 103

nails

Back 103

One of the modifications of primate hands and feet for manipulation, changing the ends of the digits to flat, broad phalanges with nails growing out of the back instead of the sharp pointed phalanges that many other mammals possess.

Front 104

binocular vision

Back 104

Overlapping fields of vision

Front 105

stereoscopic vision

Back 105

The ability to perceive objects in three dimensions (gives depth perception)

Front 106

post-orbital bar

Back 106

A bony ring encircling the lateral side of the eye but not forming a complete cup around the eye globe

Front 107

post-orbital closure

Back 107

The complete enclosure of the lateral side of the eye, forming a complete cup around the eye globe

Front 108

arboreal hypothesis

Back 108

Hypothesis for the origin of primate adaptation that focuses on the value of grasping hands and stereoscopic vision for life in the trees; primates evolved to fill an arboreal niche

Front 109

visual predation hypothesis

Back 109

Hypothesis for the origin of primate adaptation that focuses on the value of grasping hands and stereoscopic vision for catching small prey; primates adapted to shrubby forest undergrowth and hunted insects and other small prey

Front 110

folivory

Back 110

Leaf-eating, characterized by narrow incisors and shearing molar crests

Front 111

frugivory

Back 111

Fruit-eating, characterized by spatulate incisors, molariform premolars, and low, rounded molar cusps (bunodont)

Front 112

insectivory

Back 112

Insect-eating, characterized by sharp, pointy incisors and canines and high-crested, high-pointed molar cusps

Front 113

gummivory

Back 113

Gum-eating, characterized by stout, pointy incisors

Front 114

Kay's Threshold

Back 114

A weight threshold (boundary) of 500g. Below this weight, there are no leaf specialists (no primates that rely primarily on leaves for their diet). Above this weight, there are no insect specialists (no primates that rely primarily on insects for their diet).

Front 115

pronograde

Back 115

Horizontal back posture (locomotion is primarily parallel to the ground)

Front 116

orthograde

Back 116

Vertical back posture (locomotion is primarily perpendicular to the ground)

Front 117

arboreal quadrupedalism

Back 117

The most common form of locomotion in primates; found in many primates from many groups. Characterized by pronograde posture; a long olecranon process; a deep ulna; laterally placed scapulae; a narrow thorax; grasping feet; short, similar-length forelimbs and hindlimbs; and a long tail

Front 118

terrestrial quadrupedalism

Back 118

Found in one lemur species (Lemur catta), and many Old World monkeys. African apes are a special case (knuckle-walkers). Characterized by pronograde posture; a restricted shoulder joint; a posteriorly extended olecranon process; robust radii (plural of radius); short digits; long, similar-length forelimbs and hindlimbs; a narrow thorax; and a reduced tail.

Front 119

knuckle-walking

Back 119

Modern African apes (chimpanzees and gorillas) use a form of terrestrial quadrupedalism called knuckle-walking, in which they fold the manual (hand) phalanges under and walk on the back of the middle phalanges.

Front 120

arm swinging/brachiation

Back 120

Common in gibbons, siamangs, and spider monkeys. Characterized by orthograde posture, long curved fingers, a rotary wrist joint, long forelimbs, a short olecranon process, dorsally placed scapulae, a broad thorax, a short lumbar region, often no tail, and a mobile hip joint.

Front 121

leaping

Back 121

Common in sifakas, indri, and tarsiers. Characterized by orthograde posture, deep femoral condyles, long hindlimbs, narrow tibiae, a long lumbar region, and short femoral necks

Front 122

diurnal

Back 122

Active during the day; characterized by: cons: decreased olfaction, increased predation, possible heat stress, and food competition with birds and other primates; pros: better visual foraging and better visual communication

Front 123

nocturnal

Back 123

Active during the night; characterized by: cons: reduced social communication and reduced foraging ability; pros: decreased food competition, decreased heat stress, decreased predation, and enhanced olfaction

Front 124

solitary

Back 124

Species which normally feed and travel alone, but they can still have complex interactions with other individuals of the same species. Many of the nocturnal primates and some of the diurnal primates are solitary.

Front 125

gregarious

Back 125

Species which normally feed and travel in groups. Most of the diurnal primates and some of the nocturnal primates are gregarious.

Front 126

binomial nomenclature

Back 126

The two-word system of naming species using both the genus and species terms (for example, Homo sapiens)

Front 127

tooth comb

Back 127

Feature of strepsirrhine anatomy in which the lower incisors and canines form a long, protruding, comb-like structure

Front 128

grooming claw

Back 128

Feature of strepsirrhine anatomy in which the second digit of the feet possesses a claw rather than a nail, used for grooming

Front 129

rhinarium

Back 129

Literally, 'wet nose', the wet, naked skin surrounding the openings of the nostrils in most mammals; a feature of strepsirrhine anatomy

Front 130

tapetum lucidum

Back 130

Literally, 'tapestry of light'; a biological reflector system which functions to provide the light-sensitive retinal cells with a second opportunity for photon-photoreceptor stimulation, enhancing visual sensitivity at low light levels; a feature of strepsirrhine anatomy

Front 131

fused/unfused frontal

Back 131

An unfused frontal (forehead) bone is a feature of strepsirrhine anatomy; a fused frontal is a feature of haplorhine anatomy

Front 132

fused/unfused mandibular symphysis

Back 132

An unfused mandibular symphysis (lower jaw) is a feature of strepsirrhine anatomy a fused mandibular symphysis is a feature of haplorhine anatomy

Front 133

Malagasy

Back 133

Means 'from Madagascar'. A member of the Malayo-Polynesian branch of the Austronesian language family spoken by about 17 million people in Madagascar, Comoros, Réunion, and Mayotte.

Front 134

prehensile tail

Back 134

Grasping tail possessed by some species of the primate families Cebidae and Atelidae

Front 135

ischial tuberosities

Back 135

Protrusions of the ischial bone in the pelvis; Catarrhines tend to have expanded ischial tuberosities and well-developed sitting pads (not found in some apes)

Front 136

biolophondont molars

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Feature of Old World Monkeys; Molars that have four cusps oriented in two parallel rows, resembling ridges or 'lophs'

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Y-5 molars

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Feature of Hominoids; Molars that have five cusps with grooves running between them, forming a Y shape.

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extant ape features

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remodeled shoulder girdle; broad thorax; reduced deep back muscles; short lumbar region; long, straight forelimb; increased supination; no tail; elongated curved fingers

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fossils

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The preserved remains of once-living things

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trace fossils

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Fossilized impressions of once-living things

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coprolite

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Fossilized feces (poop)

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taphonomy

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The study of what happens to the remains of an organism from the time of death to the time of discovery

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taphonomic stages

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Death, Decomposition, Burial, and Fossilization

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diagenesis

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Mineralization of organic matter

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relative dating techniques

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Can only state whether something is older or younger than something else; examples: biostratigraphy and paleomagnetism

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absolute dating techniques

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Rely on radioactivity, which provides a clockwork amount of decay via radioactive half-lives; examples: potassium-argon (K-Ar) dating, radiocarbon dating (carbon-14), uranium series dating

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isotope

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One of two or more atoms having the same atomic number but different mass numbers (i.e., different numbers of neutrons)

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half-life

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The amount of time it takes for half of a radioactive isotope to decay into a stable isotope

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biostratigraphy

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Relative dating technique using comparison of fossils from different stratigraphic sequences to estimate which layers are older and which are younger

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paleomagnetism

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Relative dating technique using the record of the Earth's magnetic field in rocks, sediment, or archaeological materials. The magnetic field can reverse direction (magnetic north switches to the South Pole and vice versa), and certain minerals in rocks lock-in a record of the direction and intensity of the magnetic field when they form. This can be used to relatively date fossils found in rocks of either normal or reversed polarity.

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potassium-argon dating

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Radiometric (absolute) dating technique using the decay of potassium (K) 40 to Argon (Ar) 40 in potassium-bearing rocks; estimates the age of sediments in which fossils are found. Dating range from 4.5 billion years ago to recent; can be used to date Potassium-bearing minerals and glass

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radiocarbon dating

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Radiometric (absolute) dating technique that uses the decay of carbon-14 in organic remains such as wood and bone to estimate the time since the death of the organism; Dating range from 40,000 years ago to recent; can be used to date organic (carbon-bearing) materials such as wood, bone, and shell

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uranium series dating

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Radiometric (absolute) dating techniques using the decay of uranium to estimate an age for calcium carbonates including flowstones, shells, and teeth; Dating range from 500,000 years to thousands of years ago, depending on the material; can be used to date Uranium-bearing minerals, CaCo3, flowstones, corals, shells, and teeth

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thermoluminescence

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Radiometric (absolute) dating electron trap technique that uses heat to measure the amount of radioactivity accumulated by a specimen, such as a stone tool, since its last heating; Dating range from 500,000 to 100,000 years ago, depending on the material; can be used to date quartz, feldspar, pottery, and stone tools

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electron spin resonance

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Dating range typically to 500,000 years ago and pssibly to a few million years ago, depending on the material; can be used to date Uranium-bearing materials in which uranium has been taken up from external sources

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geological column

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The overall sequence of the rocks of the earth throughout its history

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Cretacious-Paleogene extinction event

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An asteroid impact off the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula which caused 85% of land animals to go extinct (inclusing all species over 55 lbs.); Same thing as the Cretacious-Tertiary extinction event

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multituberculates

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Rodent-like mammals present during the Paleocene Epoch (66-56 million years ago)

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pantodonts

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The largest land mammals (cow-sized herbivores) present during the Paleocene Epoch (66-56 million years ago)

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Gastornis

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A large, flightless bird present during the Paleocene Epoch (66-56 million years ago)

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Grande Coupure

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Major extinction event that began the Oligocene Epoch (34 million years ago) due to sudden cooling of the earth; literally, "big cut"

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hominin

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The group of primates consisting of modern humans, extinct human species, and all our immediate ancestors, including members of the genera Homo, Australopithecus, Paranthropus, and Ardipithecus

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interorbital distance

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The distance between the two orbits of the eyes (eye sockets), measured from the junction of the lacrimal bone, the frontal process of the maxilla, and the frontal bone.