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27 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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What categories are in the four-field approach to anthropology? |
1. Socio-cultural anthropology 2. Linguistics 3. Archaeology 4. Physical Anthropology |
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What four-field approach category does primatology belong to? |
Physical anthropology |
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What are the two assumptions of why primates are studies? |
1. Close evolutionary relationship between humans and NHP 2. Some morphological and behavioural characteristics |
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Why are primates studied? |
1. They are our closest living relatives 2. They are highly social 3. They share the same taxonomic structure |
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What are 3 shared traits of humans with NHP ancestors? |
1. Language and cognition 2. Capacity to transform one's environment 3. Transmission of knowledge and thee emergence of cultural traditions |
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What are derived traits? Give an example. |
Traits that appear in a species AFTER the last common ancestor- something that the last common ancestor did not have- e.g. bipedalism |
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What are primitive traits? Give an example. |
Traits that were probably shared with the last common ancestor- e.g. pentadactyly |
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What is the difference between homology and homoplasy? |
Homology- a trait found in 2 or more species that is shared due to a common ancestor- e.g. all vertebrates have skeletons Homoplasy- a trait found in two or more species that evolved independently- e.g. eyes |
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What things do we learn about humans by studying primates? |
1. To understand variation in social systems 2. To analyze derived traits and how they could have evolved 3. To understand early human behaviour- using chimps/bonobos as referential models 4. More sophisticated/strategic models 5. To understand human behaviour today 6. Primates are flagship/indicator species, therefore they can be used as a gauge for any ecological disturbances 7. Biological similarities with primates means they can contribute to biomedical advances |
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What order do primates belong to and what two factors distinguish this order? |
Mammals- Warm blooded and give birth to live offspring that are fed milk from mother' mammary glands |
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Where are old-world primates found? |
Africa and Asia |
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Where are new-world primates found? |
Southern Mexico, Central and South America |
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What is the overall primate pattern? |
General tendencies expressed by all primates- can have some combinations of these traits |
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What are the four categories that make a primate a primate? |
1. Grasping hands and feet 2. Visual System 3. Large complex brains 4. Skeletal and dental features |
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What are the benefits to grasping hands and feet? |
- Allows for greater mobility in hands than in other mammals - Pentadactyly and opposable thumbs allow for power and precision grasp and picking - Nails are on the back of fingers for protection |
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Describe the visual system in primates. |
- Olfaction is reduced in primates- reduced snout (less prognathic faces) and reduced olfaction centers in the brain - Increased visual centers in the brain and more reliance on vision - Forward facing eyes allow for stereoscopic vision with allows for better depth perception and 3-D view from over lap of vision from each eye - forward facing eyes are mostly found in predators |
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Describe the impact of large, complex brains in primates. |
- Primates have large brains relative to their body size (allometric relationship) - BIG neocortex (frontal lobes) which are responsible for cognitive abilities such as reasoning and consciousness - Large brain size means longer periods of postnatal care, greater reliance on learning - Larger brain is responsible for sociality (important for survival) |
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Describe the skeletal and dental features of primates. |
- Retention of unspecialized skeleton which allows for greater range of motion - Retention of clavicle allows for variability and the ability to braciate - Retention of two bones in forearm and lower leg allows for greater range of motion - Reduction in the number of teeth - Trunkal uprightness for the ability to maintain an upright posture |
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What is the dental formula for ancestral mammals? |
3.1.4.3 |
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What is the dental formula for primitive primates (strepsirihines and NWM)? |
2.1.3.3 |
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What is the dental formula for later primates (OWM, apes, humans)? |
2.1.2.3 |
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What is faculative bipedalism? |
Ability to walk upright temporarily |
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What is habitual bipedalism? |
Ability to walk upright always (human derived trait) |
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What characteristic of the primate pattern does reduction of olfaction relate to? |
Less prognathic faces |
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What characteristic of the primate pattern does retention of the clavicle relate to? |
Ability to brachiate |
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What characteristic of the primate pattern does stereoscopic vision relate to? |
Depth perception |
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What characteristic of the primate pattern does an enlarged neocortex relate to? |
Complex social systems |
