Primate Evolution

Question 1

What is the hist of the earth?

Answer 1

the earth is around 4.6 billion yrs old. primate evol has primarily occurred during the Cenozoic Era.

Question 2

What are the epochs of the Cenozoic era in order from oldest to youngest/

Answer 2

Palaeocene, Eocene, Oligocene, Miocene, Pilocene, Plesitocene, Holocene.

Question 3

What happens during the Palaeocene epoch?

Answer 3

56-55 MYA. fossil record not great, dont have a lot of record of primates at this point. some evidence of mammals well adapted to trees. primate like teeth. potential 1st primate of the Purgatorius.

Question 4

What happens during the Eocene epoch?

Answer 4

55-34 MYA. primates well established, hundreds of species. primate characteristics include emphasis on vision and prehensibility. split btwn Strep, and Hap occurs.

Question 5

What happens during the Oligocene epoch?

Answer 5

34-23 MYA. cat and plat become evident. population of monkey or monkey like primate came to south/central america.

Question 6

What happens during the Miocene epoch?

Answer 6

25-5.3 MYA. emergence of proliferation of Hominoidea (age of the apes). last common ancestor or orangs, gorillas, chimps and bonoobos was 20 mya. last common ancestor of gorillas, chimps, bonobos and humans was 10 mys. last common ancestor to chimps, bonobos, ans humans was 7 mya.

Question 7

How did monkeys get to the americas?

Answer 7

rafting monkey hypoth.

Question 8

What is the rafting monkey hypoth?

Answer 8

primates rafted from africa to madagascar. very large natural rafts have been observed. while quite the distance today, 40 mya continents were much closer and possibly multiple islands due to lower sea lvls. fossil evidence from Oligocene in africa seems to be good candidate for ancestor to both plat and cat.

Question 9

What are the arguments for bigfoot?

Answer 9

sightings of large, bipedal, hairy apelike humanoid. solitary and nocturnal. eats food from campsites (omnivorous). lack of bigfoot fossils is bc they bury their dead. some argue that gigantopithecus is an ancestor of bigfoot.

Question 10

What is the gigantopithecus?

Answer 10

gigantic ape that once lived in asia. 7mya-10mya. very few fossils - only have mandible and teeth. particles on teeth suggest they were plant eaters. we dont know if they were bipedal.

Question 11

What is the evidence against bigfoot?

Answer 11

no primates that only walk upright. most primates are social. most larged apes tend to be folivores. most primates are diurnal. no fossil evidence found in the fossil record.

Question 12

What are Sasq’ets?

Answer 12

many indig nations in NA have teachings of a sasquatch type of entity, who is a primary caretaker of the land.

Question 13

How do primatologists study primates?

Answer 13

long term studies yrs-decades long. preference for studies in the wild; observe behaviour without human interference and observe capabilities. use scientific method - can include experiments ie playing an audio call to understand how animals respond to it.

Question 14

What is focal animal sampling?

Answer 14

focusing research on 1 individ/animal and observing and recording them.

Question 15

What is fecal analysis?

Answer 15

analyzing shit.

Question 16

What are the trimates?

Answer 16

jane goodall - chimps; Birtué Galdikas - orangutans; Dian Fossey - mountain gorillas. all conducted long term study of respective primate. goodall provided 1st reported evidence of meat eating in closest relatives the colobus monkey. work led to conservation programs, and rehab centres.

Question 17

What are the principal research interests in primatology?

Answer 17

communication, social structure, affiliative and aggressive behaviour, subsistence and diet, and tool use.

Question 18

What is primate communication?

Answer 18

vocalizations - ways primates use voices/sounds to communicate ie identifying themselves, food sources, predators, etc. language - call systems. gestures - beating on chest is an assertion of dominance. expressions.

Question 19

What are social structures?

Answer 19

examine hierarchies and how dominance is obtained. females equal to or dominant over males in 40% of primate groups. dominance through strength, cleverness, alliances, etc. examine how groups are formed. is it males, females, or both that leave their home community to breed.

Question 20

What are affiliative behaviours?

Answer 20

reinforce social bonds. lower ranking usu groom higher ranking. ex. grooming; hugging, patting, kissing, sex.

Question 21

What is the example of bonobos for?

Answer 21

very friendly with one another and dont rlly show aggression. lack of dominanced form of structure. they all have sex with one another dont matter the gender.

Question 22

What is aggressive behaviour?

Answer 22

any that challenges, threatens, or harms others. physical displays; threats - most common, at a distance, avoid violence; physical contact. most behaviours are done to avoid phys contact. chimps actually fight.

Question 23

What is diet and subsistence?

Answer 23

frugivore - primary reliance on fruit. folivore - primary reliance on leaves. insectivore - primary reliance on insects (usu smaller primates). omnivores - eat everything, includes meat.

Question 24

Which primates hunt and eat meat?

Answer 24

chimps hunt other chimps or other primates. they hunt in groups and meat will be distributed amongst them. not very common in other primates.

Question 25

What is tool use?

Answer 25

used to be an activity exclusive to humans. tool use is just a characteristic of being a primate. chimps using modified blades of grass and sticks to get termites out.of their mounds. chimps using sticks to poke small animals to get them out of hiding. some monkeys and apes use them to open nuts. leaves are used as sponges. gorillas use sticks to test the depth of water before walking through it.