Outline for Primate Evolution
I. Types of Primates
A. New World monkey
1. Examples: Spider Monkeys, Golden Lion Tamarins, and Squirrel Monkeys.
2. Diet usually consists of fruit, insects, and other small animals
3. Very Diverse in size and ecology
4. Use’s tail as a fifth limb to help climb
5. First modern anthropoids to evolve
6. Successfully crossed the Atlantic Ocean
1. Either by rafting on floating Islands or by crossing bridges when sea level was low
B. Old World Monkeys
1. Examples: Mandrills, Proboscis Monkeys, Grey Langurs and Baboons
2. Natives of Africa and Asia
3. They mostly live in Trees
4. They are mostly commonly known as cold weather monkeys.
C. Apes
1. There are 5 genera of apes: Gorillas, Chimpanzees, Gibbons, Orangutans, and Siamangs.
2. They are most commonly recognized as Primates without tails.
3. They also have very large brains.
4. Their diet consists of vegetables and other plant life.
1. Chimps occasionally have been observed killing other animals for food.
5. Apes are subject to the same disease as humans.
6. They can also use tools and sign language.
D. Prosimians
1. Examples: Lemurs and Mouse Lemurs
2. Small tree dwelling primates
3. They are the size of a mouse to a large house cat.
4. Due to lack of facial Muscles they cannot make facial changes that other primates use to communicate.
II. Human Ancestry
A. Bipedal
1. Since apes were pushed out of the trees by lack of food, they eventually had to adapt to walking around on two legs.
2. Since their arms were free from walking on two legs, they could now use them to use tools.
B. Hominids
1. A humanlike, bipedal Primate.
2. Possessed both ape and human characteristics.
3. Raymond Dart discovered a fossil skull that had an apelike braincase and face, but was unlike any primate he had ever seen.
C. Australopithecine
1. Early Hominid that lived in Africa.
2. Most information gathered about the Australopithecine; was first discovered by Donald Johnson.
1. “Lucy” Skeleton
a. First ever Australopithecine skeleton
b. “Lucy” was classified as Australopithecus afarenis.
c. Named after a song by the British pop group The Beetles.
D. Australopithecus afarenis
1. Earliest known hominid species.
2. Fossils of its pelvis, legs, and feet indicate that it was bipedal, like humans.
3. Its Braincase suggested an apelike brain.
1. Along with it’s shoulders and forelimbs.
Lucy was bipedal and her brain was smaller than that of modern humans. Lucy resembled an ape and was able to make tools to find food and weapons.
After analyzing the remaining family group, their appeared to be a difference in size among the discovered fossils. Johanson claimed that all the remains found belonged to one species; however, other anthropologists and scientists disagreed and believed that two or more were from different species. The analysis of Lucy’s knee joint indicated that cranium, mandible, dentation and postcranial skeleton contained unique characterizes, which resembled in a large degree the ones in a human being, and also indicated bipedal locomotion. After analyzing the remaining family group, their appeared to be a difference in size among the discovered fossils. Johanson claimed that all the remains found belonged to one species; however, other anthropologists and scientists disagreed and believed that two or more were from different
Australopithecus afarensis who existed 3.5 million years ago and a 4.4 million year old skeleton of an Ardipithecus ramidus are the closest science has come to discovering the human lineage. Shattered Ancestry an article written by Katherine Harmon discusses the remains of two hominids found within Ethiopia. These skeletal remains have created a huge controversy within the topic of evolution questioning many assumptions that have been made referencing the human lineage. The skeleton of the Australopithecus afarensis was named Lucy and was discovered in 1974. The evidence of her walking upright on her two feet essentially guaranteed her a spot in the human lineage line. Lucy was a chimplike ape that was said to walk upright making scientists believe the human ancestry was simple. The complete skeleton found in Ethiopia of an Ardipithecus ramidus named Ardi completely changed all assumptions made from scientists about the complexity of the human lineage. These remains have encouraged researches that the human line is not the only lineage to have evolved but the chimpanzee line has undergone drastic changes as well. There are many traits that researchers have always directly linked to the human lineage however since these discoveries occurred researchers are reconsidering. The recent discoveries that have shattered what has always suggested what linked a species to the human lineage have changed the certainty of whether it is possible to confidently identify the human’s last common ancestor. Majority of scientist had forgotten that there would have been many hominid species living together at one time. New theories have been suggested since scientists revealed that the foot of a hominid found called the Burtele site was found ju...
In his lecture, primatologist Robert Sapolsky explains the uniqueness of humans as well as our similarities to other primates. In doing so, he broke it down into six points of interest: aggression, theory of mind, the golden rule, empathy, pleasure in anticipation and gratification postponement, and lastly, culture. Professor Sapolsky approaches each point with interesting fact-based examples thus allowing me to gain insight on humans and other primates. Sapolsky’s knowledge of primates along with his scientific background allows him to make a clear argument that one cannot simply ignore.
All primates have the same sensation and are capable of receiving excessive amounts of information. All senses, sight, smell, taste, hearing, and touch are essential to the development, survival, and overall well-being of living primates. It is fascinating how non-human primates, without language, can communicate in the same ways as human primates, with language. Non-human primates and human primates are highly developed mammals that possess many of the same communicative characteristics, but still differ greatly. Non-human primates fit into the category of not having language, but being able to communicate.
Throughout situations and research conducted by not only Robert Sapolsky or Jane Goodman, but from many other credited sources, we can blatantly see the, if not identical, similarities between the two species of humans and baboons. The most apparent likewise characteristics of this can be read and documented in Professor Sapolsky’s book, A Primate’s Memoirs. Sapolsky, who spent hundreds if not thousands, of hours studying these Savanna Baboons, sheds a vast insight into ideas of social dominance, mating strategies, instinctual prowess, community settings, hygiene, and reform of an entire generation; many of which can be unknowingly seen directly in the common occurrence of a humans daily life.
land by adapting well with the elements around them. They were able to use the one living animal that
It has been believed that culture is unique to humans and no other groups of animals have culture, but recent evidence refutes this ideology. Before getting into the meat of the argument, it is important to first address the issues regarding the ambiguity of the term, “culture.” What is culture? Many scientists may argue that culture is the way of life for a group of individuals, this definition includes the values, beliefs and traditions of the group (Sapolsky, 2006). Other scientists may argue that culture is the transmission of habits and information by social means (Sapolsky, 2006). Despite the different specifics of what culture is, almost all scientists would agree that culture is transmitted socially through social learning that promotes the transfer of information between members in a group (Boesch and Tomasello, 1998). Based on these notions of culture, it can be justifiably stated that primates have culture. Primates exhibit food preparation techniques, use of tools, communication skills, and most importantly, behaviors of social learning. An exemplar of primates’ capabilities for culture is Koko, the lowland gorilla. Koko, in captivity, was able to learn American sign language, demonstrate self-awareness and the ability to deceive.
Australopithecus afarensis existed between 3.9 and 3.0 million years ago. The distinctive characteristics of A. afarensis were: a low forehead, a bony ridge over the eyes, a flat nose, no chin, more humanlike teeth, pelvis and leg bones resembled those of modern man. Females were smaller than males. Their sexual dimorphism was males:females; 1.5. A. afarensis was not as sexually dimorphic as gorillas, but more sexually dimorphic than humans or chimpanzees. A lot of scientists think that Australopithecus afarensis was partially adapted to climbing the trees, because the fingers and toe bones of the species were curved and longer than the ones of the modern human.
Bipedalism had many advantages, but it also had many disadvantages and provided dangers to early hominids. Some of these disadvantages included i...
Ardi was the first primate to walk on two and who had begun the process for all other primates to walk on two. Ardi was four feet tall as was able to climb in trees but was able to walk upright while on the ground. Ardi has many similarities to humans, for example, Ardi’s top pelvic looked human, but the lower half is longer which meant it was useful for climbing. She was able to grasp with her toes and feet and her hands had long fingers and smaller palm like humans.
Monkey see, monkey do. Apes have always been thought to have an increased level of intelligence. Over the years, researchers have attempted to understand the degree of intelligence these primates possess. However, it is essential to understand the definition of intelligence in order to determine the amount of intelligence primates have. Intelligence is the capability of obtaining knowledge and being able to utilize it in everyday situations. There are many hypotheses that focus on the evolution of intelligence in primates that view a number of factors including brain size and modernism. Primate intelligence has been a topic of interest to many because it will allow us to further understand the close relationship between humans and primates. Additionally, we will be able to understand the difference between human and primate cognition. Some studies suggest that the human and primate brains possess many similarities. This demonstrates why primates tend to respond to stimuli in a manner that is closely related to humans. Researchers have conducted a number of studies in an effort to understand primate cognition.
Around five to seven million years ago in Africa, a man/ape primate ventured about in the wooded areas. (Morgan, 1982) “My thesis is that a branch of this primitive ape-stock was forced by competition from life in the trees to feed on the sea-shores and to hunt for food, shellfish, sea-urchins etc.”, quoted from Alister Hardy. For the need of food, shelter, space, and resources, the hominid relocated from its traditional environment of the tree, toward water. As evident today, many species of monkeys and apes seek these resources in trees. According to Elaine Morgan, the man/ape primates that stayed and continued to survive in the wooded environment millions of years ago, are the direct ancestors of today’s monkey and ape primates, while the ones that chose to move to the water are the direct ancestors of today’s humans. As proposed by AAT, this is the point along the evolutionary line in which humans and ape primates split.
Bipedalism is anatomically important because it now demonstrates to us modern day humans the cycle of how we came to be. This skill was vital to human evolution because it differentiates early hominins from apes. By being able to walk further distances, they brought them to a diverse new diet that enabled their brains to get bigger. Bipedal animals usually walk greater distances because less energy is needed with their longer strides. The stone stools show evidence of abstract thinking and it shows the early hominins adapting and using their environment to survive, which is a skill that we as modern humans have surpassed.
One of the most important and pivotal physical and biological adaptations that separate humans from other mammals is habitual bipedalism. According to Darwin, as restated by Daniel Lieberman, “It was bipedalism rather than big brains, language, or tool use that first set th...