Prehensile Tail Analysis

According to the data collected, the Intermembral index for each of the six primates observed from highest to lowest is: Gibbon (127), Howler monkey (102), Baboon (94), Macaque (89), Marmoset (74), Human (69). From this grouping, the Gibbon is the primate whose IM at 127 is the highest percentage, and this indicates that their upper limbs are significantly longer than their lower limbs. In contrast, the Human, with an IM of only 69 serves as the lowest percentage of the examples given, and this instead serves to demonstrate that their upper limbs are shorter than their lower limbs. This difference in limb length between the Gibbon and the Human is significant because it helps to show how species are adapted to best fit the environments

the prehensile tail. A prehensile tail is a tail that can be used to grasp objects in the

In the end, the Golden – Cheeked Gibbon is a fascinating primate that has a unique style of motion and call. While I did not experience that call that the gibbon uses to either have a mating partner or claim its own territory, it does exist. Their way of moving throughout the enclosure is fascinating to watch as they swing their long arms around. Moving from prop to prop they are easily able to move from one side of the enclosure in under ten seconds. The primates provided key examples on similarities that humans share with these animals, and other primates. The interaction

As my observation continued I noticed they are constantly digging in search of something and when they have found an item of interest they immediately sniff to possibly get a better sense of what they have in their possession. Upon looking at the Mandrill monkeys they have a nub for a tail that usually arches and lays against they back and when on high alert it is stiff and stands at a vertical angle. As I moved on to the Siamang Gibbon who inhabits rainforests in the mountain regions they are the largest of the three monkeys I observed. They have much longer forelimb than their hind limbs and as for their usage of scent I haven’t observed any type of action. In this species I observed no tail just fur all over. In comparison, us humans have longer legs and arms that are at an appropriate length in relation to our legs and throughout our lifetime we have used our arms to climb and hang from a number of things. As for the way we use our nose we don’t have that sharp of a scent to sniff out hormones that are projected when we find someone attractive but we both share the forward facing eyes.

Primates have been around for as long as we can remember and throughout time they have been classified in specific groups depending on their order and family. These classifications have given people the opportunity to study primates more in depth according to their demography, diet and social system by comparing them to one another. Spider monkeys and Woolly monkeys have branched out from the New world group. But most importantly there are other categories of monkey’s within the spider and woolly monkey’s that have given us a deeper understanding of primates and their natural lives. In particular, the Lagothrix and Ateles belzebuth. Although, both the Lagothrix and the Ateles Belzebuth monkey’s land under the New World category their behavioral strategies are different.

Primates are one of the most interesting mammals on earth, not only because of their complex social structures, but because they hold so many similar characteristics to humans. Primates are often cited as our closest living relatives and on two separate occasions I observed four separate species of primates at the San Diego Zoo that can justify their use of their physical characteristics and behaviors that may be similar as well as different to the other primates and ours.

Most of the coordination of the primates especially the movement from place to place are aided by the sight. The primates can only have the sense of smell when the source of the smell is very close to them. Another important general characteristic of primates is the possession of the four limbs (Srivastava 2009). All the primates have four limbs but in some like the humans, the forelimbs are specialized to be hands. The forelimbs provide the strength of the primates. All the activities revolving around their daily activities including movement, work, jumping, eating, etc. are all aided by the use of the limbs that is the legs and the

I observed a type of Ape known as the Western Lowland Gorilla. The scientific name for a Gorilla is the Gorilla gorilla. Gorillas are the largest of all living primates and at native to west central Africa. Gorillas exhibit sexual dimorphism within their species because males are very obviously much larger than females. The size of the gorillas came across very intimating and gave me an off impression of what this specie was actually going to be like. While observing the gorillas I noticed that these creatures are very slow, lethargic primates. Gorillas move quadrupedally by putting weight down on their arms and knuckles as they walk. They have hands and opposable thumbs, like humans, and are able to grasp things with a better grip. When Gorillas need to reach above themselves such as for leaves or branches they are able to stand on both legs while reaching. While resting Gorillas sit on their bottoms, legs to the side in a similar position that humans do. When resting I noticed that sometimes Gorillas like to take advantage of the moment by self grooming, using their hands. Gorillas usually have an herbivore diet but eat occasional insects. Due to their large body structure it is harder for them move around quickly so they do not need to eat foods that contain as much nutrients and proteins as smaller,

Capuchin Monkeys are well known for their brains, their intelligence is considered to be the most agile in all of the new world primates. They can be seen up in the trees of Central and South America. This is where their geological preference to live is, up high in trees and they are very superb at doing so. Their ability to survive is phenomenal despite all of the shortcomings that are all possible to face in the wild. From their unique fur colorization, their fur is white from head to shoulders while from the shoulders down there color is black. The locomotion that they use to maneuver swinging from tree to tree is by using all four limbs and for a short period of time they can walk on two legs. Capuchin monkeys are uniquely different and surprisingly very knowledgeable at what they do in order to be able to maintain their survival based on learned and experimental behaviors.

Primates have always been viewed as a species that communicates by hand signals and other bodily gestures. The view that is now seen is that “comparative evidence suggests that primates are able, no less than humans, to intellectually perform and understand impulsive or habitual communicational

Primates have some features that support them for the arboreal life. First, primates have developed grasping extremities with the divergent hallux and nails instead of claws. These features help them grasping branches better. Second, primates have enhanced vision with the optic convergence, which helps them look straightforward. They also have postorbital bar to protect the eyes. Third, primates reduced the olfaction that is not useful for arboreal life. Fourth, comparing to the other mammals, primates have large brain consider to the body size. The large brain helps them to process the complicating reactions, and thinking. Haplorrhines primates have some unique derived traits: the loss of tapetum lucidum, which enhances the vision in the darkness; and haplorhini, which is dry external nose. The anthropoid primates have developed some derived traits. They have postorbital bar with closure, and this makes a complete bony ring surrounds the eyes. They also have fused mandibular symphysis. The Platyrrhines have the dental formula 2.1.3.3/2.1.3.3. The Catarrhines have dental formula 2.1.2.3/2.1.2.3. The Cercopithecoids have the bilophodont molars to enhance the chewing ability. The hominoids are the most developed primates, which have some derived unique traits. They have larger brain, loss of tail, longer arms than legs, broad thorax with more muscles, and highly mobile shoulder.

Introduction This first lecture is designed to introduce the primate order in terms of its classification and to familiarise you with the animals so that the rest of the course makes some sort of sense. I will cover a working definition of what makes a primate, give you a general classification scheme, describe the major features that identify the groups within the classification and discuss some of the controversial areas of the classification. I shall treat the taxonomy as a synonym for classification which seems to be its commonest current usage, although you should be aware that some people consider taxonomy to be more about the principles behind the classification than the classification itself.

In the study of the female chimpanzee Lana, the authors tested the Stroop-like effect with an animal to gather evidence from a nonverbal organism to provide additional information about the role of compatibility between response latency and performance accuracy.

The commonalities between human primates and non-human primates illustrate the similar capabilities of the two species, but the differences show each’s ability to adapt and develop unique characteristics. The hand structure of humans can be compared to that of wild chimpanzees which have similar structure but with a few key differences. Both humans and chimpanzees have a high level of mobility that derives from their hands, and specifically their possession of an opposable thumb (Shelton, 2015). This ancestral trait is one of the reasons for the success of both species, and aids each species individually (Gibbons, 2015). However, there are differences in the hands of both species as well, and these differences dictate the limits of what humans

Kavanagh, M. & Morris, D. (1983). Complete guide to monkeys, apes and other primates. London: Viking Press.