Question

What Are 3 Anatomical Trends In Primate Evolution From The Origin Of The Order To The Radiation Of The Ape's In Thhe Miocene??

Answer 1

•All primates are descended from tree-dwellers, exhibiting adaptations which allow for tree climbing that include: a rotating shoulder joint, separated big toes and thumb for grasping, and stereoscopic vision.

•Other primate characteristics include: having one offspring per pregnancy, claws evolved into flattened nails; and larger brain/body ratio than other mammals, and tendency to hold body upright.

•True primates, ancestral to prosimians, first appear in the fossil record in the Eocene epoch around 55 million years ago; they were similar in form to lemurs.

•Anthropoids ancestral to apes appear in the Miocene epoch around 25 million years ago.

•Apes are generally larger than monkeys and do not possess a tail. All apes are capable of moving through trees, although many species spend most their time on the ground. Apes are more intelligent than monkeys as they have relatively larger brains proportionate to body size.

•The apes are divided into two groups. The lesser apes comprise the family Hylobatidae, including gibbons and siamangs. The great apes include the genera Pan (chimpanzees and bonobos), Gorilla (gorillas), Pongo (orangutans), and Homo (humans). The very arboreal gibbons are smaller than the great apes; they have low sexual dimorphism (that is, the genders are not markedly different in size); and they have relatively longer arms used for swinging/brachiating through trees.

1. Pan (chimpanzees and bonobos):- Chimpanzees range from 88 to 143 pounds , the hair of chimpanzees is black . Chimpanzees have large ears and a protruding shout below a prominent brow ridge. Chimpanzees do climb well. Chimpanzees are omnivores and supplement the fruits and other plants they eat with small animals they catch.

•Chimpanzees, (Pan troglodytes) and bonobos (Pan paniscus) are the only two species in the genus Pan, and it’s believed they diverged from each other around two million years ago. Their genome is about 99.6 percent identical, and while they look very similar, there are a few physical differences that make them easy to tell apart. For one, bonobos are small and slender when compared to the taller, stockier chimps. Also bonobos have pink lips and black faces, while chimps have brown lips and faces that change color as they age. Another notable distinction is the bonobo’s longer head hair, which tends to part stylishly down the middle.

2 . Gorilla (gorillas):- Gorillas are much larger, ranging anywhere from 200 to 400 pounds, Gorillas have brown hair. Gorillas have large heads with small ears and eyes. Their foreheads bulge outward and they have a crest of hair (called the sagital crest). Their canines (pointed teeth) are large. Gorillas are not good climbers and live on the ground. Gorillas are herbivores. Although they will occasionally eat insects, they are not meat eaters.

3. Pongo (orangutans):- orangutans weigh from 90 to 110 pounds. The hair color. Of orangutans is reddish-brown. Orangutans have prominent mouths and distinctive cheek flaps. orangutans are arboreal, spending most of their lives scampering high above the forest floor. Orangutans are omnivores and supplement the fruits and other plants they eat with small animals they catch.