Question

 

There is often a lot of confusion regarding primate classification in common discourse. It is not unusual to hear people claim that a chimpanzee or a lemur is a monkey while at a zoo. While this error is understandable for the most part, it reflects a trend in oversimplification suggesting the terms “primate” and “Monkey” mean the same thing.

Such conversations are not only overheard at zoos but often bleed into pseudo-academic arguments. I recently read through a long thread arguing that humans are technically apes. The discussion was heated and confident but very much misguided.

There are two overarching problems with the statements referred to above. The first is simply a confusion about what the different primate groups are and which traits are associated with each. Some basic knowledge could set this inexperienced zoogoer straight. The second issue is more complex. The mildly informed (yet remarkably self-assured) individual arguing that we are apes might lack a firm grip on classification and the notion of ancestor-descendant relationships. In their case, it would be rather simple for someone to respond, “we are not apes, we are humans. It just so happens, however, that humans and apes are also Hominoids. Ape and Hominoid are not the same classification.”

The problem can be summed up as this. On the whole, people don’t understand the diversity of primates and those who do, have difficulty understanding how to classify individual species. The confusion lies in not understanding the traits associated with each group and not understanding how groups are related to each other. Concerning the latter point, it is difficult to understand how we can belong to the same group as many other primates (say Anthropoids) but also be different from other members of that group. This is the reason we can still hear people ask, “if I evolved from monkeys, then why are monkeys still here?”

For this question you will need to create a single response that addresses each issue.

You will need to include:

-A general opening about what primates are

-What the different broad groupings are and how they can be identified

-The difference between gradistic and cladistic classification

-The importance of ancestor/descendant relationships

-A discussion on how we are classified as humans and hominoids but not apes

-Why monkeys still exist if we evolved from them

Remember, you are writing this essay as a response to the statements above. Write this as if you were trying to teach them why they are mistaken. Please do not answer each bullet point as if it were its own question. They are simply the concepts that should be included in your response. Have some fun with this, as if you were making the argument directly to these individuals

Answer 1

Primates are diverse group of mammalian ancestors that reside in forests. Primates are classified based on the physical characteristics and evolutionary basis. On the evolutionary basis, primates are classified into gradistic and cladistic groups. A gradistic classification shows similar morphology and shared ancestral traits whereas a cladistics classification is based on derived traits and is not based on morphology. Primates are gradistic classified into two groups based on the morphology as Prosimians (lemurs, lorises and tarsiers) and Anthropoids (monkeys, apes and humans). Prosimians are small whereas anthropoids are large sized. Monkeys and apes belong to primates but their physical characteristics are different. Both are linked to the human family tree. Primates are cladistic classified into two subgroups Strepsirhines which includes lemuriform primates and Haplorhines which includes Old World monkeys, New World monkeys and apes. The apes that include chimpanzees, gorillas, gibbons and orangutans are much more like humans than monkeys exhibiting high level of intelligence and social behavior, understanding language. A separate group known as hominids evolved from apes that showed bipedal walking, dental changes, large brain, and social grouping. A complex ancestor–descendant relationship still exists between gorilla and bonobo as well as chimpanzees and humans. The chimpanzees and bonobos shared a common ancestor around 1 million years ago thus both are distant relatives to humans. It is seen that humans and chimpanzees have 98% similarity in genetic material. A study shows that humans and Orangutans share 97% genome similarity. But the rather than genetic traits the physical matches between orangutans and are a better match. Hence orangutans are the closest relative to human than chimpanzees. A common statement humans evolved from monkeys is false. Humans did not evolve from monkeys rather both have evolved from a common ancestor around 25 million years ago though both groups have approximately 93% genetic similarity. Living monkeys and apes have a common ancestor but apes have not evolved from monkeys. Similarly new world monkeys are distantly related to humans and apes. Apes and old world monkeys descended from a common anthropoid ancestor that lacked traits of either monkeys or apes. The evolutionary lineage shows common ancestry but there are several missing links to understand the process.