Question

What are most important features that help to distinguish Prosimii from Anthropoidea?

Answer 1

Prosimii and Anthropoidea:
1. Fingers of prosimian have the ability of grasping things, but unlike anthropoids lack the power of manipulation of objects.
2. Some fingers of prosimians have claws (commonly known as toilet claws) instead of nails.
3. Prosimians have thick pad on the finger tips and toes. which help in clinging vertical surfaces, while in anthropoids the pads are smaller and less thick.
4. Prosimians have large, movable ears, which can scan for sound. Anthropoids lack this provision.
5. Prosimians have more well-developed sense of smell than anthropoids. Some prosimians have snouts.

6. Some prosimians have nocturnal habit and accordingly the eyes are structured, which is not found in anthropoids.
7. In prosimians eyes are set far apart than in anthropoids.

8. Olfactory lobes in the brain of prosimians are relatively larger than that in anthropoids. In them brain to body ratio is smaller.

9. Prosimians have toothcomb, which is not seen in anthropoids.

 Prosimii:

It is defined as the suborder of Primates which includes the less progressive primates and is coextensive with Lemuroidea and Tarsioidea of other classifications.

Anthropoidea:

 

The suborder which comprises  new world monkeys, old world monkeys, apes and including humans, collectively classified as anthropoids or anthropoid apes.