Physical Anthropology 1 Assignment #2 Life – The Primates Based on BBC Documentary Film LINK TO FILM HERE Click the link above to watch the film I own at Amazon. Click the green “Watch from beginning” button on the screen. You must be using a computer to watch the film. If you try to use a smart phone it will not send you to the film I own. Background Answer these questions before watching the video by using your text or searching online for answers. Then use the link above to watch the film and answer the other questions. 1. All animals in this episode of Life are from the Primate order. This is the full classification of the Primate order. List one major characteristic that helps define each level. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia 2. A cladogram for the major groups of primates is shown to the right. The order is divided into two categories: prosimians and anthropoids. a. Which group evolved earliest? b. Which group(s) evolved most recently? c. Would humans be considered prosimians or anthropoids? d. According to this cladogram, which group of primates is most closely related to humans? Primates are divided into two groups: Prosimians and Anthropoids. This table summarizes the differences. Prosimians Anthropoids Brain Size Smaller Larger Nails vs. Claws Claws Nails Vision Partial binocular vision (both eyes facing the same direction working together) Binocular and color vision Body Size Smaller Larger Habitats Tropical rainforests Tropical rainforests, grasslands, temperate forests, wetlands Diurnality Either diurnal (daytime) or nocturnal (nighttime) Almost all diurnal Olfaction Strong sense of smell Weaker sense of smell Opposable Digits Some have opposable thumbs and big toes All have opposable thumbs; Most have opposable big toes Introduction Answer these questions from the opening segment of the video. 3. Describe what is unique about primates in regard to these characteristics: a. Hands – b. Eyes – c. Intelligence – d. Social Interactions – e. Memory – Hamadryas Baboons 4. Are these baboons prosimians or anthropoids? 5. Describe the social hierarchy of these baboons. 6. What is the cause of the conflict between the two troops of baboons? Japanese Macaque “Snow Monkeys” 7. Are these macaques prosimians or anthropoids? 8. These animals are the most northernly-living monkeys. How are they built differently than other monkeys to survive the harsh winters of the Japanese Alps? 9. Describe the social hierarchy of these macaques and how it relates to the hot springs. Western Gorilla Gorilla gorilla 10. Are gorillas prosimians or anthropoids? 11. Describe the social hierarchy of these gorillas. 12. Would these gorillas be considered herbivores, carnivores, or omnivores? 13. How does the silverback male gorilla communicate his territory to other gorillas? Spectral Tarsier Tarsius tarsier 14. Are tarsiers prosimians or anthro.

1. Physical Anthropology 1 Assignment #2
Life – The Primates
Based on BBC Documentary Film
LINK TO FILM HERE
Click the link above to watch the film I own at Amazon. Click
the green “Watch from beginning” button on the screen. You
must be using a computer to watch the film. If you try to use a
smart phone it will not send you to the film I own.
Background
Answer these questions before watching the video by using your
text or searching online for answers. Then use the link above to
watch the film and answer the other questions.
1. All animals in this episode of Life are from the Primate
order. This is the full classification of the Primate order. List
one major characteristic that helps define each level.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
2. A cladogram for the major groups of primates is shown to the
right. The order is divided into two categories: prosimians and
anthropoids.
a. Which group evolved earliest?

2. b. Which group(s) evolved most recently?
c. Would humans be considered prosimians or anthropoids?
d. According to this cladogram, which group of primates is most
closely related to humans?
Primates are divided into two groups: Prosimians and
Anthropoids. This table summarizes the differences.
Prosimians
Anthropoids
Brain Size
Smaller
Larger
Nails vs. Claws
Claws
Nails
Vision
Partial binocular vision (both eyes facing the same direction
working together)

3. Binocular and color vision
Body Size
Smaller
Larger
Habitats
Tropical rainforests
Tropical rainforests, grasslands, temperate forests, wetlands
Diurnality
Either diurnal (daytime) or nocturnal (nighttime)
Almost all diurnal
Olfaction
Strong sense of smell
Weaker sense of smell
Opposable Digits
Some have opposable thumbs and big toes
All have opposable thumbs; Most have opposable big toes
Introduction
Answer these questions from the opening segment of the video.
3. Describe what is unique about primates in regard to these
characteristics:
a. Hands –
b. Eyes –
c. Intelligence –
d. Social Interactions –
e. Memory –
Hamadryas Baboons
4. Are these baboons prosimians or anthropoids?

4. 5. Describe the social hierarchy of these baboons.
6. What is the cause of the conflict between the two troops of
baboons?
Japanese Macaque “Snow Monkeys”
7. Are these macaques prosimians or anthropoids?
8. These animals are the most northernly-living monkeys. How
are they built differently than other monkeys to survive the
harsh winters of the Japanese Alps?
9. Describe the social hierarchy of these macaques and how it
relates to the hot springs.
Western Gorilla
Gorilla gorilla
10. Are gorillas prosimians or anthropoids?

5. 11. Describe the social hierarchy of these gorillas.
12. Would these gorillas be considered herbivores, carnivores,
or omnivores?
13. How does the silverback male gorilla communicate his
territory to other gorillas?
Spectral Tarsier
Tarsius tarsier
14. Are tarsiers prosimians or anthropoids?
15. Tarsiers are completely carnivorous. What is their food
source?
16. The tarsiers have three sets of adaptations that enable them
to be successful nocturnal hunters. Describe the adaptations
tarsiers have in each of these body parts:
a. Eyeballs:
b. Ears:

6. c. Legs:
17. How do the tarsiers communicate with each other? What
reasons do they have to communicate?
18. The Lar Gibbons also communicate, but for a different
reason. Explain what.
Phayre’s Leaf Monkeys
Trachypithecus phayrei
19. Are the leaf monkeys prosimians or anthropoids?
20. Why are the baby leaf monkeys a bright orange color?
21. Describe the social system of leaf monkeys, especially in
relation to caring for babies.
Ring-Tailed lemur
Lemur catta
22. Are the lemurs prosimians or anthropoids?

7. 23. Explain how male and female ring-tailed lemurs use scent
markers as a means of communication.
24. How do males compete for the opportunity to mate?
Orangutan
Pongo borneo
25. Are the Orangutans prosimians or anthropoids?
26. How long do Orangutans raise their young? Is this unusual?
27. What skills does the mother teach her child before it reaches
adulthood?
Chacma baboons
Papio ursinus
28. Are the baboons prosimians or anthropoids?
29. Why is gathering food such a challenge for Chacma
baboons?

8. 30. What unusual food source do the baboons eat, and where do
they find it?
31. What physical adaptations to the baboons have that allows
them to eat mussels?
White-faced Capuchins
Cebus capucinus
32. Are the capuchins prosimians or anthropoids?
33. If capuchin monkeys are not strong enough to open clams,
how do they eat them?
34. What do brown-tufted capuchins do differently? Explain
why this is considered a more advanced skill.

9. Chimpanzees
Pan troglodytes
35. Are the chimpanzees prosimians or anthropoids?
36. Describe two examples of how the chimpanzees use tools.
37. Describe the skill of nut-cracking. Why is this considered a
more advanced skill than the capuchins?
38. What unusual social characteristics do chimpanzees exhibit?

10. Classification
Primates are an order of mammals; one that the human species
falls within. The order is divided into different families based
on characteristics such as presence of a prehensile tail,
opposable thumb, whether they are ground-dwelling or tree-
dwelling.
Order Chiroptera
“Adapted for Flight”
Order Perissodactyla
“Odd-Toed Hooved”
Order Primates
“Opposable Thumbs”
Rodentia
“Gnawing Hervivores”
Hyracoidea
“Short legs and tail”
Tubulidentata
“Tube-Toothed”

11. Order Marsupialia
“Pouched”
Order Eulipotyphla
“Insectivores with Snouts”
Lemurs
“Prosimians of Madagascar”
Tarsiers
“Big Eyes”
Lemur
Tarsier
Order Primates
Class Mammalia
Old World Monkeys
“Non-Prehensile Tail”

12. New World Monkeys
“Prehensile Tail”
Gibbons
“Long Arms”
Gibbon
Orangutans
“Person of the Forest”
Orangutan
Chimpanzees and Bonobos
“Closest to Humans”
Humans
“Man”
Gorillas
“The Largest Primates”
Lemurs
Tarsiers

13. Old World Monkeys
New World Monkeys
Gibbons
Orangutans
Gorillas
Chimpanzees
Humans
IUCN Red list Status
Hamadryas Baboon
Japanese Macaque
Western Gorilla

14. Spectral Tarsier
Lar Gibbon
Owl Monkey

15. Ring-Tailed Lemur
Orangutan
Chacma Baboon
White-Faced Capuchin

16. Chimpanzee
Mark which category the primate is found and then look up their
endangered status on the IUCN red list and provide details.
Adapted by Jill Pfeiffer from James Dauray
http://www.aurumscience.com/life.html Page 1