The document outlines the classification, characteristics, and evolutionary history of primates, distinguishing between the two suborders: prosimians (strepsirrhines) and anthropoids (haplorrhines). It discusses various primate families, their habitats, social structures, and adaptations, as well as the evolution from early mammalian ancestors to modern humans. Key points include a trend toward increased brain size and complexity among primates, influencing their behavior and social interactions.

1. EVOLUTION AND PRIMATE
SYSTEMATICS
BY
MS. SALMAH JOMBELA

2. BASIC CLASSIFICATION HIERARCHY
- DOMAIN (
- KINGDOM
- DIVISION or PHYLUM
- SUBPHYLUM
- CLASS
- - ORDER
- FAMILY
- GENUS
- SPECIES
(many levels can have sublevels: e.g. subfamily)

3. INTRODUCTION
• Almost all extant primate groups predominantly inhabit tropical and
subtropical environments and a few extending into drier and colder
habitats
• Primates are largely divided into Prosimian/ Strespsirhini (Pre-monkey)
of the primitive forms (lorises, lemurs and tarsiers) and Anthropidea
(Haplorrhini) that comprises of monkeys, apes and humans

4. Characteristics of primates
• Vision: forward-facing eyes, color vision and depth perception
• Limbs: five digits, nails innated of claws, flexibility (grasping hand)
with opposable thumbs and big toes
• Tendency towards erect posture
• Retention of clavicle for flexible shoulder joints
• Brain: gradual increase in brain size
• Complex social structure

5. ORDER PRIMATES
• The difference between the order primates from other mammalian
orders is that all its members fall into a graded series or scale of
organization that suggests an actual trend of evolution leading from
the least to the most advanced

8. Prosimians (Sub order
Strepsirrhini) vs Anthropoids
(Sub order Haplorrhini)

9. PROSIMIANS/ STREPSIRRHINES (PRE-MONKEY)
• Most primitive of primates
• Primates with wet noses
• Include lemurs, lorises and tarsiers
CHARACTERISTICS
• Reliance on olfaction
• Laterally placed eyes
• Dental modification into a “dental comb”
• Shorter gestation periods (about 6 months)

11. LEMURS
• Found on the island of
Madagascar and other smaller
islands off the coast of Africa
• Larger lemurs are diurnal and feed
on fruit, leaves, buds and bark
• Smaller lemurs are nocturnal and
are insectivorous

12. LORISES
• Found in the forests and woodlands of
Africa, India, South East Asia and Sri
Lanka
• Use climbing quadrupedalism
• Most are nocturnal
• Diet consists of insects and
supplemented with fruit leaves gums
and slugs
• Female form associations for foraging

13. TARSIERS
• These are found on the islands on
South East Asia
• Very small nocturnal primates
• Basic social unit is a family i.e.,
mating pairs and their offspring
• Feed on insects and small
invertebrate they catch through
leaping

14. Simian/Haplorrhini/Anthropoidea (Sub-order)
• Primates with dry noses
• This consists of monkeys, apes and
humans
Common traits
• Larger brain size (advanced cognition)
• Reduced reliance on olfactory
• Greater color vision
• Fused mandibles
• Longer gestation periods
• Bony plates at the back of the eye socket

15. ANTHROPOIDEA
It is divided onto:
• Catarrhine (old world monkeys, apes and
humans)
• Platyrrhines (new world monkeys)

16. Monkeys
• Represent about 70% of all primate species
• Are divided into two groups i.e.,
1. New World monkeys
2. Old World Monkeys
• The groups are separated by geography and several million years of
evolution

17. New World Monkeys (Platyrrhines)
• Exclusively arboreal
• Found in Southern Mexico,
Central and South America
Divided into 3 families
1. Callitrichidae
2. Cebidae
3. Atelines

18. Family Callitrichidae
• Give birth to twins, live in mating
pairs and their offsprings and
males are involved in parental
care

19. Family Cebidae
• They possess prehensile tails
• Live in groups of both sexes and all
ages while others are monogamous

20. Family Atelidae
• Formerly under Cebidae
• Has four extant genera
• Moderate sized monkeys
• Long prehensile tails
• Arboreal and diurnal
• Give birth to single infants
• Live in large social groups of up to 25 individuals
• Species include spider monkeys

21. OLD WORLD MONKEYS/CATARRHINES
• Inhabit a variety of habitats from tropical forests to semi-arid and
snow-covered habitats in Africa and Asia
• Most quadrupedal primates
• All belong to family Cercopithecidae
• Divided into sub-family Cercopithecoidea and Hominoidea

24. Cercopithecoids/Cercopithecidae (Family )
There are two sub-families i.e.,
1. Cercopithecinae (baboons, macaques and guenons)
2. Colobinae (Colobus monkeys)
CERCOPITHANCINAE
Characteristics
• Medium to large size
• Have cheek pouches
• Ominivorous with simple stomachs

25. Colobines
• 42 species in 8 genera
• Most distinguishing characteristic is very
short or lack of thumbs
• Diet consists mainly of leaves
• Fore gut fermenters and four-chambered
stomachs
• Large salivary glands and very long small
intestines
• Predominatly arboreal
• Co-parenting among females

26. Hominoids/ Hominoidea (Apes and Humans)
Characteristics
• Large body size
• Absence of tail
• Shorter trunk
• Increased brain size and complexity
• Complex social behavior
• Longer period of development and dependence

28. Hylobates (Lesser apes)
• These include Gibbons and Siamangs
• Thrive in the tropics of South East Asia
• Adaptation for brachiation related to feeding
while hanging in the trees
• Diet is largely fruits, and occasionally leaves
and insects
• The basic social unit is a monogamous pair
with offspring
• Females and male delineate their territories
with whoops and songs

29. HYLOBATES
• Gibbons
• Siamangs

30. APES
• Sub-divided into:
1. Hominids (Greater Apes)
2. Hylobates (Lesser Apes):
• Found in the tropics of South East Asia
• Adaptation for brachiation related to feeding while hanging in the trees
• Diet is largely fruits, with leaves and insects
• Basic social unit is monogamous pair with offsprings
• Female and male delineate their territories with whoops and songs

31. Hominids (Greater Apes)
• Consist of:
1. Homininae
- Pan
- Gorilla
- Homo
2. Pongo

33. Pongids
Consists of only 2 species Orangutans
(Sumatran and Bornean)
• Only found in heavily forested areas of
Borneo and Sumatra
• Completely arboreal and solitary
• Frugivorous
• Pronounced sexual dimorphism
• Parental care can last about 8 years

34. Pan
Consists of:
1. Chimpanzees
2. Bonobos
CHIMPANZEES:
• Only thrive in Equatorial Africa
• Knuckle walking and as brachiation forms of locomotion
• Predominantly terrestrial
• Are Omnivores
• Live in a multimale multifemale community that can be as
large as 200 individuals

35. Bonobos
• Only found in a small area south of
the Zaire River in DRC
• Are omnivores with the same social
structure as chimpanzees

36. Gorilla
• Largest living primate
• Confined to forested regions of Central Africa
• Fully terrestrial and move by knuckle walking
• The basic social unit is a family, with one silverback male, a few
females and their subadult offspring
• Species include the lowland gorilla and mountain gorilla

38. Humans (Homo sapiens)
• Only living species in the family Hominidae
• Very advanced cognitive ability due to the dramatic increase in brain
size
• Bipedal
• Heavy dependence on vison for orientation in their environment

39. EVOLUTION OF PRIMATES
• Early Mammalian Ancestors (Cretaceous –Paleocene)
Plesiadapiformes: Earliest ancestors, small, nocturnal, insect-eating eating
mammals. They had some primate-like features e.g grasping hands, and
feet for climbing but lacked large brains and forward-facing eyes
Early primates (Eocene 55-34 mya)
Adapiformes: Resembled modern lemurs and were likely the ancestors of
lemurs and lorises
Omomyids: Resembled modern tarsiers but are also thought to be closely
related to Anthropoid primates
Had larger brains, grasping hands, forward-facing eyes, and dexterous
hands

40. Anthropoid Evolution (Oligocene 34-23mya)
• Included diversification of early anthropoid groups
that included monkeys, apes and humans)
• Early fossils found in Fayum Depression eg
Aegyptopithecus
• This is where the early diversion between the Old
World and New World monkeys began
• Ape-like species migrated into South America (Possibly
over floating debris across the Atlantic ocean where
they started to evolve separately.

41. Emergence of Apes (Mioecene 23-5mya)
• Referred to as the golden age of apes with many
ape species evolving and spreading out through
Africa and Eurasia
• Proconsul-More primitive and displayed some
characteristics to modern apes like reduced tails
and changes in arm structures for brachiation (arm
swinging)
• Late Miocene: ancestors of the great apes emerged

42. Hominin Evolution (7mya)
• Evolutionary line leading to humans diverged
from their common ancestors with the great
apes
• Early hominins like Sahelanthropus tchadensis
and Australopithecus afarensis (Famously
known as Lucy)
• Over time, hominins evolved larger brains and
more advanced tool use and complex social
behavior

43. GENUS Homo
• Evolved about 2.5 mya with homo habilis and later
homo erectus which was followed by migration out of
Africa
• Homo Sapiens: Evolved about 300,000 in Africa and
spread across the globe and eventually becoming the
only surviving hominin species

44. TAKE HOME!
• A trend in primate evolution has been towards a more elaborate
brain
• Anthropoid brain is larger relative to body size than that of prosimians
characterized by a complicated pattern of fissure and folds
• Generally, there is a clear pattern of advancement from the lowest to
the most advanced primates

45. The gradual increase in brain size and complexity
characterizes the evolution of primates

46. Thank You for Listening!