Anthropology 2265F/G Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Kenyapithecus, Biogeographic Realm, Swatch Internet Time
14 Sep 2017
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Lecture 3: primate evolution: primates past and present. Typical characteristics of living primates (order primates) distinguishing them from other. Most species are entirely, or largely, arboreal; species ranges primarily restricted to tropic and subtropic forest ecosystems. Grasping extremities, adapted for prehension; fleshy, sensitive tactile pads prehension tips of digits. Flattened nails, not claws (at least on the hallux, or big toe) Hindlimb-dominated locomotion (centre of gravity of body closer to hindlimbs) Emphasis (even specialization) on vision; olfaction reduced (but cf. strepsihines relative to haplorhines). Presence of petrosal auditory bulla (i. e. , the bony capsule housing the middle ear is formed by the petrous portion of the temporal bone). Brain is moderately large relative to body size (especially true of infants and juveniles); front and parietal lobes of the brain separated from the temporal by alateral, or sylbian, sulcus. Males characterized by early descent of testes into scotal sac.
