ANT333Y1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Prehensile Tail, Howler Monkey, Woolly Monkey
Document Summary
Ant 333 lecture #7 prehensile tails & suspension in primates. Evolution of grasping hands & feet & a divergent hallux bearing flattened nail occurred early in primate evolution -+ Initial changes in primate prehension were associated with exploitation of food resources such as ripe fruits, floral nectar, & mobile insect prey located on small, flexible supports. Hold branch between 2nd and 3rd digits. Convergent evolution, no common ancestor with prehensile tail. A small set of new world primate genera (ateles, alouatta, cebus, brachyteles, & lagothrix) possess a prehensile or grasping tail. Based on genetic & anatomical evidence, prehensile tails evolved twice in platyrrhine evolution: once in common ancestor of atelines (alouatta, ateles, brachyteles, & lagothrix) & again in lineage leading to cebus. Because these taxa have not shared common ancestor for ca. Cebus & atelines best interpreted as parallel evolutionary adaptations. Prehensile tail primates have heavier tails and variable tail lengths.
