Chapter 3
44. Prosimians have a dental formula of _________________________. The Dental formula
of _________ is typical of Old World monkeys and apes.
a. straight-edged, chisel-like broad teeth/ large, flaring, and fanglike canines
b. 2-1-3-3 / 2-1-2-3
c. 2-2-3-2 / 2-1-2-3
d. 2-1-2-3 / 2-1-3-3
e. 2-1-2-2 / 2-1-3-3
W 45. The sense of _____________ was vital for the earliest ground-dwelling, night, active
mammals.
a. hearing
b. sight
c. smell
d. touch
e. taste
46. Biologically speaking, as hominoids, humans are ________________..
a. rodents
b. siamangs
c. orangutans
d. apes
e. monkeys
47. The colubus guereza monkeys are hunted by the _______________.
a. gorilla
b. chimpanzee
c. bonobo
d. macaque
e. orangutan
Living Primates
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48. Which of the following primates have been observed hunting, killing, and eating colubus
guereza monkeys?
a. chimpanzees
b. gorillas
c. rhesus monkeys
d. bonobos
e. a and d
49. Baboons feed on a diet of
a. leaves
b. seeds
c. insects
d. lizards
e. all of the above
50. The proboscis monkey is found in _______________________.
a. New World forests
b. Old World deserts
c. mangrove swamps of Borneo
d. forests near Rio de Janiero
e. none of the above
W 51. The apes are the closest relatives humans have. These include which of the following?
a. Gibbons
b. Siamangs
c. Orangutans
d. Gorillas
e. All of the above
52. In genetic structure, biochemistry, and anatomy which of the following are closest to
humans, and thus must share a common ancestry?
a. Siamangs
b. Chimpanzees
c. Bonobos
d. Gorillas
e. b, c, and d
53. Bonobos, chimpanzees, and gorillas are of equal intelligence, despite _______________.
a. differences in visual acuities
b. differences in cognitive styles
c. chest-beating displays
d. knuckle-walking
e. none of the above
54. Chimpanzees and bonobos are two closely related species of
a. New World monkeys
b. platyrrhines
c. the same genus
d. Pan
e. c and d
55. New World Monkeys live in
a. forests of Borneo.
b. tropical islands of Indonesia.
c. mangrove swamps in India.
d. tropical forests of South and Central America.
e. sub-Saharan Africa.
Living Primates
64
56. Except for a few species of Old World monkeys who live in temperate climates and
humans who reside across the entire globe, living primates
a. inhabit warm areas of the world.
b. inhabit cool areas of the world.
c. inhabit wet, rainy areas of the world.
d. dry desert areas of the world.
e. b and c
57. The retention of the flexible vertebrate limb pattern in primates was a valuable asset to
evolving humans. It
a. allowed the capability of grasping.
b. enabled the manufacture and use of tools.
c. fostered adaptations through culture.
d. shows that what we consider to be distinctly human are not in fact uniquely ours.
e. all of the above
58. Lemurs and lorises have _______________ and _________ that they use for
communication.
a. premolars and molars
b. nose and lips
c. long legs and heads that twist
d. scent lands at the wrists, under their arms, and in their anal regions
e. none of these
W 59. The __________ is the large opening at the base of the skull through which the spinal
cord asses and is an important clue to evolutionary relationships.
a. clavicle
b. scapula
c. fovea cranium
d. vertebrate
e. foramen magnum
Chapter 3
TRUE/FALSE
W 1. Among primates, the sense of smell has increased and the visual sense has diminished in
significance, directly related to a change from nocturnal to diurnal activities.
W 2. The clavicle, or collarbone, increases maneuverability in primates by permitting the arms
to swing sideways and outward from the trunk of the body.
W 3. In anthropoid primates, the snout or muzzle portion of the skull reduced as the acuity of
the sense of smell declined.
W 4. Arboreal primates possess an acute sense of touch.
W 5. Travel through trees demands judgments concerning depth, direction, distance, and the
relationships of objects hanging in space, such as vines or branches.
6. We can learn nothing about human origins and the biological basis of human behavior
from the study of living primates.
7. The position of the foramen magnum is related to the degree of erectness of the habitual
stance of the organism.
8. Many New World monkeys have prehensile tails.
9. Stereoscopic vision in primates allows for precise depth perception.
10. The major function of the canine teeth is in tearing and shredding food, as well as for
defense.
Living Primates
11. For active diurnal arboreal life, smell is a better guide than good vision in judging the
location of the next branch or tasty morsel.
12. Old World monkeys are called Platyrrhini.
13. The primates’ emphasis on visual acuity came at the expense of their sense of smell.
14. New World monkeys spend much of their time in trees hanging or swinging from limb to
limb.
15. On the ground, orangutans walk with their forelimbs in a fists-sideways or a palms-down
position. They are, however, more arboreal than the African apes.
16. Haplorhini is derived from a Greek word that means ¨turned nose.¨
17. The DNA sequence of humans and African apes is 98 percent similar.
18. The anthropoids have the least-developed sense of smell of all land animals.
19. In primates the canine teeth have only one use, and that is to rip open tough husks of fruit
and other foods.
20. Differences between the sexes in the shape or size of a feature is called sexual
dimorphism.
Chapter 3
67
MATCHING
Match the primate with its characteristic.
a. “small” ape
b. adaptation to savanna
c. knuckle-walking
d. flat nose
e. resemblance to rodents
1. ______ Platyrrhine
2. ______ gorilla
3. ______ baboon
4. ______ loris
5. ______ gibbon
Match the Linnaean categories below with the name of the category to which humans belong.
a. Hominidae
b. Animals
c. Primates
d. Homo
e. Chordata
1. ______ Order
2. ______ Phylum
3. ______ Genus
4. ______ Family
5. ______ Kingdom
Living Primates
SHORT ANSWER
1. The primates’ adaptation to arboreal life involved changes in the form and function of
their sensory organs. Explain.
2. Why has it been said that no primates other than humans threaten the survival of others
on a large scale?
3. Define the fovea centralis and identify its importance in primate evolution.
4. There are two hot spots in the classification of primates where scientists argue for
alternate taxonomies. What are they?
5. Describe the dentition of the primates.
6. How do biologists classify humans?
7. Living primates share a number of features. What are these main features?
8. What is the function of the primate skeleton?
9. Which are the great apes and where are they found?
10. Primate conservation has become an issue of vital importance. Why?
11. List the shared characteristics of the hominoid superfamily.
12. Compare and contrast the distribution of chimpanzees and bonobos.
13. Primatologists today use a variety of methods to study the biology, behavior, and
evolutionary history of our primate cousins. Give three examples.
14. The diversity of life on earth attests to the fact that living organisms solve the challenge
of survival in many ways. What does this mean when applied to the evolution and
survival of primates?
15. What can we learn about ourselves from the study of living primate?
16. All great apes are listed as endangered species. What are some attempts at research and
conservation that may improve the situation?
17. Describe the primate brain.
18. Describe the primate skeleton.
ESSAY
1. What is the pace of humanity among the other animals? Discuss in terms of biological
classification systems and ethical considerations to conserve the other primate species.
2. What are the characteristics of the primates inhabiting the world today? Compare modern
primates to earliest fossil primates.
Living Primates
3. Provide evidence for the notion that the primary adaptation of most primates is to an
arboreal environment. What physical features of the primates are linked to arboreal
lifestyles?
4. Is the difference between humans and other primates primarily one of degree or one of
kind? Is Homo sapiens unique or is the distinction a result of defining similarities or
differences as part of classifying animals?
5. What mammalian primate biological characteristics are visible in yourself and your
classmates?
6. Why is it that we cannot say that some primates are more evolved than others? What is
wrong with the statement that humans are the most evolved species on earth?
7. Observation of monkeys and apes has shown that they are clever and quick. What are the
differences between them, if not their intelligence?.
8. Discuss how visual acuity increases and varies throughout the primate order.
9. Does knowledge about the similarities among primates help the public want to meet the
challenge of preventing their extinction??