Biology & Life Sciences Chapter 10 Homework Laboratory Manual And Workbook For Biological Anthropology

LABORATORY MANUAL AND WORKBOOK FOR BIOLOGICAL

ANTHROPOLOGY INSTRUCTOR’S MANUAL

Lab 10: Overview of the Living Primates

ANSWERS TO LAB 10 CONCEPT REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. Three traits found in primates that distinguish them from other mammals include any

three of the following: social; uniparous; extended growth and development;

2. A. Lorises are most closely related to lemurs.

5. Traits shared by tarsiers, lorises, and lemurs include small bodies; a diet with a lot of

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6. One trait that distinguishes the platyrrhines (Greek platys = “flat”) and catarrhines (Greek

cata- = “down”), including how they differ between groups, could include one of these:

7. C. A prehensile tail is a trait found in some New World monkeys and in none of the Old

8. B. The colobine is the type of primate that lives in the forests of central Africa, is

9. Two traits found in apes but not in other primates include any two of the following: Y-5

10. D. The gibbon is the type of primate that lives in the forests of Southeast Asia, is

arboreal and swings through the trees, has Y-5 molars and eats a lot of fruit, and lives in

GUIDE & ANSWERS TO LAB 10 EXERCISES

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For this exercise, the text indicates that students should document at least one trait, so you may

determine the exact number of traits your students should include in their answers. Images of a

primate cranium and nonprimate mammal cranium are provided in the Lab 10 Image Library,

but you could use your own materials to supplement or replace those images. [Note: The Image

Library photo shows a macaque cranium and a dog cranium, but you may use other species of

your choosing.]

Use the mystery mammals provided (or the photos in the Lab 10 Exercise Image Library on p.

303) to complete the chart below. Identify whether the mystery mammal is a primate and list at

least one trait that helped you make this determination.

Primate

(Yes or No)?

Trait(s)

Exercise 2: Lorises and Lemurs (5 to 10 minutes)

For this exercise, the text indicates that students should document at least one trait, so you may

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PART A: Use the primate material provided by your instructor (or the photos in the Lab 10

Exercise Image Library on p. 304) to complete the chart below. Identify whether the primate is

nocturnal or diurnal and list at least one trait that helped you make this determination. The lab

Image Library provides photos of a galago and a mandrill.

Nocturnal or

Diurnal?

Trait(s)

PART B: Use the primate crania provided by your instructor (or the photos in the Lab 10

Exercise Image Library on p. 304) to complete the chart below. Identify whether the primate is a

lemur or an anthropoid and list at least one trait that helped you make this determination. The lab

Image Library provides photos of a squirrel monkey cranium and a lemur cranium.

Lemur or

Anthropoid?

Trait(s)

Exercise 3: Tarsiers (5 to 10 minutes)

For this exercise, you could use your own materials to supplement or replace the images of a

tarsier in the wild and a tarsier cranium provided in the lab Image Library.

1. Tarsiers have an unusual mix of anatomical features. Describe at least one anatomical

trait that is unique to tarsiers.

2. Are tarsiers more closely related to lemurs and lorises or to monkeys and apes? Describe

three anatomical traits that can be used as evidence to support your answer.

Exercise 4: Distinguishing New World Monkeys and Old World Monkeys (5 minutes)

For this exercise, the text indicates that students should document at least two traits, so you may

determine the exact number of traits your students should include in their answers. Images of the

inferior views of the upper dentition from a hamadryas baboon and a spider monkey are

provided in the Lab 10 Image Library, but you could use your own materials to supplement or

replace the images provided. You may also choose to use different examples of New World and

Old World monkeys to suit your needs.

1. Which of these monkeys is a New World monkey?

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2. Which of these monkeys is an Old World monkey?

3. Describe at least two traits you used to make these identifications. (Be sure to describe

how each trait differs in the two monkeys.)

In each mouth quadrant, monkey B has three premolars as in New World monkeys,

Exercise 5: Distinguishing Old World Monkeys and Apes (5 to 10 minutes)

For this exercise, the text indicates that students should document at least one trait, so you may

determine the exact number of traits your students should include in their answers. Images of

Old World monkeys and apes are provided in the Lab 10 Image Library, but you could use your

own materials to supplement or replace the images provided.

PART A: The lab Image Library provides drawings of the lower premolars and molars of a

colobine and a gorilla. [Note: You may provide crania and mandibles from an Old World

monkey and an ape if you choose. If you provide full crania, students may notice additional

traits, such as the large braincase and orthognathic face in apes (smaller braincase and

prognathic face in Old World monkeys).]

Use the primate crania provided (or the drawings of lower premolar and molar teeth in the Lab

10 Exercise Image Library on p. 306) to complete the chart below. Identify whether the primate

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is an Old World monkey or an ape and list at least one dental trait that helped you make this

determination.

Old World

Monkey or Ape?

Trait(s)

PART B: The lab Image Library provides photos of a gibbon and a vervet monkey. [Note: You

may provide complete (or partial) skeletons of an ape and Old World monkey if you choose. If

you provide full skeletons, students may notice additional traits, such as the large braincase, the

orthognathic face, long arms, and long fingers in apes (smaller braincase, prognathic face,

shorter relative arm length, and shorter fingers in Old World monkeys).]

Use the primate material provided (or the photos in the Lab 10 Exercise Image Library on p.

306) to complete the chart below. Identify whether the primate is an Old World monkey or an

ape and list at least one nondental trait that helped you make this determination.

Old World

Monkey or Ape?

Nondental Trait(s)

ANSWERS TO LAB 10 CRITICAL THINKING QUESTIONS

1. Answers will vary depending on the nonprimate mammal selected to compare to

primates. Possible similarities include overall body plan (such as having four limbs),

2. Possible challenges posed by an arboreal lifestyle include problems with balancing on

tree branches, limited availability of certain food types (such as fruit or grass), and

difficulty in seeing predators and potential mates through dense vegetation. To help with

balancing in trees, primate have grasping hands and feet, tactile pads on their hands to

collect information about what they touch, stereoscopic vision to help gauge distances,

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3. Students may choose any nocturnal primate (strepsirhine, tarsier, owl monkey). They

should generally note that the eyes are close together, large, sometimes shiny (due to

tapetum lucidum). Students may note that primates have some degree of bony protection

for the eye (postorbital bar in strepsirhines and full enclosure in tarsier and owl monkey),

4. Answers to this question, where students view a primate fact sheet and evaluate whether

geographic distribution agrees with taxonomic classification, will vary depending on the

primate chosen. Students should highlight the defining characteristics seen in the

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5. Answers to this will vary, but students should support their opinion with relevant

information from the ethical guidelines laid out by expert primatologists (such as the

American Society of Primatologists:

6. Answers may vary, but sample answers are provided here:

A. Africa has numerous nonhuman primates, including lemurs (in Madagascar), lorises

(specifically galagos), Old World monkeys, gorillas, chimpanzees, and bonobos.

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B. Antarctica does not have any nonhuman primates. (North America has very few, with

C. Comparing the lemur compared to the chimpanzee: They have numerous general

primate traits in common (grasping hands and feet, stereoscopic vision, bony eye

support, tactile pads on hands and feet, etc.). Distinguishing traits: Lemurs have small

bodies, postorbital bars, long snouts, rhinaria, unfused mandibles, dental combs, more

D. Comparing New World monkeys to Old World monkeys: They have numerous

general primate traits in common (grasping hands and feet, stereoscopic vision, bony

eye support, tactile pads on the hands and feet, etc.) and numerous anthropoid traits in

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E. A fruit diet is found in some lemurs, NWM, OWM, gibbons, and orangutans. A diet

F. Locomotion on all fours in trees is found in lorises, lemurs, NWM, and OWM.

G. Students should select an ape, ideally a chimpanzee/bonobo or gorilla. They should

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LIVING PRIMATE CHART (PART ONE)

Primate Group

Geographic Location

3 to 5 Anatomical Traits

(Some behavior also noted here

in case students include it)

Diet

Primary

Locomotion

Small bodies, claws and nails,

dental comb, large eyes,

Some move slowly

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Tarsiers

(Haplorhini:

Southeast Asia

Small bodies, claws and nails,

no dental comb, very large

eyes, more bony eye support,

no rhinarium, very long legs

A lot of insects

Leaping through

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Medium to large bodies, color

vision, full bony eye support,

Colobines eat

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LIVING PRIMATE CHART (PART TWO)

Primate Group

Geographic Location

3 to 5 Anatomical Traits

(Some behavior also noted here

in case students include it)

Diet

Primary

Locomotion

Medium bodies, color vision, full

bony eye support, fused

(diurnal and solitary/small

groups)

Large bodies, color vision, full

bony eye support, fused

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