Primate Evolution: Understanding Taxonomy through Lab Activities

ANTH 168/Spring 2024 Lab Assignment #4 [10 points total] DUE 2/19 or 2/20 Name:_________________________ Section: ______ Lab 4: Primate evolution and the Living Primates Description: The taxonomic order of Primates goes back to the late Cretaceous period and perhaps even further back in time. The development of primates dates to after the K-T mass extinction event approximately 65 million years ago. However, the earliest primates, also recognized as Euprimates, expressed a wide diversity of features that were quite different from living primate species today. In this lab, we will identify and evaluate the skeletal features that characterize these primates and deepen your understanding of primate taxonomy. The goal of this lab is to provide you with information on our early primate origins so that you can develop a contextual understanding of primate origins and to gain a recognition of current biological classifications for primates. Station 1: Inferring Behavior from Dentition (4 points) A. Table (3 points) Mandible #1 Mandible #2 Mandible #3 Dental Formula Tooth Comb (present or absent) Molar Cusp Pattern Herbivore, Omnivore, Carnivore? B. Where would you classify these primates and why? (Look at your textbook, lab lecture, and lab manual for primate taxonomy) (In full sentences!) (1 point)

Name: Section Anth 168- A_____ Station 2 - Distinguishing Strepsirhini From Haplorhini: (3 points) At this station you will see five skulls consisting of one lemur (specimen A), one loris (specimen B), Tarsier (specimen C), one chimpanzee (specimen D), and a macaque (specimen E). Specimens A and B are members of the Strepsirrhini suborder whereas specimens C - E are members of the Haplorhini suborder. Examine the eye orbits, face, number of teeth, mandible, and teeth. Then, answer the following questions in full sentences! A. What is a feature that appears to only be shared within the Strepsirhine group? What about a feature that is shared only within the Haplorhine group? B. Examine the tarsier who are now considered members of the Haplorhine group. Identify a feature on the skull that appears to be more Haplorhine-like which could justify this placement. C. Write out the dental formula for the lemur (specimen A) and the chimpanzee (specimen C).

Name: Section Anth 168- A_____ Station 3 - Distinguishing Hominoids in the Fossil Record: (2 points) At this station you will observe the gorilla/orangutan, and monkey skeleton in the back of the classroom. Through comparing these skeletons, answer the questions below in full sentences! A. Identify and describe two major features that differ between apes and monkeys. Be sure to identify the expression of this feature in both apes and in the monkeys to get full points. (1 point) B. Compare the skull of the orangutan and the gorilla skulls. Is there any notable difference in the morphology of the face that differs between Asian and African apes (Hint: look at the eye orbits!)? (1 point)

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Name: Section Anth 168- A_____ Station 4 - The Early Primates: (1 point) At this station, you will observe two fossil casts corresponding to very early primates. Specimen A is a skull which belonged to one of the earliest ancestral species, Aegyptopithecus zeuxis, to both monkeys and apes who occupied the Egyptian Fayum some 40 – 30 Ma (million years ago). Specimen B is a member of the largest known ape species to exist, Gigantopithecus blacki, between 2 million and 100,000 years ago. Based on the features of these fossil casts and current theories regarding their taxonomy, please answer the following questions in full sentences! A. Aegyptopithecus zeuxis has been thought for a long time to be ancestral to both monkeys and apes based on genetic, geologic, and fossil evidence which should mean this fossil expresses features seen in both monkeys and apes. Identify a single feature that would classify this primate as a Haplorhine versus a Strepsirhine. B. Gigantopithecus blacki is one of many species of Gigantopithecus . Look at how incredibly large this mandible is and, by proxy, how large in size it must have been! Besides size, give one concrete reason why this fossil cast would need to be considered an ape.

Name: Section Anth 168- A_____ Station 5 - Practicing Primate Paleontology - Mystery Fossils: (Extra Credit) On this table you will observe two crania labeled ‘A’ and ‘B’. Examining their features and comparing these crania to the other primates you have observed during this lab, answer the following questions. If this is your first station, please examine these mystery skulls, provide an answer, and revisit it before the class time ends. Please answer the following questions in full sentences! A. Is specimen A a primate? If so, could this primate be hominoidea, cercopithecoidea, lemuridae, tarsiidae, or something else? Full points will only be awarded with a good justification. (1 point) B. Is specimen B a primate? If so, could this primate be hominoidea, cercopithecoidea, lemuridae, tarsiidae, or something else? Full points will only be awarded with a good justification. (1 point)

Lab 4 - 2024 Comparing Primates Student Copy

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