Which of the following traits do most primates share?
two bones in the lower portion of the forelimbs
All primates have prehensile __________.
hands
Which of these is a special dietary adaptation of the colobines?
they have an extended gut to help them digest leaves
The Y-5 pattern of hominids refers to a feature on the __________.
molars
Hominins have a division of labor based on __________.
gender
Captive bonobos show language comprehension abilities similar to that of a(n) __________.
two-year-old child
From what group of animals do scientists believe primates developed?
insectivores
The oldest definite primates, adapids and omomyids, are classified as early __________.
cercopithecines
Where is the best record of Oligocene anthropoid fossils located?
Olduvai Gorge
When did the hominoids first appear?
Miocene
Which of these is a late Miocene ape?
Dryopithecus
Which recently discovered species is providing a glimpse into the poorly understood period of hominoid evolution?
Homo floresiensis
How do primates differ from other mammals?
There is a set of physical traits that, as a group, are unique to the primates.
As with humans, other primates need play time to help develop normally. This is because play __________.
provides a way to learn social skills
How are primate teeth specialized?
The chewing teeth are often highly specialized, but the front teeth are unspecialized
Primates have a stronger sense of __________ and a weaker sense of __________ than other mammals
sight; smell
With whom do social relationships begin for all primates?
the mother
What is one simple distinction between lorises and bush babies?
Lorises move much more slowly than bush babies.
Which of these features is characteristic of New World monkeys?
three premolars
Which of the following is absent among hominoids?
a tail
What is the relationship between the terms hominoid and hominin?
All hominins are hominoids, but not all hominoids are hominins
Hominin females can have sex __________.
at any time during the year
As far as we know, hominins are unique in their ability to __________.
modify objects to be used as tools
Why are plesiadapaforms not considered true primates?
They lacked stereoscopic vision and grasping hands.
What other development around the end of the Cenozoic plays an important role in early primate evolution?
the dispersal of human populations
The traditional explanation for the emergence of primates relates to an adaptation for __________.
life in the savannah
How does the rafting hypothesis propose that anthropoid primates migrated to the New World?
they were carried across the ocean on drifting mats of vegetation
Why do most scholars classify Aegyptopithecus as a primitive catarrhine?
While the skull has some apelike characteristics, most of the skeleton is monkeylike.
Because of its facial and other skeletal features, Sivapithecus is believed to be __________.
ancestral to modern orangutans
Why is so little known about the transition to early hominins?
The transition to hominins happened very suddenly, and there are few comparable skeletal traits between them and the apes.
Which of these animals could be described as quadrupedal?
horse
Which of the following animals is a prosimian?
lemur
What group of primates would be classified as prosimians in one classificatory system, and haplorhines in another?
tarsiers
If you are trying to classify an unknown primate as either a prosimian or an anthropoid, what features should you examine?
patterns of locomotion
If you are in Africa and you see a large monkey with downward-facing nostrils, you are likely looking at a __________.
catarrhine
Which of these is a part of the hominoid group?
cercopithecines
A dish-shaped pelvis, curved spine, and arched feet are all related to the hominin trait of __________.
bipedalism
Which of these is an example of primate tool use?
chimpanzees termite fishing
Which of these animals contradicts the arboreal theory of primate evolution?
tree squirrel
The propliopithecids are most like __________.
squirrel monkeys
What is the relationship between brain size and the life cycle?
Animals with big brains tend to mature slowly and live longer than other animals..
What evidence is there that humans share a suspensory past with other hominoid primates?
We have highly mobile shoulder joints.
What is the key feature that distinguishes hominins from other primates?
consistent erect walking on two feet
What might explain the fact that hominins are completely terrestrial?
cultural advances such as weapons or fire may have eliminated the need for nightly shelter in trees
What phenomenon does continental drift explain?
greater biodiversity in the present
How does Sussman's theory agree with Cartmill's ideas about early primate evolution?
both accept that early primates probably used small branches for travel and foraging
Why are we so unsure about the adaptations of the earliest primates?
We still have very little fossil evidence of these animals.
What is the evidence that parapithecids were diurnal?
The fossil record shows they had small eye sockets.
Although it was a hominoid, in what way was Proconsul unlike any living ape?
It was primarily an arboreal quadruped.
What is the most likely explanation for the disappearance of most Miocene apes from the fossil record?
They are easily mistaken for later ape species.