Primate

Characteristics
Primate Type

PROSIMIANS

NEW WORLD
MONKEYS

WALKING GAIT
Quadrupedal
(few can hop on two
feet)
Usually swing from
tree to tree

Quadrupedal and
prehensile tail used
for balance and
movement

OLD WORLD
MONKEYS

Quadrupedal

APES

Generally
quadrupedal but
have bipedal ability

HAND/FOOT STRUCTURE

NOCTURNAL/
DIURNAL

Hands and feet are adapted to

grasping due to arboreal
nature, claws are on some
digits, some of which are
particularly long

Mostly nocturnal, yet

some larger species
are diurnal. Have
nocturnal
developments, such as
crystalline layer
behind retina for
better night vision

Hands and feet are highly

adapted to climbing and
grasping. Partly opposable
thumb and opp. big toe. Their
tails are usually prehensile,
using it as another grasping
limb
Hands and feet are very
similar, used for clutching,
with opposable thumb and big
toe. Tail not prehensile, but
used for balance
Hands are adapted to using
tools, highly manipulable,
with opposable thumbs and
opp. big toe

ARBOREAL/
LAND

Arboreal in
Omnivorous (usually small
general, some birds and animals, insects, and
forage for
plants)
food on
ground

Diurnal (with single

exception of Night
Monkey)

Arboreal

Diurnal, sleep in trees

during night

Land
dwellers, but
spend 30% of
time in trees

Diurnal

DIET

Land
dwellers

Herbivorous mostly, eating

fruit, nuts, leaves, sometimes
on small prey, such as insects

Omnivorous, feeding on
plants (grass, leaves, roots),
fruit, insects and meat. Some
are foliovores (leaf eaters)
only
Omnivores with a diet
consisting mainly of fruit,
nuts, and leaves. They do
consume meat, but more
vegetables in general

HUMANS

Fully upright and

bipedal due to spinal
arrangement. Can
easily manipulate
walking style

Opposable
thumb,
yet no
PRIMATE
CHARACTERISTICS
opposable toe. Hands are
Diurnal with limited
sensitive and
flexible
ease
SECTION
2 for
PART
A - II visual capability in
of manipulation, as are feet,
darkness
with heels and arches for land
movement.

Land
dwellers

Omnivorous, with highly

variable diets (meat, dairy,
fruit, vegetables, etc.)

Characteristics

BRAIN SIZE/BODY
SOCIAL
SKULL SHAPE AND
REPRODUCTIVE
DEGREE OF
Primate
WEIGHT RATIO
INTERACTIONS
FUNCTION
FEATURES
UPRIGHT STANCE
Characteristics
BRAIN SIZE/BODY
SOCIAL
SKULL SHAPE AND
REPRODUCTIVE
DEGREE OF
The large skull
Most
species
are
Sexual
mat.
17-30

WEIGHT
RATIO
I
NTERACTIONS
F
UNCTION
F
EATURES
UPRIGHT
STANCE
Sources
They are generally
compared
to
body,
secluded,
however
months
C
shaped
spine,
Primate
(cont.)
(cont.)
(cont.)
(cont.)
(cont.)
light,
which makes
protects the brain,
some
live
in
large
Gestation
period
with a low degree
their brain size
and has eyes facing
PROSIMIANS
groups
(i.e.
of
54-191
days
of upright stance,
relatively large to
the
side
to
a
certain
Lemurs) and pairs.
No of offspring: 2due to their fully
their body weight,
degree. Has a wet
They
communicate
3
arboreal nature
with particular
nose
(rhinarium)
for
through scent
Breeding is
attention to smell
better sense of smell.
marking
seasonal

NEW WORLD
MONKEYS

OLD WORLD
MONKEYS

5
APES

Large brain as they

are generally small
animals, and are
intelligent, much like
old world monkeys

Large brain for body

weight, and quite
intelligent, with the
ability to learn
quickly and have a
strong memory.

Have large brains

(370- 540cc in greater
apes) even though
they can have high
body weights, they
have the capability to

Mostly live in
groups, high level
of social
interaction

Usually quite
unsocial, with only
two types of
groups, wether
mostly males, or
one adult male and
the rest females.
Grooming very
important in social
groups

Usually stay in
groups (greater
apes), or at least
pairs (lesser apes).
The only exception

Large flat skull,

which protects the
brain and has
forward facing eyes.
Named for wide nose
with round nasal area,
with nostrils very far
apart facing the side

Sexual Maturity
2-8 years
Gestation per.
126-225 days
No of offspring: 1

Large skull to protect

brain; OWMs named
for thin nose with
forward facing
nostrils. The skull has
cheek pouches to
carry food for short
periods.

Sexual Maturity:
3-5 years
Gestation per. 5-6
months
Menstrual cycle:
26-35 days
No. of offspring: 1
(with rare chance
of twins)
Females produce
sexual skins as a
sign for mating

A large skull with

forward facing eyes
and a flat snout to
encase and protect
brain. The skull has a
forward angle which

Sexual mat. 7-11

years
Gestation Per
202-295 days
Menstrual cycle:
28 days

Fairly vertical
spinal column,
however do not
have a very upright
stance. Spine is Cshaped

C-shaped spine,
however have thick
buttock-pads used
for sitting, and they
are used to having
an upright sitting
stance

C-Shaped spinal
column with long
arms to support
bodyweight and a
shallow pelvis.
They are somewhat
bipedal as they can

In this view, Neanderthals in Europe and Homo erectus in Asia contributed nothing to the modern human genotype.
Instead, there was a significant degree of gene flow between Africa, Europe, and Asia, resulting in the evolution of modern humans from local populations. In the
Multiregional hypothesis, Neanderthals and Asian Homo erectus contributed to the modern human genotype.