Primate

Primates are an order of mammals which in living diversity include, prosimians (galagos, lorises, lemurs and tarsiers), platyrrhines (New World monkeys), catarrhines (Old World monkeys) and hominoids (apes and humans). They have their origins in some type of an insectivorous mammal that lived in the late Cretaceous.

Description

All primates have a primitive dental plan, five fingers, nails instead of claws, a thumb and a generalized body plan. All primates share a similar eye orbit morphology and have a post-orbital bar. Most primate have forward facing eyes.

Prosimians

Prosimian primates are the most primitive of living primates and share many morphological characteristics with other mammals such as tree shrews and bats. the greatest diversity of prosimian primates is found on the island of Madagascar, but all species of living prosimian species are found only in the Old World.

Monkeys

there are two basic types of monkeys - Platyrrhines and Catharrine. South American monkeys are known as Platyrrhines and differ considerably from the Catharrine monkeys having evolved largely in isolation.

Platyrrhine monkeys

The name Platyrrhine derives from the broad, flat shape of their external nostrils. All Platyrrhines are small, the largest is only around 10kg. They also exhibit many primitive dental and skeletal features including having three pre-molars. In contrast, Catarrhines (narrow nosed old world monkeys) have, like us, only two pre-molars.

All Platyrrhines have a tail of some sort and five genera have prehensile tails, the most well known of these probably being the spider monkey.

Catharrine monkeys

Catharrine monkeys are "Old World Monkeys". They have dry noses and none have prehensile tails.

Apes

The living apes are generally considered to be primates who are tailess, of relatively large body size and all live in the old world. Typically included in the grouping "apes" are gibbons and siamangs from southeast Asia, Orangutans from borneo and Sumatra, Mountain and Lowland Gorillas, Chimpanzees and Bonobos and humans. Under the modern genetic classification scheme(see Hominini for more on this), apes are in the superfamily Hominoidea. Underneath this hominoid umbrella falls orang-utans, gorillas, chimps and humans in the Family Hominidae. In recognition of their genetic divergence some 11-13 million years ago, the orangutans are placed in the sub-family Ponginae and the African apes, including humans, are lumped together in the Subfamily Homininae. The bipedal apes, namely all of the fossil species as well as living humans, fall into the Tribe Hominini. Some evolutionary biologists include humans and chimpanzees within the same genus, the genus Homo

Primate evolution

The earliest possible primate discovered so far comes from North America and is about 60 million years old.  Named Purgatorius, this tiny insectivore is only loosely morphologically allied with later primates.  There are possible older Purgatorius specimens going back into the latest Cretaceous, but most are from dubious context.  It is only in the late Paleocene (about 55 million years ago) that we see more numerous remains of primate-like animals appearing in the fossil record. 

Known as the Plesiadapiforms these near-primates appear to have evolved in North America and Europe. The Plesiadapiforms radiated into many different niches, but in the early Eocene (about 45 to 50 million years ago), it seems that the rise of rodents caused a rapid decline in the number and diversity of Plesiadapiforms. But Plesiadapiforms are probably not the ancestors of living primates, as they possessed too many specializations to have given rise to the first Prosimian primates that would appear a few million years later. So at this time, the only primate-like mammal that is a firm candidate as ancestor of all higher primates is the tiny Purgatorius.

Origins of Prosimian primates

The first true, Prosimian primates appear, and literally explode in diversity, in the early Eocene Epoch (between 54 and 38 million years ago). Eocene aged Prosimian primates are commonly found in North America and Europe and more rarely in Asia and Africa. No early primates have ever been found in South America or Antarctica as the former was an island continent, while we have as of yet found fossil deposits of this age in the latter. In these earliest primates the bony ring around the orbit was complete like in modern primates, nails replaced claws and larger brains were evolved. These early Eocene primates were clearly true primates and took two distinct forms: lemur-like adapids and galago- (bushbaby) like omomyids. Although the living forms are different species, these animals descendants can clearly be seen in the lemurs of Madagascar and the galagos, lorises and tarsiers of Africa and Asia.

As the Eocene drew to a close and the Oligocene epoch began about 37 million years ago, the continents were approaching their modern form and position, with the exception of there being no land bridge between South America and North America. The world was however, in a state of geographical transition. India was colliding with the continent of Asia, lifting the great Himalayas. South America and Australia had pulled away from Antarctica and formed independent island continents. Deep water currents could thus circulate around Antarctica, bringing cold waters northward and subsequently cooling the oceans of the world. At the same time, the rise of the Himalayas blocked the northward curve of the jet stream, changing the climate south of this great mountain range.

Primates in Europe suddenly go extinct while in North America their fossils become increasingly rare and there is a general decline in mammalian diversity. Up until recently the global climatic changes of the early Oligocene have been blamed almost wholly on the mammalian extinctions that occurred at this time, but in November of 2001, scientists from the United States Geological Service announced that what was previously thought to be a relatively small extraterrestrial impact in the Chesapeake Bay area was in fact quite large (around 137 kilometers in diameter), and struck at approximately 35 million years ago, right at the point of extinction of many of the North American primates and at a point of general loss of mammalian diversity

A primate puzzle

Prior to about 30 million years ago there are no primates or even primate-like animals in South America. Around 25 to 30 million years ago a wide variety of new forms of mammal suddenly appear in South America but it is unkown where they come from. Among the new forms are rare fossil primates which look very much like existing Platyrrhines. As the only major difference in continental position between that of today and then was that no land bridge existed between North and South America, any introduction of primates into South America would require some form of open water crossing, possibly rafting on large fallen tree trunks or large mats of vegetation. Because of relatively shallow water in the South Atlantic during lower sea level periods, there were almost certainly many islands exposed between Africa and South America, effectively bringing the two continents much closer together and making potential rafting hops shorter. In fact, most geophysicists suggest that at the time the open water distance between North America and South America was probably greater than that between the latter and Africa.

Predications of current direction also tentatively support a West to East crossing rather than a North to South rafting event. The fossil record also supports an “Out of Africa theory by raft” for the origin of Platyrrhines. At this time, there are simply no known primates advanced enough in North America to be suitable ancestral candidates of the early Platyrrhines, but Africa has a host of possible ancestral Platyrrhine forms. Further tantalizing evidence of an African connection is the fact that the closest living relatives of South American rodents are the African Hystricids, more commonly known as porcupines.

Another possible source for Platyrrhine origins would be Antarctica, but we know nothing about the later fossil record, if it exists at all, of Antarctica at this time. The same may be said about Asia, where there is presently little or no evidence for Platyrrhine origins.

Living Primate Species

PRIMATA

SUBORDER STREPSIRHINI

INFRAORDER LEMURIFORMES

Superfamily Lemuroidea

Family Cheirogaleidae

Fat-tailed Dwarf Lemur Cheirogaleus medius Southern Dwarf Lemur Cheirogaleus adipicaudatus Greater Dwarf Lemur Cheirogaleus major Furry-eared Dwarf Lemur Cheirogaleus crossleyi Small Iron-gray Dwarf Lemur Cheirogaleus minusculus Large Iron-gray Dwarf Lemur Cheirogaleus ravus Lesser Mouse Lemur Microcebus murinus Gray-brown Mouse Lemur Microcebus griseorufus Jolly's Mouse Lemur Microcebus jollyae Golden-brown Mouse Lemur Microcebus ravelobensis Simmons' Mouse Lemur Microcebus simmonsi Sambirano Mouse Lemur Microcebus sambiranensis Mittermeier's Mouse Lemur Microcebus mittermeieri Russet Mouse Lemur Microcebus rufus Berthe's Mouse Lemur Microcebus berthae Goodman's Mouse Lemur Microcebus lehilahytsara Northern Rufous Mouse Lemur Microcebus tavaratra Pygmy Mouse Lemur Microcebus myoxinus Coquerel's Mouse Lemur Mirza coquereli Northern Mouse Lemur Mirza zaza Hairy-eared Dwarf Lemur Allocebus trichotis Fork-crowned Lemur Phaner furcifer

Family Lemuridae

Ring-tailed Lemur Lemur catta Black Lemur Eulemur macaco Brown Lemur Eulemur fulvus Mongoose Lemur Eulemur mongoz Crowned Lemur Eulemur coronatus Red-bellied Lemur Eulemur rubriventer Gray Gentle Lemur Hapalemur griseus Golden Gentle Lemur Hapalemur aureus Broad-nosed Gentle Lemur Hapalemur simus Ruffed Lemur Varecia variegate

Family Megaladapidae

Weasel Sportive Lemur Lepilemur mustelinus Small-toothed Sportive Lemur Lepilemur microdon White-footed Sportive Lemur Lepilemur leucopus Red-tailed Sportive Lemur Lepilemur ruficaudatus Antafia Sportive Lemur Lepilemur aeeclis Randrianasolo's Sportive Lemur Lepilemur randrinanasoli Milne-Edwards Sportive Lemur Lepilemur edwardsi Gray-backed Sportive Lemur Lepilemur dorsalis Sahamalaza Peninsula Sportive Lemur Lepilemur sahamalazensis Northern Sportive Lemur Lepilemur septentrionalis

Family Indriidae

Indri Indri indri Eastern Woolly Lemur Avahi laniger Western Woolly Lemur Avahi occidentalis Cleese's Woolly Lemur Avahi cleesei Unicolor Woolly Lemur Avahi unicolor Diademed Sifaka Propithecus diadema Verreaux's Sifaka Propithecus verreauxi

Family Daubentoniidae

Aye-aye Daubentonia madagascariensis

Superfamily Lorisoidea

Family Loridae

Calabar Potto Arctocebus calabarensis Golden Potto Arctocebus aureus Potto Perodicticus potto Martin's False Potto Pseudopotto martini Slender Loris Loris tardigradus Slow Loris Nycticebus coucang Lesser Slow Loris Nycticebus pygmaeus

Family Galagonidae

Greater Galago Otolemur crassicaudatus Silvery Greater Galago Otolemur monteiri Garnett's Galago Otolemur garnettii Southern Needle-clawed Galago Euoticus elegantulus Northern Needle-clawed Galago Euoticus pallidus Eastern Needle-clawed Galago Euoticus inustus Lesser Galago Galago senegalensis Southern Lesser Galago Galago moholi Allen's Galago Galago alleni Zanzibar Galago Galago zanzibaricus Demidoff's Galago Galago demidoff Thomas's Galago Galago thomasi

SUBORDER HAPLORRHINI

INFRAORDER TARSIIFORMES

Family Tarsiidae

Philippine Tarsier Tarsius syrichta Horsfield's Tarsier Tarsius bancanus Spectral Tarsier Tarsius spectrum Dian's Tarsier Tarsius dianae Lariang Tarsier Tarsius lariang Peleng Island Tarsier Tarsius pelengensis Sangihe Island Tarsier Tarsius sangirensis Pygmy Tarsier Tarsius pumilus

INFRAORDER PLATYRHINI

Superfamily Ceboidea

Family Cebidae

Bolivian Titi Callicebus modestus Bolivian Gray Titi Callicebus donacophilus Beni Titi Callicebus olallae Andean Titi Callicebus oenanthe Ashy-gray Titi Callicebus cinerascens Hoffmann's Titi Callicebus hoffmannsi Dusky Titi Callicebus moloch Brown Titi Callicebus brunneus Madidi Titi Callicebus aureipalatii Chestnut Bellied Titi Callicebus caligatus Red Titi Callicebus cupreus Hershkovitz's Titi Callicebus dubius Masked Titi Callicebus personatus Collared Titi Callicebus torquatus Lemurine Owl Monkey Aotus lemurinus Brumback's Owl Monkey Aotus brumbacki Hershkovitz's Owl Monkey Aotus hershkovitzi Northern Owl Monkey Aotus trivirgatus Spix's Owl Monkey Aotus vociferans Andean Owl Monkey Aotus miconax Peruvian Red-necked Owl Monkey Aotus nancymae Black-headed Owl Monkey Aotus nigriceps Southern Owl Monkey Aotus azarae Kuhl's Owl Monkey Aotus infulatus White-faced Saki Pithecia pithecia Monk Saki Pithecia monachus Bald-faced Saki Pithecia irrorator Red-bearded Saki Pithecia aequatorialis Buffy Saki Pithecia albicans Black Saki Chiropotes satanas White-nosed Saki Chiropotes albinasus Black-headed Uakari Cacajao melanocephalus Red Uakari Cacajao calvus White-throated Capuchin Cebus capucinus White-fronted Capuchin Cebus albifrons Weeper Capuchin Cebus olivaceus Ka'apor Capuchin Cebus kaapori Black-capped Capuchin Cebus paella Red-backed Squirrel Monkey Saimiri oerstedi Common Squirrel Monkey Saimiri sciureus Golden-backed Squirrel Monkey Saimiri ustus Bolivian Squirrel Monkey Saimiri boliviensis Blackish Squirrel Monkey Saimiri vanzolinii Guatemalan Howler Monkey Alouatta pigra Mantled Howler Monkey Alouatta palliate Coiba Island Howler Monkey Alouatta coibensis Red Howler Monkey Alouatta seniculus Red-handed Howler Monkey Alouatta belzebul Brown Howler Monkey Alouatta fusca Black Howler Monkey Alouatta caraya Black Spider Monkey Ateles paniscus Long-haired Spider Monkey Ateles belzebuth Black-faced Spider Monkey Ateles chamek Brown-headed Spider Monkey Ateles fusciceps Black-handed Spider Monkey Ateles geoffroyi Woolly Spider Monkey Brachyteles arachnoids Humboldt's Woolly Monkey Lagothrix lagotricha Yellow-tailed Woolly Monkey Lagothrix flavicauda

Family Callitrichidae

Goeldi's Marmoset Callimico goeldii Common Marmoset Callithrix jacchus Black Tufted-ear Marmoset Callithrix penicillata Wied's Marmoset Callithrix kuhli Geoffroy's Tufted-ear Marmoset Callithrix geoffroyi Buffy-headed Marmoset Callithrix flaviceps Buffy Tufted-ear Marmoset Callithrix aurita Silvery Marmoset Callithrix argentata Golden-white Bare-ear Marmoset Callithrix leucippe Snethlage's Marmoset Callithrix emiliae Black-headed Marmoset Callithrix nigriceps Black-tailed Marmoset Callithrix melanura Black-and-white Tassel-ear Marmoset Callithrix humeralifer Rio Maues Marmoset Callithrix mauesi Golden-white Tassel-ear Marmoset Callithrix chrysoleuca Tassel-ear Marmoset Callithrix intermedia Dwarf Marmoset Callithrix humilis Rio Acari Marmoset Callithrix acariensis Rio Manicore Marmoset Callithrix manicorensis Pygmy Marmoset Cebuella pygmaea Golden Lion Tamarin Leontopithecus rosalia Golden-headed Lion Tamarin Leontopithecus chrysomelas Golden-rumped Lion Tamarin Leontopithecus chrysopygus Black-faced Lion Tamarin Leontopithecus caissara Midas Tamarin Saguinus midas Black-mantle Tamarin Saguinus nigricollis Saddle-back Tamarin Saguinus fuscicollis Golden-mantle Saddle-back Tamarin Saguinus tripartitus Black-chested Moustached Tamarin Saguinus mystax Red-bellied Tamarin Saguinus labiatus Emperor Tamarin Saguinus imperator Pied Tamarin Saguinus bicolour Cotton-top Tamarin Saguinus oedipus Geoffroy's Tamarin Saguinus geoffroyi White-footed Tamarin Saguinus leucopus Mottle-face Tamarin Saguinus inustus

INFRAORDER CATARRHINI

Superfamily Hominoidea

Family Hylobatidae

White-handed Gibbon Hylobates lar Agile Gibbon Hylobates agilis Mueller's Gibbon Hylobates muelleri Moloch Gibbon Hylobates moloch Pileated Gibbon Hylobates pileatus Kloss' Gibbon Hylobates klossii Hoolock Gibbon Hylobates hoolock Black Gibbon Hylobates concolor Siamang Hylobates syndactylus

Family Hominidae

Orang-Utan Pongo pygmaeus Gorilla Gorilla gorilla Pygmy Chimpanzee (Bonobo) Pan paniscus Common Chimpanzee Pan troglodytes

Superfamily Cercopithecoidea

Family Cercopithecidae

Subfamily Cercopithecinae

Allen's Swamp Monkey Allenopithecus nigroviridis Talapoin Monkey Miopithecus talapoin Patas Monkey Erythrocebus patas Vervet Monkey Cercopithecus aethiops Dryas Monkey Cercopithecus dryas Zaire Diana Monkey Cercopithecus salongo Diana Monkey Cercopithecus diana Greater White-nosed Monkey Cercopithecus nictitans Blue Monkey Cercopithecus mitis Mona Monkey Cercopithecus mona Campbell's Monkey Cercopithecus campbelli Crowned Guenon Cercopithecus pogonias Wolf's Monkey Cercopithecus wolfi Lesser White-nosed Monkey Cercopithecus petaurista Red-bellied Monkey Cercopithecus erythrogaster Sclater's Monkey Cercopithecus sclateri Red-eared Nose-spotted Monkey Cercopithecus erythrotis Moustached Monkey Cercopithecus cephus Redtail Monkey Cercopithecus ascanius L'hoest's Monkey Cercopithecus lhoesti Preuss's Monkey Cercopithecus preussi Sun-tailed Monkey Cercopithecus solatus Hamlyn's Monkey Cercopithecus hamlyni DeBrazza's Monkey Cercopithecus neglectus Barbary Macaque Macaca sylvanus Lion-tailed Macaque Macaca silenus Pigtailed Macaque Macaca nemestrina Mentawai Macaque Macaca pagensis Moor Macaque Macaca maura Ochre Macaque Macaca ochreata Muna-Butung Macaque Macaca brunescens Tonkean Macaque Macaca tonkeana Heck's Macaque Macaca hecki Gorontalo Macaque Macaca nigriscens Celebes Macaque Macaca nigra Crab-eating Macaque Macaca fascicularis Stumptailed Macaque Macaca arctoides Rhesus Macaque Macaca mulatta Formosan Rock Macaque Macaca cyclopis Japanese Macaque Macaca fuscata Toque Macaque Macaca sinica Bonnet Macaque Macaca radiate Assamese Macaque Macaca assamensis Arunachal Macaque Macaca munzala Pere David's Macaque Macaca thibetana Gray-cheeked Mangabey Lophocebus albigena Highland Mangabey Lophocebus kipunji Black Mangabey Lophocebus aterrimus Hamadryas Baboon Papio hamadryas Guinea Baboon Papio papio Olive Baboon Papio anubis Yellow Baboon Papio cynocephalus Chacma Baboon Papio ursinus Gelada Baboon Theropithecus gelada Sooty Mangabey Cercocebus atys White-collared Mangabey Cercocebus torquatus Agile Mangabey Cercocebus agilis Tana River Mangabey Cercocebus galeritus Mandrill Mandrillus sphinx Drill Mandrillus leucophaeus

Subfamily Colobinae

Black Colobus Monkey Colobus satanas Angolan Black-and-white Colobus Monkey Colobus angolensis Western Black-and-white Colobus Monkey Colobus polykomos Geoffroy's Black-and-white Colobus Monkey Colobus vellerosus Abyssinian Black-and-white Colobus Monkey Colobus guereza Western Red Colobus Monkey Procolobus badius Pennant's Red Colobus Monkey Procolobus pennantii Preuss's Red Colobus Monkey Procolobus preussi Tana River Red Colobus Monkey Procolobus rufomitratus Olive Colobus Monkey Procolobus verus Hanuman Langur Semnopithecus entellus Purple-faced Langur Trachypithecus vetulus Nilgiri Langur Trachypithecus johnii Javan Langur Trachypithecus auratus Silvered Leaf-monkey Trachypithecus cristatus Tenasserim Langur Trachypithecus barbei Dusky Leaf-monkey Trachypithecus obscurus Phayre's Leaf-monkey Trachypithecus phayrei Capped Langur Trachypithecus pileatus Golden Langur Trachypithecus geei Francois' Leaf-monkey Trachypithecus francoisi Hatinh Langur Trachypithecus hatinhensis White-headed Langur Trachypithecus poliocephalus Laotian Langur Trachypithecus laotum Delacour's Langur Trachypithecus delacouri Mitered Leaf-monkey Presbytis melalophos Banded Leaf-monkey Presbytis femoralis White Fronted Leaf-monkey Presbytis frontata Grizzled Leaf-monkey Presbytis comata Thomas's Leaf-monkey Presbytis thomasi Hose's Leaf-monkey Presbytis hosei Maroon Leaf-monkey Presbytis rubicunda Mentawai Island Leaf-monkey Presbytis potenziani Douc Langur Pygathrix nemaeus Snub-nosed Langur Pygathrix roxellana Black Snub-nosed Langur Pygathrix bieti Brelich's Snub-nosed Langur Pygathrix brelichi Tonkin Snub-nosed Langur Pygathrix avunculus Proboscis Monkey Nasalis larvatus Pig-tailed Langur Nasalis concolor