Week 4: Primates

1. Lemurs:

A) Locomotor patterns: Lemurs have shorter arms so they have a bit of a hard time navigating on all fours but they are arboreal/terrestrial quadrupeds which means that they are creatures that walk on all fours. Lemurs have tails that help them balance while walking as well as helps them swing throughout the branches in the forests in which they live. 

B) Living conditions/environment – Lemurs spend a majority of their time living in trees in the area which they live – which is typically in a rainforest or some sort of forest.

C) Influence – What I found neat about the lemurs is the way they move about. It is interesting how they use their tails to swing from branches in trees and walk on all fours with their tails sticking straight up. Lemurs have not had much change in their make-up since they are in their own world in Madagascar and this has caused them to stay the same for many years.

 

2. Spider Monkeys

A)   Locomotor patterns: There is a reason why they earned the name “spider monkey” and this is mainly because of their locomotor patterns. Spider monkeys navigate from tree to tree like a spider by the way they hang from branches while dangling all of their limbs, but also move from tree to tree like monkeys do swinging using their arms, legs, and tails. At the end of the tail of the spider monkey, there is a patch of skin which is there to help them grasp and swing throughout the branches.

B)   Living conditions/environment: Spider monkeys live in forests where there are lots of trees. The majority of spider monkeys are said to be located in central and south America in the rainforests as well as Mexico.

C)   Influence: Spider monkeys are very experienced in the areas in which they live. They are smart enough to know to stay up high in order to avoid their predators and live in the trees. This gives them an advantage to flee and run if needed.

 

3. Baboons

A)   Locomotor patterns: Baboons prefer ground life, rather than swinging and living up in the trees. They do however climb trees and go up them for certain reasons like to gather food or hide from predators. They are built similar to the spider monkeys in that they have long arms and legs.

B)   Living conditions/environment: Baboons live on the ground and unlike spider monkeys, they prefer dry land, not rainforests. They are most common in Africa.

C)   Influence: Baboons are content living on the ground looking out for themselves. They do what is needed in order to survive like look for food and water, shelter, and staying clear of predators. They have made an easy way of life and are adaptable to their surroundings.

4.  Gibbons

A)   Locomotor patterns: Gibbons are unique and don’t fit your typical “monkey” appearance. Unlike others, gibbons do not have tails and use mainly their hands and fingers to swing from branches up in the trees. They live and make their homes in the trees. Gibbons do not have opposable thumbs and their arms are what keep them balanced, not their tails.

B)   Living conditions/environment: Gibbons live in the tropical rainforests and jungles, particularly in Asia and Africa. They live up in the trees and have an easy way of life that is good for survival.

C)   Influence: Gibbons are incredibly good and low maintenance when it comes to their surroundings. They do what is needed to survive and are adaptable to whatever they come into contact with.

 

5) Chimpanzee

A)   Locomotor patterns: Chimpanzees are big on the use of their arms and do not have tails. They typically have shorter legs and longer arms which is good for swinging. They balance their time up in the trees and staying on the ground. Their arms help them balance while walking on all fours or on their two feet since they do not have tails.

B)   Living conditions/environment: Chimpanzees live all throughout Africa and you can typically find them in rainforests, jungles, or grasslands throughout certain areas that possess lots of trees.

C)   Influence: Chimpanzees are strong-willed creatures and spend an equal amount of time on the ground and up in the trees. They are a very clever species and know what to do in order to survive.

 

In conclusion, after studying these certain types of primates, I have found that the larger and more aggressive/clever species are better off in terms of survival. There are many similarities between each primate, yet they are so different at the same time -- both physically and mentally. Primates know when to flee from their predators and how to survive, such as climbing the trees to get away or during heavy rainfall. Environment is key when it comes to the survival as well as development of primates.