Question 1

Strepsirhines have a special lower incisor called a

Accepted Answer

Strepsirhines possess a tooth comb, which is a specialized structure formed by the lower incisors and canines used for grooming.

Question 2

Relative to body size, primate brain size is

Accepted Answer

Great apes, including humans, have larger brains relative to their body size compared to other primates, which is associated with higher cognitive abilities.

Question 3

The eminent British anatomist Sir Wilfrid E.Le Gros Clark (1895-1971) identified three prominent tendencies.They are

Accepted Answer

Sir Wilfrid E. Le Gros Clark identified three prominent tendencies in primates: arboreal adaptation, parental investment, and dietary plasticity. These tendencies highlight the evolutionary adaptations of primates to life in trees, the importance of investing in offspring, and the ability to adapt to a variety of diets.

Question 4

The Y-5 molar morphology is present in

Accepted Answer

The Y-5 molar morphology, which refers to the pattern of cusps and grooves on the molars that resembles the letter "Y", is characteristic of hominids, including chimpanzees. This pattern is distinct from the bilophodont molar pattern found in many other primates.

Question 5

The rhinarium is present in

Accepted Answer

The rhinarium is a moist, naked surface around the nostrils, found in many mammals. It is present in strepsirrhine primates like ring-tail lemurs, but not in haplorhine primates like baboons, gorillas, or howler monkeys.

Question 6

A skull with a foramen magnum positioned at the back of the skull belongs to an individual that

Accepted Answer

The foramen magnum positioned at the back of the skull indicates a quadrupedal posture, as seen in animals like dogs, where the spine is horizontal.

Question 7

In class, your professor shows you the skulls of three mammals.In one, the eye would be fully enclosed by bone.In the second, there is a bony circle around where the eye goes, but it is open in the back.In the third, the place where the eye would be is not encircled by bone at all.This suggests to you that

Accepted Answer

Anthropoid primates typically have fully enclosed orbits, which provide protection and support for their forward-facing eyes, aiding in their reliance on vision.

Question 8

The typical catarrhine dental formula is

Accepted Answer

Catarrhines, which include Old World monkeys, apes, and humans, typically have a dental formula of 2/1/2/3, representing two incisors, one canine, two premolars, and three molars in each quadrant of the mouth.

Question 9

A feature unique to human teeth and human ancestors' teeth is

Accepted Answer

Human teeth and those of human ancestors show wear on the tip of the canines, unlike the honing complex seen in other primates where the canines are sharpened against the premolars.

Question 10

The typical dental formula of lorises and lemurs is

Accepted Answer

Lorises and lemurs, which are strepsirrhine primates, typically have a dental formula of 2/1/3/3, indicating two incisors, one canine, three premolars, and three molars in each quadrant of their mouths.

Question 11

The increased brain size observed in the order Primates

Accepted Answer

The increased brain size in primates is linked to the importance of intelligence in their evolution and requires extended periods of nursing and development to support the complex behaviors associated with larger brains.

Question 12

In class, your professor shows you an MRI scan of a primate brain.The professor points out the relatively large size of the olfactory bulb beneath the frontal lobe.This suggests to you that this

Accepted Answer

Strepsirhini primates, such as lemurs and lorises, have a well-developed sense of smell, which is reflected in the larger size of their olfactory bulbs compared to other primates.

Question 13

The pelvis and gluteal muscles in apes and humans are

Accepted Answer

The pelvis and gluteal muscles in apes and humans differ in shape and size to accommodate the different locomotion styles: quadrupedal in apes and bipedal in humans.

Question 14

You are reading a scientific paper regarding the relationships of the anatomical and behavioral characteristics of chimpanzees and their implications for early hominid evolution.You note that the authors refer to human ancestors as hominids.This implies that the researchers are relying on

Accepted Answer

The term "hominids" traditionally refers to the family Hominidae, which includes humans and their ancestors. This suggests the researchers are using traditional classifications, which grouped humans and their ancestors separately from chimpanzees.

Question 15

While observing primates at the zoo, you notice that the particular monkey you are watching uses its hands, feet, and tail to grasp branches while moving throughout the trees in its enclosure.This is MOST likely a(n)

Accepted Answer

New World monkeys often have prehensile tails, which they use for grasping and moving through trees, unlike Old World monkeys and lesser apes.

Question 16

African monkeys, including Miss Waldron's red colobus, are

Accepted Answer

Miss Waldron's red colobus is considered extinct due to habitat destruction and hunting, which are forms of human exploitation of resources.

Question 17

Preadaptation is

Accepted Answer

Preadaptation refers to a trait that originally evolved for one function but is co-opted for a new use.

Question 18

In your primate anatomy lab you are shown the mandible (lower jawbone) of a species of primate.While looking at the teeth you notice a large space between the canine and first premolar.In your lab book you note that this

Accepted Answer

The space between the canine and first premolar, known as a diastema, is indicative of a canine-premolar honing complex, which is characteristic of some Old World monkeys and apes, not humans.

Question 19

Old World monkeys have

Accepted Answer

Old World monkeys have bilophodont molars, which are characterized by two ridges (lophs) on their molars.

Question 20

Dietary plasticity in primates refers to

Accepted Answer

Dietary plasticity in primates refers to their ability to eat a wide variety of foods, which allows them to adapt to different environments and food availability.

Quiz 6: Biology in the Present: the Other Living Primates