Let's talk Primates

What's the deal with Primates?

There are millions of reasons why people are so fascinated by the primate order. A very sensible reason is that we humans fall into this category, and we can learn so much about the evolutionary process and ourselves. A less complicated reason is because they are cool! These creatures possess the power to inspire and awe us, and for that reason I say study on.

"As our closest living kin, nonhuman primates share with us a recent ancestry. By carefully testing hypothesis about their diet, social behavior, and anatomy, we can reconstruct aspects of how extinct primates, including hominids, probably behaved." (Susan Antón, Biological Anthropology: the natural history of human kind, 2006)

General physical traits

All primates are mammals.
Primates have a generalized, mammalian skeletal structure
Their feet and hands have been modified for grasping and climbing with opposable thumbs or big toes
Primates have an acute organization of their special senses including a postorbital bar for eye protection and stereoscopic color vision
Instead of claws, they have flattened nails (except for marmosets and tamarins)
Primates have generalized teeth, which allows them to eat a wide variety of food items

Life history traits

Through the process of evolution primates have undergone a great deal of encephalization, meaning a generous increase in the volume of the brain. This allows for higher cognitive ability.
Most primates have long gestation lengths, and give birth to a single offspring
They have long periods of infant development and dependency, and reach sexual maturity later in life
Most are extremely social animals
Some primates have long life spans (gorillas and chimps reaching 40 - 50 years)

For more information on primates visit these helpful websites:

Let's talk Primates

What's the deal with Primates?

General physical traits

Life history traits

The Missing Links?