DISCLAIMER:  This study guide does not necessarily contain all the information that may appear on the test.

 
SUMMARY OF TOPICS COVERED
 
The second midterm exam covers Unit 2 lectures; Relethford chapters 5, 6, and 9; "Got Culture" article; and "Among the Wild Chimps" video.  The topics covered are listed below.

• Why Study Primates
  
• Primate Ancestral Traits
• Primate Derived Traits
• Explanations for Primate Derived Traits
• Scientific Systematics
• Primate Taxonomy
  
• Primate Grades
• Primate Conservation
  
• Nonhuman Primate Evolution (see Chapter 9)
  
• Case Study of Primate Behaviors:  Chimpanzee

TERMS

• primatology
• analogy
  

• systematics
• classification
• grouping
  
• taxonomy
• taxon/taxa
  
• morphology
• extinct
• extant
• hierarchical
• taxa / taxon
• taxonomic level
• kingdom
• phylum / phyla
• class
• order
• family
• genus / genera
• species
• hierarchical
  
• inclusive
• exclusive
• type specimen
• binomial name
• grade
  

• ancestral trait
• homiothermy
• heterodontism
• incisor
• canine
• premolar
• molar
• dental formula
• pentadactyly
• pre-natal / post-natal
• stereoscopic vision
• olfaction
• prehensile
• omnivorous
• herbivorous
• insectivorous
• florivorous
• grooming
• arboreal
• arboreal theory
• visual predation theory

• primate
• prosimian
• anthropoid
• New World monkey
• Old World monkey
• hominoid
• ape
• hominid

• terrestrial
• quadrupedalism / quadruped
• bipedalism / biped
• vertical clinging
• leaping
• brachiation / semi-brachiation
• knuckle walking
• diurnal
• nocturnal
• rhinarium
• grooming claw
• tooth comb
  
• sexual dimorphism
• estrus cycle

PEOPLE

• Jane Goodall
• Louis Leakey
• Carolus Linnaeus
• G. Elliott Smith
• F. Wood-Jones
• Matt Cartmill

DATES / NUMERICAL INFORMATION

• primate dental formula
• New World monkey dental formula
• oldest primate fossils
• number of primate species today
• percentage of primates species threatened or endangered
  

LISTS / CONCEPTS

• why anthropologists study primates
  

• basis of Linnaean system
• seven major taxonomic levels of the Linnaean system (in order)
• how are binomial names written
• characteristics of a good type specimen

• primate ancestral traits
• primate derived traits
• two hypotheses for development of primate derived traits

• two suborders of primates (common names)
  
• three major groups of prosimians (common names)
• three major groups of anthropoids (common names)
• three major groups of hominoids (common names)

• compare and contrast the four primate grades in terms of distribution, locomotion, diet, and other characteristics (you don't have to know specific habitat and social organization information for each grade)
• examples of each primate grade
• be able to identify photographs of the following types of primates:  lemur, loris, tarsier, prosimian, New World monkey, Old World monkey, savanna baboon, ape, gibbon, orangutan, gorilla, chimpanzee (see book)

• examples of endangered primates
  
• threats to primates today
  

• Among the Wild Chimps information from in-class review

• main events in nonhuman primate evolution and the period in which the events occurred (see handout and Chapter 9)
  

OTHER

These are topics you need to know from the Relethford text. Many of these topics were covered in lecture.

• characteristics of mammals (5)
• primate characteristics (5)
• primate behavior (5)
  
• special topic:  what will happen to the primates? (5)

• prosimians (6)
• New World monkeys - characteristics (6)
• Old World monkeys - characteristics (6)
• hominoid characteristics (6)
• living apes: chimpanzees, bonobos (6)

• early primate evolution (9)
• anthropoid origins (9)
• evolution of the Miocene apes (9)
• conclusions [about Miocene apes] (9)

1.     Which of the following is the correct way to write the binomial name for humans?

a. homo sapiens
b. Homo sapiens
c. Homo Sapiens
d. Homo sapiens
e. Homo Sapiens

2.    According to lecture, all of the following are primate derived traits except

a. reliance on vision.
b. heterodontism.
c. prehensile hands and feet.
d. arboreal, tropical habitat.
e. long life span.

3.    Marmosets, spider, howler, and tamarin are examples of what primate grade?

a. prosimian
b. New World monkey
c. Old World monkey
d. ape
e. hominoid

4.    Which of the following statements about primate grades is true?

a. Apes are found in south Mexico, Central America, and South America.
b. All primate grades contain omnivorous species.
c. Old World monkeys have broad noses with outward-facing nostrils, whereas New World monkeys have narrow noses with downward-facing nostrils.
d. Only the apes have prehensile tails.
e. Knuckle walking and full brachiation are only observed among ape species.

5.    In his discussion of endangered primates, Relethford noted that there are currently __ known species of primates in the world.

a. 170
b. 270
c. 370
d. 470
e. 570

6.    True or False:  Like most other mammals, primates exhibit pentadactyly, which refers to five digits on each hand/foot.
 

7.    True or False:  Both prosimian and Old World monkey grades have species that are arboreal or semi-terrestrial.
 

8.    True or False:  According to Jane Goodall's ongoing study at Gombe, common chimpanzees exhibit little to no aggression.
 

9.    True or False:  Jane Goodall's study of the chimpanzees at Gombe is significant because it is the longest scientific study of a wild animal ever conducted.
 

10.    True or False:  The most stable social grouping among common chimpanzees is male-female who mate exclusively.
 

11.    The most inclusive taxonomic level of the Linnaean system is the  ___________  .
 

12.    __________  is an ancestral primate trait that refers to the ability of an organism to regulate body temperature.
 

13.   The  __________  grade of primates includes diurnal and nocturnal herbivores and insectivores that are found in Africa and southeast Asia in mostly arboreal habitats.
 

14.    Fossil evidence of the first primates derives from the  ____________  Epoch.
 

15.    The first Old World monkeys and hominoids appeared during the  __________  Epoch.
 

Click here for answers to the practice questions.