PREPARATIONS:  

4 Read the material below about primate patterns of locomotion.

4 Review the Assigned Reading on Primates and Primate Behavior. 

4 Review the Prelab Reading Material from the Osteology and Locomotion Lab..  

4 Read the material below about primate locomotor patterns.

4 Visit

http://zoo.org

to familiarize yourself with Woodland Park Zoo (or locate a web site for the zoo in your area), the animals that are present, maps and directions, etc. You may find this information very useful in identifying the taxonomic classifications of various animals, investigating background about particular animals, and planning your time effectively. You may use the web-site to identify the primates at the zoo and select one representative of each of the assigned six locomotor patterns. Remember that you are also encouraged to view the primates outside of the zoo enclosures.

Zoo Report

Animalia

Animalia

Animalia

Animalia

Chordata

Chordata

Chordata

Chordata

Mammalia

Mammalia

Mammalia

Mammalia

Primate

Primate

Primate

Cercopithecidae

Hominidae

Partly sunny and cloudy, 48F

Partly sunny and cloudy, 48F

Partly sunny and cloudy, 48F

Partly sunny and cloudy, 48F

Anatomical
Feature:

Common Name:	Orangutan	Patas Monkeys	Colobus Monkeys	Humans	Brown Bears
Kingdom:					Animalia
Phylum:					Chordata
Class:					Mammalia
Order:				Primate	Carnivora
Family:		Hominidae		Cercopithecidae	Ursidae
Genus:	Pongo	Erythrocebus	Colobus	Homo	Ursus
Species:	Pongo Borneo	E. Patas	Colobus angolensis	Homo Sapien	U.arctos
Weather:					Partly sunny and cloudy, 48F
Primary Locomotor Patterns:	Brachiation	Terrestrial Quadruped	Arboreal Quadruped	Bipedalism	Plantigrade
	Anatomical Feature:	-Long arms, short lower body such as legs, and waist. -With the support of their hips, and long arms. It was able to help support the Orangutan to move swiftly from the branches and the ropes that were provided in their area.	-Hands, feet, and waist are about the same length. -Small facial structure such as cheeks, eyes, and mouth.	-Arms, legs, waist, feet, and hands are about the same length. -Longer tail compared to the body.	-Legs longer than arms which helped support humans to walk and support movement.	-All parts of the body are about the same length. -Hands and feet helped support the bear to move to each area of the zoo they were in.
Primary Behavior:	-Orangutan was active by moving between each branch and sitting in their hammock. -Another Orangutan was relaxing with a blanket over their body.	-Patas Monkey was curious. Looking at other animals as well as humans. Just sat and barely moved from the area they were sitting. -Later on went to lay down and sleep.	-Two Colobus Monkeys were sleeping on the ground. -Two Colobus Monkey was in the tree branches observing its surroundings. -Two Colobus Monkey was being playful on the ground rolling around and touching plants.	-Curious by watching all the animals that were presented. -Little children were jumping of excitement and observing the animals.	-One Brown Bear was sleeping and then later got up to eat the food they were provided. -One Brown Bear was laying down resting, and started moving to eat the food that was provided.
-Round, flat face with a pronounced snout. -Longer fingers and toes with five fingers and toes each.	-Longer legs and slender body length helped support them get to place to place. -Smaller facial structure such as ears, nose, eyes.	-Smaller head compared to the body and tail. -Their ears are visible. -Long finger and toes with five on each.	-Hands and fingers helped humans be able to hold on objects for a long time such as the Woodland park zoo map, beverages, and children.	-Large teeth allowed them to eat their meat that they were given in the visit. -Paws were very large and strong to support their weight.
Social Interaction:	-Orangutans were using their non-verbal communication by looking around at the individuals that were watching them. -Another Orangutan put its blanket over its face because it seemed like they wanted to be left alone.	-Non-verbal communication by looking at the individuals that were watching them. -Later on moved away to find an area to sleep.	-Very little social interaction for most of the Colobus Monkeys. One monkey looked like it wanted to play because it was rolling on its back and moving. Other Colobus Monkeys slept and one stayed on a branch the whole time.	-Verbal towards another human. -Body posture facing towards the animals that were presented. -Non-verbal communication such as pointing, eye contact.	-Very little social interaction. Slept and ate the whole time. Looked at the individuals that were watching them one time. -Eye contact between two brown bears as a sign of communication.

For my zoo report, I decided to go to the Woodland Park Zoo to observe many primates and
non-primates that were available. I went to the Woodland Park Zoo on February 14th at 10:45am.

One similarity between a colobus monkey and a patas monkey was their anatomical
feature. Their body’s were similar except their tail. They both had smaller facial structures,
and were very curious primates as I was observing their behavior. Even though some
were sleeping, they were very aware of their surroundings and needed a lot of sleep
to function throughout their daily lives. One difference between a patas monkey and a
colobus monkey, is the patas monkey who didn’t stay close to us. They were individually
by themselves observing around them while the colobus monkeys stayed together even
if some were sleeping and if some were awake. I thought that was interesting to see because
they both are old world monkeys and have a lot of similarities.

As I was observing four primates and one non-primate, I was able to connect what I have learned so far from the labs and text reading to what I saw while doing the zoo report. Something that was mentioned in the, “Primate Behavior:Communication,” reading was, “most primates spend their lives in complex, tightly woven societies and need to frequently communicate with each other.” As I was watching the primates behavior, I did notice most of the primates would stay together or stay close by while being in their designated areas. Being able to observe that visual to what I have been learning about primates behavior helped me analyze why they do this behavior and what it means for each individual primate. Something that I also learned about non-primates social interaction was that their communication isn’t the same as the primates social interaction. The online textbook, “Primate Behavior;Non-human primate communication,” mentions, “gestures, and facial expressions are used by non-human primates to inform others of their psychological state and present concerns, which is an important clue to what they are likely to do next.” The brown bears were occupied with their food, and sleeping, but once they had a moment to take a break or woke up, they automatically made non-verbal cues towards their other mate. It was interesting to see how their social interaction is similar, but different from a humans social interaction. Humans can interact with both non-verbal and verbal communication that can resonate with primates and non-primates. This zoo report taught me that locomotion is an important part to understand primates way of survival and how they function daily. In the slide, “Primate Locomotion,” it mentions, “We can determine much about locomotion by looking at anatomy.” Being able to recognize why each primate has these specific locomotion patterns relates to how their bones are designed for their skeleton. For example, humans have bipedalism locomotion and orangutans have Brachiation locomotion. Humans are bone structures that are made for them to have longer and stronger legs because in their nature, their legs help stabilize them to move from place to place. Orangutans bone structures are made for them to carry their weight with their arms since they are longer and stronger compared to their legs due to heavier weight. Being able to go to Woodland Park Zoo and see the four primates and 1 non-primate locomotion, behavior, and social interaction helped me understand why their bodies move differently and why their species have to communicate depending on how they survive in the areas they live in.

Work Cited:

-Online Textbook; Primate Behavior

-Primate Locomotion slide; Primate locomotion patterns

Animalia

Animalia

Animalia

Animalia

Chordata

Chordata

Chordata

Chordata

Mammalia

Mammalia

Mammalia

Mammalia

Primates

Primates

Primates

Primates

Hominidae

Hominidae

Gorilla

Sunny

Common Name	Orang Utan	Siamang		Gorilla	Ring tailed lemur	Humans
Kingdom					Animalia
Phylum					Chordata
Class					Mammalia
Order					Primates
Family			Hominidae	Hylobatidae	Lemur idae
Genus	Pongo	Symphalangus	Lemur	Homo
Species	Pongo Pygmaeus	Symphalangus Syndactilus	Gorilla Gorilla	Lemur Catta	Homo Sapiens
Weather or other environmental conditions		Sunny	Cloudy	Partially Sunny	–
Primary Locomotor Patterns	Arboreal quadruped	brachiator	Knuckle walker	leaper	bipedal
Anatomical Features that enable movement	Strong and long radius and humerus	Long radius and flexible shoulder joints	Radius and wrist locked together	Powerful hind limbs and elongated metatarsals	Longer legs than arms for walking
Primary Behavior Patterns	Sitting and relaxing	Moved swiftly and making loud noises	Being cautious and walking around slowly	Energetic and being playful with each other	Walking in a moderate speed
Anatomical Features that enable behavior	Big body size and long arms making it easy to relax	Strong and long arms to move from branches to branches easily	Large body size and strong knuckle	Light body weight and small body size	Strong legs to walk far
Social Interaction	Little social interaction but stayed together	Interact with each other by howling	Stay in groups with little interaction	High Social interaction, playing with each other	Varies each other

WOODLAND PARK ZOO, 19 FEB 2020

In this reflection essay, I would like to discuss 2 specific species that I saw on the zoo, Ring tailed lemur and Gorilla. The discussion is not only mainly related about their differences and similarities, but also their behavior and Social interaction. First of all, the most visible difference among them would be their body size. Gorillas have large and strong body structure, whereas the lemurs have light and weak body type. Secondly, the locomotion is different between the two. While gorilla is considered a Knuckle Walker, the ring-tailed lemur is a leaper, meaning they jump and leap from trees to tress. Furthermore, their primary behavior is also differed. Gorilla tends to move slowly but also cautious due to their large body. On the other hand, with its lightweight body size, Lemurs are usually energetic and move very quick. Moreover, it is not rare to see lemurs to play with each other by leaping around. In addition, while the gorilla depends primarily on their strong wrist and knuckle, ring tailed lemur depends more on their hind limbs to reduce impact. Lastly, the only similarities that I realized was they tend to stay with their groups, even though the gorillas have little to no interaction with each other.

I personally have learned so many things from this assignment. I have now realized that even though two species could be in the same Kingdom, Phylum, Class, and order, they still have a lot of differences. Furthermore, I also believe that every part of the anatomical features of a species has it own reason and purpose. Anatomical features also effect significantly on locomotion pattern. For instance, Gorillas have strong knuckle to walk while the lemurs have powerful hind limb to leap from trees to trees. Locomotion itself has also affected the behavior from the species. For instance, the leaping lemur tends to be energetic and playful, whereas the slow and knuckle walking gorilla usually has low interaction due to their speed and body size. Same thing with humans, our strong legs help us to walk bipedally and interact with each other. However, even though humans have a similar DNA to primates, humans are of course different from other primates. Our body size and anatomical doesn’t really impact our behavior and social interaction. A person with huge body can interact as good as a person with small body structure.

Zoo Report: Videos

– Date, Time of day, Weather conditions: N/A

Animalia

Animalia

Animalia

Animalia

Chordata

Chordata

Chordata

Chordata

Mammalia

Mammalia

Mammalia

Mammalia

Primates

Primates

Primates

Primates

Macropodidae

				Primates	Animal
Vervet Monkey	Dwarf Lemur	Western Lowland Gorilla	Tarsier	Red Kangaroo
Locomotion
Terrestrial Quadruped	Arboreal Quadruped	Knuckle Walker	Leaper	Biped
A form of terrestrial locomotion of animals using four limbs or legs.	Primates that use all four limbs to move through trees.	A form of quadrupedal walking in which the body weight presses down on the ground through the knuckles.	When primates use their long legs and arms to leap from tree to tree.	A form of locomotion that allows you to move by its two rear limbs or legs.
Classification
Kingdom
				Animalia
Phylum
				Chordata
Class
				Mammalia
Order
Diprotodontia
Family
Cercopithecidae	Cheirogaleidae	Great Apes	Tarsiidae		Macropodidae
Genus
Chlorocebus	Cheirogaleus	Gorilla	Carlito	Macropus
Species
Chlorocebus pygerythrus	Cheirogaleus major	Gorilla gorilla	Carlito syrichta
Locomotor Patterns & Features
– Moves quadrupedally both on the ground and in the trees. – Only occasionally leaps from tree to tree. – This species descends trees in a head first manner. – The fastest mode of locomotion is a gallop on all of its limbs. – Often found in open areas of grasslands near lakes and rivers. – Allows them to move around and interact with one another.	– It moves along the horizontal branches with a regular gait pattern involving all four limbs. – They are not agile leapers. – They utilize a diagonal gait and they tend to bend their elbows and knees as they move along branches. – All of these characteristics help maintain balance along a curved surface. – They are specialized for life in the trees. – Postures such as vertical clinging, tail suspension, or foot hanging are associated with often linked to obtaining food. – Often found in dry forests.	– The gorilla is active during the day and usually walks on all four limbs with part of its weight supported on the knuckles of its hands. – Knuckle walking is shared with chimpanzees. Occasionally gorillas stand up directly, mainly when displaying. – The main reason is because the vegetation cannot support the weight of males versus females. – They spend the majority of their lives on the ground. – Adult gorillas must climb near the main trunk of a tree or on large branches while juveniles and adolescents are more agile. – Usually are around lowland areas of tropical forests.	– The tarsier body is well adapted for leaping. – They have a unique heel, the legs and their muscles comprise around a quarter of the weight of the entire body. – Due to their morphology, tarsiers are capable of leaping quite far. – They have elongated ankle bones, which helps them leap. -The legs are much longer than their arms. – Displayed a preference for landing on medium-sized supports when leaping long distances, suggesting a preference for balancing the need for stability. – Found in low mountain forests.	– The tail is responsible for as much force as the front and hind legs combined. – During bipedal locomotion the tail is placed on the ground in sequence with the kangaroo’s arms and hind legs. – While the forelimbs and the hindlimbs of the kangaroo generated some forward thrust, the tail generated more thrust than both pairs of limbs combined. – While the huge hindlimbs and small forelimbs of the kangaroo are an asset for bipedal hopping, they give the kangaroo a very uneven distribution of weight. – If not for the propulsive tail, this weight distribution might make the kangaroo fall backwards during slow locomotion. – Can be found in wooded forests/grassy plains, etc.

Primary Behavior Patterns & Features/Social Interaction

– The vervet monkey has a multimale-multifemale social system. – Males move freely in and out of these groups while adult females are the center of a small family network. – Grooming is important, they spend several hours a day removing parasites, dirt or other material from one another’s fur. – In the primates’ hierarchy, dominant individuals get the most grooming. The hierarchical system also controls feeding, mating, fighting, friendships and even survival. – Facial expressions and body postures are used to communicate threats or aggressive behaviour.

– Dwarf lemurs look for food in solitude at night. – During the day they congregate, in packs of up to five to a tree hole, while they sleep. – The composition of these sleeping groups changes seasonally, and often animals do choose to sleep alone. – During the winter dry months they become dormant for up to 6 months, nesting in holes in trees. During this time they use stored fat in their tails to survive until the next wet season. – During sleep and times of dormancy they are rolled up in a tight ball.

– Gorillas are generally peaceful, shy, and amiable unless threatened. – Males will stand erect and beat their chests with their fists in attempts to intimidate or show off their strength. – They rarely hit intruders, though. Instead, they rush past and may charge. – Fighting plays an important role in group hierarchy. – It is common that a newly-dominant male, after displacing the former dominant male, is likely to kill the infants in the group, thus returning all lactating females prematurely to reproductive cycling. – Mutual grooming is not as common in gorillas as it is in other primate species.

– Tarsiers are both crepuscular and nocturnal and are very active throughout the night. – At dusk, they travel for about 30 minutes until they find a forage site. During this time, they frequently stop to groom themselves by licking and scratching their fur with their claws. – Also engage in play behavior, snuggling, allogrooming, and food sharing. – Competition for food results in increased time foraging. – Extremely territorial and engage in disputes with neighboring groups that venture into their boundaries.

– Red kangaroos are mostly nocturnal, resting in the shade during the day, but have been known to move about during the day. -Most of their active period is spent grazing. – During hot weather, kangaroos lick their forearms, which promotes heat loss by evaporation. – They travel and feed in groups whose composition shifts, but they are not truly social, since the individual members move at liberty. – Males fight for access to females by biting, kicking, and boxing. – These methods are also used by kangaroos to defend themselves against predators. With their agile arms, they can spar vigorously.

CathyMae Dutong

Alicia Valentino

Anthropology 215

02/21/2020

Zoo: Woodland Park Zoo

Date Visited: February 15, 2020

Animalia

Animalia

Animalia

Animalia

Chordata

Chordata

Chordata

Chordata

Mammalia

Mammalia

Mammalia

Primates

Primates

Primates

Hominidae

Partially sunny

Primates Observed	Non-Primate/ Animal
Saki Monkey	Western Gorilla s	Orangutan	Ring Tailed Lemur	Humboldt Penguin
Locomotion
Leapers	Knuckle Walking	Arboreal Quadruped	Terrestrial Quadruped	Biped, Tobogganing
Often leaped from one branch to the other.	Mostly used its knuckles to move one place to the other.	The orangutan used its arms and legs to move from branches.	Some of them were on trees but most of them were on the ground socializing with one another.	Most waddled bipedally. To move faster, they slide on their bellies using their flippers to steer.
Classification
Kingdom
				Animalia
Phylum
				Chordata
Class
			Mammalia	Aves
Order
			Primates	Sphenisciformes
Family
Pitheciidae		Hominidae	Lemuridae	Spheniscidae
Genus
Pithecia, Demarest	Gorilla	Pongo	Lemur	Spheniscus
Species
Simia Pithecia	Gorilla gorilla	Pongo Borneo	L. catta	S. humboldti
Locomotion Details/Observations
02/14/2020 12:30 pm	02/14/2020 1:18 pm	02/14/2020 2:00 pm	02/14/2020 2:40 pm	02/14/2020 3:25 pm
	Partially sunny	Sunny	Sunny	Inside or enclosed
The saki monkey moved through branches by leaping. Unless the branch is really far, they would just stay on the branches or move quadrupedally if food was near. One male leaped by pushing its body off the ground with his hind legs and stretch his arms up a bit before landing on the branch with its feet. Saki monkeys run/move really fast because they push themselves off the ground really well.	The western Gorilla supports its weight by its legs and knuckles. You can distinguish males from females easily because females would sit with their offspring. While males usually knuckle walk around. Their arms also look longer than their legs. Males seem to have longer radius than humerus. It also seems their lower arm looks bigger/wider than their forearm/humerus.	Their arms look considerably longer than their legs. They would reach branches from above with their hands and use their feet to help lifting itself off. Their hands and fingers look really long which helps them grab or wrap their hands on branches firmly. They also sat on their bottoms while they ate. They can also hang on branches for several minutes.	They walk on all fours when on ground. Their legs look longer than their arms. This is observed mostly when they walk on all fours, due to their upper body being closer to the ground than their lower body. When in trees, they leap from one branch to the other. When they run on all fours, their hind legs seemed to be the primary source of force.	The humboldt penguin walks or waddles mostly on both feet. The flippers help them keep balanced because when they walk, their flippers seem to be outward on its sides. To move faster in the encloser, they would slide on their bellies then dive. They also use their flippers to steer when they slide on their bellies.
Behavior
-At 12:30 pm (Partially sunny) 2 saki monkeys were ‘communicating’ with each other by making sounds at each other. -At 12:36 pm (Partially sunny) 2 saki monkeys were grooming one another. -At 12:42 pm (partially sunny) 1 saki monkey was able to sit on the branch firmly because of its long toes. (It tried to reach for more seeds from the keeper) -At 12:56 pm (partially sunny) 1 saki monkey was ‘leaping away’ from another saki monkey. Their long legs gave them the ability to leap really high from one branch to the other at a fast rate as well. It looked like they were flying. Key Anatomical Features: 1. Long legs 2. Small stature (12-16 in.)	-At 1:18 pm (Sunny) 1 gorilla is grooming another gorilla that was laying on its lap. -At 1:40 pm (partially sunny) Some gorillas moved out from the shade and into the open space. -At 1:55 pm (sunny) Gorillas that were out in the open were close to each other eating, sleeping or grooming. Key Anatomical Features: 1. Arms are longer than legs 2. They have large or thick knuckles. 3. Big/large in stature.	-At 2:00 pm (sunny) 1 baby orangutan was hanging on a branch with both its hands while using its legs and toes to grab another branch that had leaves it munched on. -At 2:15 pm (Sunny) 1 orangutan sat down on a table and started to crack a coconut it had on its hands several times until it could drink the juice from it. -At 2:30 pm (sunny) 1 orangutan (female) had an offspring wrapped around its body, breastfeeding. She was sitting down during this. Key Anatomical Features: 1. Long arms. 2. Relatively shorter legs compared to arms. 3. Long fingers and toes.	-At 2:40 pm (partially sunny) Most lemurs were on branches using their hands to munch on leaves. Some went down by using their hands and feet to slowly move down logs or branches. -At 2:55 pm (partially sunny) Most lemurs on the ground walked on all fours. They usually walked in groups of 3 or 4. -At 3:00 pm (sunny) They can also move along branches on all fours unless the branch that they’re trying to go to is far then they hop lightly. Key anatomical features: 1. Shorter arms. 2. Longer hind legs. 3. Small in stature. 4. lightweight.	-At 3:25 pm (at an enclosed area) Most penguins were just standing and giving out calls. -At 3:40 pm A handful of penguins kayed on their bellies and started sliding away and diving into the water. -At 3:40 pm They’re able to penetrate the water and swim really fast. Their webbed feet serve as an engine for them. Key Anatomical Features: 1. Beak 2. Flippers 3. Webbed Feet 4. Thick or dense, small feathers

Reflection

My visit to the Zoo was very enlightening for me. I learned that primates are exceptionally smarter than what they are portrayed to be in scenes from movies or films. I learned that they are smarter than what they’re portrayed to be, after observing an orangutan cracking a coconut and saki monkeys picking seeds from the keeper before running away from another saki monkey chasing it. I also realized that from three primates I observed (saki monkey, orangutan, and ring tailed lemurs) that they all seem to have long fingers and toes to be able to grip and grab branches. In Orangutans, their long fingers are able to test the grip or friction of an object. Next, with the help of their long arms they can reach out to grab food that are far while hanging from another branch. Orangutans that found a comfortable spot to lounge on, use their ability to reach for food instead of walking closer and acquiring it. I found myself relating to this behavior because when I’m on the bed and I’m thirsty, I grab the water bottle that’s on my desk instead of standing up to grab it. I’m not necessarily calling me and the Orangutans lazy, we’re just comfortable. Another similarity I found from all the primates is that they have individual and distinct fingers like humans and unlike the humboldt penguin that has webbed feet. Having separate fingers allows primates to pick on small foods like seeds or leaves. The saki monkeys were next to the keeper and I found that the saki monkeys accept every food that is given to them by the keeper. In my opinion, the moment looked very gentle and calming as the monkeys looked up to the keeper, whose hands are filled with seeds, before taking a seed to munch on. Comparing the orangutan from the saki monkeys. One difference I can find is their stature. Saki monkeys are relatively small compared to the orangutan which provides them to leap effortlessly from one branch to another. I observe that all primates have portrayed similar social behavior of grooming each other. According to Susan Linville, “grooming not only removes external parasites, it leads to tolerance, social support, mating advantage and bonding between individuals within a social group.” Compared to humans, we acquire social support and bonding through conversations and intimacy. A simple hug can reassure or provide an emotional connection between two individuals in the act. Overall, all primates have different anatomies that allow them to move and act according to their habitat. These anatomies allow them behave certain ways that are distinct from each other. However, I do not deny the fact that there are similarities between humans and other primates after observing them.

Citations:

Linville, Susan. “Monkey Bonding Through Grooming.” News – Indiana Public Media, 2 Aug. 2019, indianapublicmedia.org/amomentofscience/monkey-bonding-grooming.php.

BirdLife International 2018. Spheniscus humboldti . The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T22697817A132605004.

https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22697817A132605004.en

. Downloaded on 18 February 2020.

“Saki Monkey Pithecia.” Primate Info Net Banner, pin.primate.wisc.edu/factsheets/links/pithecia.

“GorillaGorilla.” Primate Info Net Banner, pin.primate.wisc.edu/factsheets/entry/gorilla.

“Ring-Tailed LemurLemur Catta.” Primate Info Net Banner, pin.primate.wisc.edu/factsheets/entry/ring-tailed_lemur.

“OrangutanPongo.” Primate Info Net Banner, pin.primate.wisc.edu/factsheets/entry/orangutan.

Zoo Assignment

Zoo visited：Woodland Park Zoo

Date：2/19/2020

1. Orangutan

2.

Gorilla

3.

Colobus

Monkey

4. Red Ruffed Lemur

Animalia

Animalia

Chordata

Mammalia

Primates

Primates

Hominidae

Partially Sunny, windy

12°C

Common Name

Orangutan

Red Ruffed Lemur

Gorilla

Colobus Monkey

Kingdom

Animalia

Animalia

Phylum

Chorodata

Chordata

Chordata

Class

Mammalia

Mammalia

Mammaila

Order

Primates

Primates

Family

Hominidae

Lemuridae

Cercopithecidae

Genus

Pongo

Varecia

Gorilla

Colobus

Species

Pongo borneo

V. rubra

Troglodytes Gorilla

Simia polycomos

Weather or other environmental conditions

Partially Sunny , windy 12°C

Sunny 12°C

Sunny 12°C

Primary Locomotor Patterns

Anatomical Features that enable movement

Primary Behavior Patterns

Anatomical Features that enable behavior

Social Interaction

Zoo Report:

Primate Observation

Anthropology 2

1

5

See Course Syllabus for Due Date.

Do not be overwhelmed by the length of this assignment. To see what you need to do, see the sections on preparation and procedure, below. These two sections explain the assignment step-by-step. The final section on Primate Locomotor Patterns is information for your use and reference. I will also go over primate locomotor patterns in lecture.

OBJECTIVES:

· Know and be able to recognize general characteristics of primate anatomy and locomotion.

· Recognize correlations between patterns of locomotion, primate anatomy, and behavior.

· Visit Woodland Park Zoo (or another zoological park) and observe, compare, and contrast at least four species of primates. Also include one non-primate mammal in your comparison, for a total of five animals. Students are permitted to do some of their observation outside of the zoo, but a trip to a local zoo is required for this assignment (unless you plan to Safari in Tanzania this quarter)!

· Practice written communication skills, by producing a laboratory report that records your observations of four different locomotor and corresponding behavior patterns of primates at the zoo, as well as the non-primate mammal that you have chosen to include in your comparison.

PREPARATIONS:

· Read the material below about primate patterns of locomotion.

· Review the Assigned Reading on Primates and Primate Behavior.

· Review the Prelab Reading Material from the Osteology and Locomotion Lab..

· Read the material below about primate locomotor patterns.

· Visit

http://zoo.org

to familiarize yourself with Woodland Park Zoo (or locate a web site for the zoo in your area), the animals that are present, maps and directions, etc. You may find this information very useful in identifying the taxonomic classifications of various animals, investigating background about particular animals, and planning your time effectively. You may use the web-site to identify the primates at the zoo and select one representative of each of the assigned six locomotor patterns. Remember that you are also encouraged to view the primates outside of the zoo enclosures.

PROCEDURE:

· OBSERVE: Visit Woodland Park Zoo (or another zoo in the area with a good primate collection) and locate four species of primate, each exhibiting one of six different primary locomotor patterns (arboreal quadruped, terrestrial quadruped, brachiator, knuckle walker, leaper, and biped). You must include at least four different primate locomotor patterns. Hint: it is okay if you observe a species of primate found outside the enclosures. For comparison, choose one non-primate mammal and observe its locomotion and behavior as well. Spend at least fifteen minutes observing each species.

· CLASSIFY: Identify the kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species of each animal observed. Include this information in your lab report table. The following webpages will be helpful in determining the taxonomic classification of various primates:

·

http://anthro.palomar.edu/primate/table_primates.htm

·

http://anthro.palomar.edu/animal/table_humans.htm

(This is the taxonomic classification for humans (H. sapiens), so I am effectively giving you the answers for this section for one species, if you choose to include H. sapiens in your report. All of the other primates you observe will share identical classification up to the Order Primates. The first website will help you fill in the blanks beyond the level of order.

· LOCOMOTION: Spend at least fifteen minutes per species observing the locomotion of each species (in some cases you may need to watch more than fifteen minutes in order to observe significant movement). Record date, time of day, weather conditions, and all types of movement observed. Compare the movements you observed with the anatomy of the species (or a close relative). Record the key anatomical features that enabled the movement(s) observed. Present the data you have collected in a table. The table should include all five species observed, and should be included in your lab report.

· BEHAVIOR: Spend at least fifteen minutes per species observing the behavior of each (in some cases you may need to watch more than fifteen minutes in order to observe significant behavior). Record date, time of day, weather conditions, and all types of behavior observed. Compare the behavior you observed with the anatomy of the species (or a close relative). Record the key anatomical features that enabled the behavior(s) observed. Include observation of at least one exhibited behavior that demonstrates social interaction. Present the data you have collected in a table. The table should include all five species observed, and should be included in your lab report.

· REFLECTION ESSAY: Identify one similarity between any two species you observed, and one difference. The similarity and difference do not have to be from the same species. Explore, elaborate, explain, and analyze the similarity and difference you have identified. Prepare an essay of your observations (approximately 400 words) explaining what this exercise has taught you about locomotor patterns of primates, relationships between locomotion and behavior, and relationships between humans and other primates. Reflection essays should discuss social interaction as well as locomotion and behavior.

· Submit the completed report on the canvas discussion board.

· RESPOND substantively to at least two of your classmates posted reports. Responses should be at least 100 words.

· EACH COMPLETED LAB REPORT IS TO INCLUDE:

· A HEADING THAT STATES WHICH ZOO YOU VISITED, AND THE DATE OF THE VISIT.

· ONE TABLE, INCLUDING CLASSIFICATION, LOCOMOTION, BEHAVIOR, AND ALL OTHER RELEVANT OBSERVATIONS*.

· ONE SUMMARY OF WHAT YOU LEARNED ABOUT LOCOMOTOR PATTERNS AND SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS IN THIS ASSIGNMENT.

·

FOLLOW THE REQUIREMENTS OUTLINED IN THE DISCUSSION RUBRIC.

*I do not care what format you use for the table. You are not being graded on your level of technological or mathematical expertise for this assignment. Just present the required material in an organized fashion. Below is one example of an appropriate table template for this assignment (clearly, the columns are not to scale). If you like, you can use this template for your report, but this is not required.

Common Name

Kingdom

Phylum

Class

Order

Family

Genus

Species

Weather or other environmental conditions

Primary Locomotor Patterns

Anatomical Features that enable movement

Primary Behavior Patterns

Anatomical Features that enable behavior

Social Interaction

The material below is adapted, in part, from:

Department of Department of Anthropology, College of Liberal Arts , UT Austin

http://www.life.umd.edu/classroom/bsci338m/Lectures/Primates.html

Primate Locomotor Anatomy

Much of primate anatomy reflects habits of movement. Since the powerful legs of most primates are slightly longer than their arms, the pelvis is normally higher than the head when standing quadrupedally. However a few species exhibit extreme locomotor specialization, emphasizing arms for arm-swinging, legs for leaping, or arms and legs comparable in length for quadrupedal climbing or walking on the ground. Thus, limb length (Intermembral Index or IM = Length of Humerus + Radius x 100/ Length of Femur + Tibia) can serve as an index of the relative emphasis upon the arm versus the leg for propulsion.

1. Short limbs with leg and arm comparable – quadrupedal and arboreal

These animals walk on larger horizontal tree branches as if they were pathways. Short, usually robust, arms and legs lower their center of gravity. IM index is usually about 80 but approaches 100 in howler monkeys. Other characteristics include moderately sized fingers and toes; very prehensile hands and feet; and relatively mobile shoulder joints located and directed sternally on the thorax. Some species, especially those which perform spectacular leaping feats, have flexible, elongated backs (with extra vertebra) and powerful musculature associated with the back and hind limb. A few species of monkey in the Americas have somewhat prehensile tails that serve to anchor the animal when it feeds near the ends of branches.

2. Very long limbs with leg and arm of comparable length – quadrupedal and arboreal with an emphasis on quadrupedal climbing and suspension

A few primate species in the Family Lorisidae combine quadrupedal suspensory climbing with quadrupedal arborealism, requiring great joint mobility and wide range of movement. IM index is about 90. Their hands and feet are particularly prehensile.

3. Long limbs with leg and arm of equal length – quadrupedal and terrestrial

Terrestrial quadrupeds tend to have shortened digits and elongated, robust tarsal and metatarsal elements. IM index is above 90. The shoulder joint, lying alongside the narrow and laterally flattened thorax, is oriented toward the ground (Figure 7-34). The weak clavicular-sternal joint is easily dislocated from the segmented sternum. Arms and legs, modified for powerful sagittal motions, have a relatively small range of movement. The humerus bears a prominent deltoid process (the attachment surface for the deltoid muscle) and the ulna has a large olecranon process, the insertion point of the muscle triceps brachii, a powerful forearm extensor. Hands are pronated when in contact with the ground. One species, the patas monkey, is digitigrade (like a cat), with specialized anatomy for terrestrial running in which only fingers and toes make contact with the ground.

4. Arm longer than leg – brachiation and arboreal

Brachiation (arm swinging) is a special form of locomotion in which the body is suspended below branches. It allows utilization of small branches near the fringe of a tree canopy since the brachiator is suspended beneath its handholds. In contrast, a large bodied quadruped that tries to walk on a small branch has difficulty balancing as the supporting tree limb bends. A brachiator can easily exploit the very fringe of a tree canopy by dispersing its weight to the ends of several branches. New World brachiators use their prehensile tail as a fifth prehensile limb to further disperse weight. Most rapid brachiation is attained by using gravity to convert vertical height to speed. IM index is 100 or above.

Brachiation generally is associated with major alterations in the arm, hand, and thorax. The shoulder joint is positioned laterally and cranially on a barrel-shaped thorax. Robust muscles attach to the sternum, vertebral column, head, and rib cage, stabilizing the shoulder. The more powerful the arm movements, the more robust the stabilizing musculature must be. The clavicle acts as a strut to stabilize the shoulder joint against a sternum whose segments unite to form a single bone. This clavicular-sternal joint is very strong and is not easily dislocated. A relatively round head of the humerus reflects a very wide range of motion. Additional elbow strength results from a more distinct separation of the radius and ulna on the articular surfaces of the distal humerus. The olecranon process of the ulna is small, allowing full extension of robust forearms. Brachiators tend to have reduced thumbs (Figure 7-40). If a thumb is present, it is folded out of the way against the palm where it does not interfere with elongated fingers that hook or snag handholds. The lumbar region of the vertebral column is shortened and stabilized, and a very mobile hip joint allows the foot to grasp anchorage in a wide range of positions.

There are several types of brachiators. Gibbons and siamangs, who use arm swinging as a major means of travel, are the best brachiators. Chimpanzee, gorillas, and humans are capable of this type of brachiation, but do not practice it as a primary means of locomotion. The orangutan combines quadrupedal climbing and brachiation, but like chimpanzees and gorillas, is typically a terrestrial quadruped.

At least one New World primate, the spider monkey, practices a variation of brachiation in which the body is kept vertical while brachiation is performed by hands, feet and sometimes the tail. This requires unusually long legs and mobile hips. When moving at slower speeds or while feeding, the spider monkey behaves as an arboreal quadruped. Its tail is the most prehensile of any primate.

5. Arm longer than leg – quadrupedal knuckle-walking and fist walking

Knuckle-walking is quadrupedal locomotion with the hands pronated and fingers flexed resulting in dorsal surfaces of the middle phalanges contacting the ground, supporting the weight on the knuckles. Gorillas and chimpanzees are habitual knuckle-walkers, whereas orangutans usually move quadrupedally with the hand made into a fist. IM indexes for the chimpanzee, gorilla, and orangutan are 102, 116, and 139, respectively.

6. Leg longer than arm – leaping and arboreal

A special class of leaping locomotor behavior, in which the body is positioned vertically at rest, is called vertical clinging and leaping. It requires powerful hind limbs to propel the leap as well as to break the impact of landing. Most (but not all) vertical clinging and leaping species have a tail that is used to maintain altitude control during leaps. Rapid movements are so well-coordinated during flight that the animal transits the crown of a tree without appearing to make contact with branches. This visual impression of suspending the laws of gravity fueled many “ghost” myths associated with vertical clinging and leaping primates. There is a tendency toward elongation of tarsal elements, especially calcaneus and navicular. Posterior elongation of tuberosity of the calcaneus serves as a robust lever arm for the muscles gastrocnemius and soleus, powerful flexors of the foot. The tendency for fusion of the tibia and fibula is fully expressed only in the tarsier. IM index is below 70.

7. Leg longer than arm – bipedalism

Though obligate bipedalism is found only among humans, many other primate species are capable of facultative bipedalism. Foot specializations for bipedalism include an enlarged and robust tarsal region, greatly reduced phalanges, and strong ligaments that bind tarsals and metatarsals into shock-absorbing longitudinal and transverse plantar arches. A large calcaneus tuberosity acts as a lever arm for plantar flexion. The most unique character of the long, robust legs is the placement of the knees (when in anatomical position) close to the median sagittal plane, functionally beneath the body’s center of gravity. The knee itself is adapted to locking in full extension with deep groves to stabilize the patella, a bone that forms in tendons of the quadriceps muscle. The broadened hip becomes a primary weight-bearing joint, characterized by an enlarged femur head as a weight-bearing surface. Pelvic anatomy is dramatically rearranged. A relatively broad sacrum positioned above the hip joint transfers weight to the femur head via a wide and robust illium. A shortened ischium places the ischial tuberosity relatively close to the acetabulum. The vertebrae, increasing in size progressively from skull to sacrum, are arranged in a ventral-dorsal S-shaped curve above the pelvis. Though free of locomotor tasks, the arm retains the range of movement seen in brachiators. IM index is 70.

8. Climbing by nails

Elongated and laterally compressed nails of callithricines have the functional attributes of claws. Although they climb by grasping small branches, they are able to use these specialized nails to cling to relatively flat, vertical surfaces of larger trees. IM index ranges from 70 to 80.

1

Abigail Woods

Anth&215

Zoo Report

Woodland Park Zoo Report: Visited 2/15/2020

Common Name

Gorilla

Colobus

monkey

Patas Monkey

Ring tailed lemur

Emu

Kingdom

Animalia

Animalia

Animalia

Animalia

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Chordata

Chordata

Chordata

Chordata

Class

Mammalia

Mammalia

Mammalia

Mammalia

Aves

Order

Primates

Primates

Primates

Primates

Casuariiformes

Family

Hominidae

Cercopithecidae

Cercopithecidae

Lemur

idae

Casuariidae

Genus

Gorilla

Colobus

Erythrocebus

Lemur

Emus

Species

Gorilla Gorilla

C. Guereza

E. Patas

Lemur catta

Dromaius novaehollandiae

Weather/

Environmental

Conditions

Grey skies/ light rain February 15

Grey skies/ light rain February 15

Grey skies/ light rain February 15

Grey skies/ light rain February 15

Grey skies/ light rain February 15

Primary Locomotor Patterns

Quadrupedal, knuckle-walking, fist-walking

Quadrupedal, leaping, arboreal

Quadrupedal, terrestrial

Quadrupedal, walking or running, arboreal

Bipedal

Anatomical Features that enable movement

Shorter legs and longer arms cause for quadrupedal walking, large hands enable fist-walking

Longer legs allow for leaping, lack of thumbs make hook shape which enables them to move through trees

Long limbs, short fingers and toes, and small bodies allow for quick movement.

Long tail allows for balance, small body and equal length arms and legs allow for quick movement

Long legs, inverted at knee allow for balance

Primary Behavior Patterns

Slow walking, grooming, eating, younger gorilla was playing on tree

Fast climbing, smaller groups, lounging.

Grooming each other, lounging, quick movements

Groups huddled together, playful and social, quick movements

Slowly walking, resting, grunting, primarily staying separate from one another

Anatomical Features that enable behavior

Large size allows for slow movement, younger gorilla was smaller in size allowing for quick, playful movements and used longer arms for movement around tree

Small bodies and long legs allow for quick movement

Small hands allow for easy grooming, long limbs and small bodies allow for quick movement.

Long tail allows for balance, small hands and feet and equal sized limbs allow for quick movements

Log legs and inverted knees allow for walking, large bodies make for slow movement

Social Interaction

Some grooming of others, primarily separate but within close distance

Stayed in small groups, close with one another.

Stayed in groups, grooming each other, playing with one another

Stayed in groups, huddled together, playful

Primarily stayed separated from one another throughout observation

Reflection Essay:

For this reflection, I would like to explore the differences and similarities I observed of the gorillas and the patas monkeys. There is one obvious difference between these two species, and that is their size. Gorillas are giants in comparison to the patas monkeys, which I noticed appeared to make a difference in their speed. Gorillas are much slower than the patas monkeys. In addition, the large hands and longer arms than legs of gorillas allow for knuckle-walking and fist-walking. While both of these species are quadrupedal, which is really the only true similarity I saw between these two species, however, patas monkeys do not use knuckle-walking and move much differently than gorillas. In addition, patas monkeys seem to be much more social than gorillas. When I observed the gorillas, they seemed to each be doing their own thing. The older gorilla was sitting and eating for the majority of my observation, while the younger, smaller, gorilla was playful and seemed to be putting on a show for the crowd. In contrast, patas monkeys were very social with one another, groomed each other, and stayed in groups for the majority of my observation.

From completing this assignment, I learned that although two species may belong to the same kingdom, phylum, class, and order, they can be very different from one another. Also, I learned that larger size typically allows for slower movement, while smaller size usually results in quick movements. The difference in limb length can also make a difference in locomotion. For example, gorillas have long arms and shorter legs, which causes them to move quadrupedally and use their hands for knuckle-walking. In comparison, primates with long arms and long legs may still move quadrupedally, however, they don’t necessarily have to depend on their knuckles or fists for movement. Most humans have longer legs than arms, so it makes sense that we rely on our legs for walking, rather than our hands and fists. Additionally, I noticed that the smaller primates I observed appeared to be much more social than the large gorillas. Perhaps because of their size, they had to rely on each other for warmth, rather than producing their own warmth. Smaller primates also seemed to have much more playful personalities. When you compare these patterns to humans, it’s hard to say if the size of a human has any determination on their social patterns, except of course when speaking about the dependence of a child on their parents. Personally, I fluctuate between being social and isolating, depending on my mood. I’ve noticed similar patterns in many of my friends and family.