Order Dermoptera

Name means "skin wing"
Common name (flying lemur) is a misnomer...
Two species (Distribution: Philipines; Malaysia)

1. Taxonomy (phylogenetic relationship to bats and primates)
   1. "Volitantia hypothesis" - bats and flying lemurs are sister taxa
   2. "Primatomorpha hypothesis" - primates and flying lemurs are sister taxa
   3. "Mammalia incertae sedis" - who knows...
   
   
   
2. Morphology
   1. Patagium most complete of any mammal
   2. Pectinate incisors
   
   
   
3. Ecology and behavior
   1. Nocturnal or crepuscular
   2. Folivorous (see skull), have greatly enlarged cecum
   3. Solitary (?) and territorial (?)
   4. Best gliders of all mammals

Order Scandentia

1. Characteristics of the order
   1. Once considered a primitive primate, then lumped with Insectivora
   2. Important differences between tree shrews and insectivores:
      1. Complete zygomatic arch
      2. Has auditory bullae
      3. Big brain case for its size
      4. Has a cecum
   3. Look like squirrels (long furry tails)
   4. Big eyes
   5. Teeth resemble insectivores somewhat (caniform incisor, reduced canine)

2. Ecology and behavior
   1. Arboreal
   2. Diurnal (for the most part)
   3. Omnivorous (eats fruits, seeds, some insects)
   4. Some are social, some appear to live in pairs

3. Reproduction
   1. Young left in a separate nest
   2. Nursed once/48 h
   3. Weaned in a month

Order Primates

2 suborders, 13 families, 232 species
Worldwide distribution

1. General characteristics (adaptations for arboreality?)
   1. Locomotion
      1. Pentadactyly
      2. Nails in stead of claws (unguiculate)
      3. Prehensility of hands and feet
      4. Traction ridges on tips of digits
      5. Tendency towards erectness of posture
   2. Teeth and diet
      1. Generalized teeth (bunodont molars)
      2. Generalized diet
   3. Brain and behavior
      1. More reliance on vision (forward facing eyes, binocular, stereoscopic, most have color vision)
      2. Reduction of snout
      3. Big, complex brains (especially cerebral cortex)
      4. Flexibility of behavior
      5. In many species, complex social organization
   4. Reproduction
      1. Long gestation
      2. Single births common
      3. Slow development
      4. Long lifespan

2. Types of locomotion
   1. Quadrupedal
      1. Terrestrial
         
         terrestrial quadruped skeleton
         1. Narrow thorax
         2. Restricted shoulder joint
         3. Forelimbs and hind libs of similar lengths
         4. Short digits
         5. Tail reduced
         
         
         
      2. Arboreal
         
         arboreal quadruped skeletal diagram
         1. Narrow thorax
         2. Forelimbs and hindlimbs of similar lengths
         3. Shoulder joint allows some lateral motion
         4. Long, pehensile digits
         5. Long tail
         
         
         
   2. Vertical clinging and leaping VIDEO!
      
      leaper skeletal diagram
      1. Hindlimbs longer than forelimbs
      2. Long, prehensile digits
      3. Long lumbar region of vertebral column
         
         
   3. Brachiation (and semibrachiation)
      
      brachiator skeletal diagram
      1. Broad thorax
      2. Forelimbs longer than hindlimbs
      3. Reduced or absent pollex
      4. Mobile shoulder joint
      5. Short lumbar region
      6. Mobile hip joint
      7. No tail (OR long and prehensile tail in semibrachiators)
         
         video clip of gibbon (brachiation)
         video clip of spider monkey (semibrachiation)
      
      
      

3. Living primates
   1. Suborder Strepsirhini
      1. General characteristics
         1. ancestral morphology and possibly behavior
         2. restricted geographical range (Old World)
         3. rhinarium
         4. toothcomb and toilet claw
         5. tapetum lucidum
         6. bicornuate uterus
         
         
         
      2. Families
         1. Family Lemuridae (lemurs) - Madagascar
            • long rostrum
            • mostly arboreal (vertical clingers and leapers)
            • long limbs, long furry tail
            
            
            
         2. Family Cheirogaleidae (dwarf and mouse lemurs) - Madagascar
         3. Family Megaladapidae (sportive lemurs) - Madagascar
         4. Family Indridae (indri, sifaka) - Madagascar
            • striking pelage
            • long snout
            • short tail
            • elongated hind limbs
            • vertical clingers and leapers
            • VIDEO
            
            
            
         5. Family Daubentoniidae (aye-aye) - Madagascar
            • elongated fingers
            • very thin, clawed middle finger VIDEO!
            • rodent-like incisors, sparse dentition
            • baby aye-aye at Duke Primate Center
              Another baby aye-aye
            
            
            
         6. Family Loridae (lorises) - Africa, S.E. Asia
            • flat face (short rostrum)
            • unusual manus and pes for grasping
            • slow, deliberate climbers
            
            
            
         7. Family Galagonidae (galagos) - Africa
            • large eyes, ears
            • long, furry tail
            
            
            
   2. Suborder Haplorhini
      1. General characteristics
         1. lack rhinarium
         2. spatulate incisors
         3. simplex uterus
         
         
         
      2. Families
         tarsiers, platyrrhini (New World) and catarrhini (Old World)
         
         
         1. Family Tarsiidae (tarsiers) - S.E. Asia
            • large eyes
            • extremely mobile neck
            • long, thin limbs with elongated tarsus (vertical clingers and leapers)
            • unique footpads
            
            
            
         2. Family Callitrichidae (marmosets, tamarins) - Central and South America
            • claws on all digits except hallux
            • arboreal, quadrupedal
            • many species monogamous with considerable paternal care
            
            
            
         3. Family Cebidae (New World monkeys) - Central and South America
            • arboreal
            • semibrachiators (w/prehensile tail) or quadrupedal
            • owl monkey is only nocturnal haplorhine except for the Tarsiidae
            • gregarious
            
            
            
         4. Family Cercopithecidae (Old World monkeys) - Africa, Asia
            • quadrupedal
            • arboreal or terrestrial
            • sex dimorphism common
            • omnivorous or folivorous (colobines)
            • highly social and gregarious
            
            
            
         5. Family Hylobatidae (gibbons) - Asia
            • true brachiators
            • elongated forelimbs (longer than hindlimbs)
            • pollex reduced
            • no tail
            • monogamous
            • very vocal
              video of vocalizing siamangs
              gibbon audio clip
              two gibbons dueting
            
            
            
         6. Family Hominidae (great apes, humans) - worldwide
            • skull
            • nails on all digits
            • no tails
            • big (50-270 kg)
            • pronounced sexual dimorphism
            • most have opposable pollex and hallux
            • very slow development

LINK to Wisconsin Primate Research Center primate vocalizations library

LINK to Duke Lemur Center

LINK to Primates.com picture gallery