PSYCH 450 Study Guide - Rhinarium, Depth Perception, Olfaction
Document Summary
Review: lemurs live in madagascar, where is the one night active monkey south america, gorilla the biggest living primate today (males 400 lbs, females half that). Evolutionary trends and characteristics of the primate order: what makes a primate a primate, generalized skeleton. Pentadactyly (5 digits on hand and feet: free mobility of fingers and toes. Opposable thumb (allows babies to hold onto mother: replacement of claws with nails. Grooming claw of prosimians, marmosets, and tamarins. Loss of rhinarium (wet, naked surface around nostrils) Vomeronasal system (jacobson"s organ) special sense that begins in the nostrils and goes straight to the amygdala increased sense of small. Less scent-marking: increased reliance on vision. Color vision (fovea area of cone concentration at the back of the retina) Benefits of color vision: ability to see color of fruit/food to eat. Exception: owl monkeys and tarsiers (day-active ancestors but now have regressed to nocturnal animals): reduction in number of teeth.
