Primates
Something About Primates
PRIMATES share many characteristics with other animals, but they differentiate as a distinct group from other mammals with certain special features. On a CLASSIFICATION chart, a chart that organizes diversity into categories and indicates evolutionary relationships, primates are categorized under the Phylum CHORDATA, containing all VERTEBRATES (animals with segmented spinal columns), and are also split into 2 suborders: HAPLORHINI, which includes lemurs and lorises and STREPSIRHINI, which includes tarsiers, monkeys, apes, and humans. I went to the Santa Barbara Zoo and observed their primates. I looked at 2 apes: the western lowland gorilla and the white-handed gibbon and 1 monkey: the Bolivian grey titi monkey.
The first primate I observed was the western lowland gorilla. Its GENUS, its group of closely related species, is gorilla. Observing the western lowland gorillas, I noticed a few things. First, he walked QUADURPEDALLY, supporting his body with all four limbs. While resting, they would sit on their rear ends with legs crossed and an upright posture. Along with walking around, I observed that the gorillas’ diet was OMNIVOROUS, eating plants and insects. The way they foraged was simply by picking the grass and insects from the ground with their fingers. There were two males in the exhibit and their BEHAVIOR, actions or responses to any internal or external forces, were similar and performed together instead of separately and on their own. Not much else was noticed because they seemed to be a little lazy. I think the reason the two gorillas seemed to do most activities together is because male gorillas seem to have friendly interactions. Plus there isn’t any competition due to the lack of females. They can just be friendly without the fighting over a mate. They might have been lazy because of their environment. Being enclosed in an exhibit and not exposed out in the open, there isn’t much to be TERRITORIAL or protective over since
PRIMATES share many characteristics with other animals, but they differentiate as a distinct group from other mammals with certain special features. On a CLASSIFICATION chart, a chart that organizes diversity into categories and indicates evolutionary relationships, primates are categorized under the Phylum CHORDATA, containing all VERTEBRATES (animals with segmented spinal columns), and are also split into 2 suborders: HAPLORHINI, which includes lemurs and lorises and STREPSIRHINI, which includes tarsiers, monkeys, apes, and humans. I went to the Santa Barbara Zoo and observed their primates. I looked at 2 apes: the western lowland gorilla and the white-handed gibbon and 1 monkey: the Bolivian grey titi monkey.
The first primate I observed was the western lowland gorilla. Its GENUS, its group of closely related species, is gorilla. Observing the western lowland gorillas, I noticed a few things. First, he walked QUADURPEDALLY, supporting his body with all four limbs. While resting, they would sit on their rear ends with legs crossed and an upright posture. Along with walking around, I observed that the gorillas’ diet was OMNIVOROUS, eating plants and insects. The way they foraged was simply by picking the grass and insects from the ground with their fingers. There were two males in the exhibit and their BEHAVIOR, actions or responses to any internal or external forces, were similar and performed together instead of separately and on their own. Not much else was noticed because they seemed to be a little lazy. I think the reason the two gorillas seemed to do most activities together is because male gorillas seem to have friendly interactions. Plus there isn’t any competition due to the lack of females. They can just be friendly without the fighting over a mate. They might have been lazy because of their environment. Being enclosed in an exhibit and not exposed out in the open, there isn’t much to be TERRITORIAL or protective over since