Comparative Primate Blog Post

A)     Lemurs only live in one part of the world and are also endangered of going extinct. They live in the untouched forests of Madagascar, which is also an island country. These forests benefit them because they provide them with foods such as: leaves, fruits, buds, bark and insects without any other competition.

B)      Lemurs locomotor pattern is jumping from tree to tree and branch to branch, while using their long tails to keep balance. Unlike their other primate relatives, lemurs don't use their tails to grip branches, instead they use their arms and legs and travel the treetops.

C)      Lemurs locomotor adaptation has been influenced by their environment tremendously. Since they are often jumping from tree to tree quickly, their arms and legs have to adapt to their swift movements. However, their legs and arms are not the only thing that has adapted, another is their tail. Their tail has adapted by giving them balance everywhere they go unlike being used as an extra limb like their primate relatives.

A)     Spider Monkeys prefer to live in the rain forests of Central and South America and are sometimes found in Mexico. They prefer this environment because they usually find their food at the treetops in the forests. Which provide them: nuts, spiders, bird eggs, fruits and leaves. When there is danger like leopards approaching, they sometimes yell and shake the tree tops to scare them away.

B)      Spider monkeys locomotor pattern is swinging using every limb in their body, hands, feet and even their tails. Their elongated fingers and abbreviated thumb helps swing through branches. Their long tails grip branches to allow them to swings across the rain forest tree tops.

C)      The Spider monkey's environment has influenced their locomotor adaptation significantly. Their long tails are an adaptation for eating as well as hanging from their tails allows them to gather food with both hands. Since spider monkeys have the ability to grip with their fingers and thumbs it allows them to get out of danger quickly and also allows them to shake the branches to scare away prey.

A)     Baboons primarily live throughout the sub-Saharan in Africa. Most are found in places with dry climates however there are also some in the rain forest. Their environment provides them: fruits, grasses, seeds, rodents and even small birds. Baboons spend most of their day on the ground but they do sleep in trees.

B)      Baboon’s locomotor pattern is walking quadrupedally, which can also be said as walking on all fours. They do not have long tails like their primate relatives however because their environment doesn’t not suit them for that. But since they are semi-terrestrial they stay on the ground during the day but when the night comes they climb up trees to sleep.

C)      Baboon’s environment plays a tremendous part in shaping their locomotor patters. As you can see since they do not live primarily in rain forest there is no need for a long tail like their relatives. But since they are on the ground most of the time they walk on all fours “quadrupedally” to be at comfort and even make them run faster.

A)     Gibbons are scattered more around the world then the previous primates. They are found on few islands, Southeast Asia and even China. Their environments that they choose to live in provide them with various types of food such as: fruits, flowers, leaves, spiders, bird eggs, and birds as well. And since they live in tree tops their environment provides them with many, where their predators cannot catch them

B)      Gibbons locomotor pattern includes brachiating, traveling from tree to tree by swinging under branches with hand over hand motion, like humans with money bars. Another locomotor pattern that they use is walking bipedally, which they use on tree branches. However the one they use more is brachiating, which they spend most of their day doing.

C)      The Gibbon’s environment as well as any other living creature out there has a great influence on their locomotor pattern. Their long arms, strong shoulders and lightweight have been adapted for means of traveling, which allows the gibbons to spend most of their lives swinging from branch to branch or walking on branches. They are rarely on the ground but when they are they have the ability to walk upright, which is an adaptation for outrunning predators. Most of their food is at the tree tops which is why they are rarely on the ground. 

A)     Chimpanzees can only be found across Central Africa in the rain forests, grasslands and woodlands. And because they are vegetarians (except some males) their environment provides them with many: fruits, plants and leaves. For the males however, it isn’t hard from them to find insects, eggs and meat when wanted.

B)      The chimpanzee's locomotor pattern is mostly walking quadrupedally as well as walking upright. While walking on all fours, the chimpanzee is also called a knuckle walkers, like gorillas. The chimpanzee also has the ability to swing from tree to tree, where they do most of their eating and sleeping.

C)      The chimpanzee’s locomotion has been greatly affected by its environment. Whether they are walking in groups quadrupedally, or swinging from branch to branch, their locomotor ability is always adapting to their needs. These interchangeable traits are always working to the chimpanzee’s advantage.

I believe that all these primates studied are very similar and alike, from the foods they eat to the places they live in (trees). However they do have some differences from the way they look to the way they use their locomotive patterns. But the reason for this is because the environmental challenges and stresses they face cause them to live and adapt differently. I believe that environment has a huge impact on the way one lives and changes in traits whether it’s losing, gaining or making traits stronger from generation to generation. But I also believe many of these primates are endangered due to lack of environment and which they cannot adapt to.