Comparative Primate

Primates:

•         Lemurs (Prosimians/Strepsirhini)
•         Spider Monkey (New World Monkey/Platyrrhini)
•          Baboon (Old World Monkey/Cercopithecidae)
•         Gibbon (Lesser ape/Hylobatidae)
•         Chimpanzee (Great ape/Hominidae)

Comparative Trait:

•         Diet

Primate Environment:

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• Lemurs: Only live in Madagascar, a large island off the east coast of Africa and on the Comoros Island which is nearby. Lemurs are forest creatures and many of the species live in the Madagascar’s tropical rainforest but there are some which live in dry deciduous forests.

•  Spider Monkey: Live in the tropical rain forests of Central and South America and are also found as far north as Mexico.

• Baboon: There are five different types of baboon species. All of the baboons can be found in Africa or Arabia. Baboons generally prefer savanna and other semi-arid environments, but there are a few which live in tropical forests.

•  Gibbon: Gibbons live in the dense forests of southern Asia.

•   Chimpanzee: They live in social communities in which there are several dozen of animals they share the environment with. Chimpanzees orientate themselves to African rain forests, woodlands, and grassland.  

Dietary Trait:

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•   Lemurs: Many lemurs are herbivores, they will consume almost anything the forest’s trees and plants have to give. For example the Ring-tailed lemurs eat fruits, flowers, buds, dark sap, seeds and leaves. There are some species of lemurs, such as mouse lemurs which are omnivores, they eat insects, eggs, frogs, and lizards and as well as plants.

 

• Spider Monkey: Spider Monkeys gather food from the treetops and eat nuts, fruits, leaves, bird eggs, and spiders

 

• Baboon: They eat fruits, grasses, seeds, bark, and roots, but they also have a taste for meat. They eat birds, rodents, and they will even eat the young of large mammals such as antelopes and sheep.

• Gibbon: Gibbons feed on the abundant fruit trees their home has to offer and they are especially fond of figs. They will sometimes add-on leaves and insects into their diets.

 

• Chimpanzee: Chips normally eat fruits and plants eat but they will also consume insects, eggs and meat. They have a greatly diverse diet that includes hundreds of known foods.

Dietary Habits Influenced by Environment:

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• Lemurs:  Lemurs are highly adaptive to changes in their environments. When food becomes scarce in the lemurs environment, they will consume as much food as they can. Many of the species are known to consume so much that they double in weight before the dry season. This allows the lemurs to store up enough fat for them to be able to survive on very little food for the upcoming season.

• Spider Monkey: Spider Monkeys go out looking for food in small groups early in the morning. It is believed that Spider Monkeys play a crucial role in spreading seeds of many plants throughout the rainforests of South America. Spider Monkeys play an important role in helping with the growth of their environment. 

• Baboon: They are found in a variety of habitats and are extremely adaptive to new environments. The major necessity for a habitat is the presents of water sources and safe places to sleep such as either in tall trees or on cliff faces. When water is limited, baboons can survive for a long period of time without it by licking the night dew from their fur. Baboons drink every day or two.

• Gibbon: They are acrobatic mammals that are adapted to life in the tress and rarely visit the grounds. They have strong hooked-shaped hands which allow them to grasp branches and long arms for reaching faraway limbs. They use this to their advantage because they are able to swing out and grab fruits growing at the end of branches which limits competition for their favorite foods.

•  Chimpanzee: They are adaptive and are also very knowledge when it comes to finding ways on how to work with their environment such as using sticks to retrieve insects from their nests. They teach themselves ways to adapt to their environment.

 Environment Influence on Physical and Behavioral Traits: 

• Although each primate has its differences I can say that there are a few things each of these primates do have common. Such being when it comes to the environments in which they habitat in they can all become very adaptive to it. When it comes to survival they will all do what it is they can in order to insure that they will live. They will figure out how to locate food, where to to sleep and how to protect what is theirs. Each of the primates share similar dietary habits. they all consume some sort of fruits, plants and insects.