Essays on Forelimbs

Describe which general fossil primate groups appear and radiate during the following geological epochs: Eocene, Miocene, Pliocene, Pleistocene. For each of the geological epochs, identify the general primate group that first appears and radiates during that epoch. In addition, give the time range in millions of years for each epoch and provide at least one example of a specific primate genus and/ or species that is representative of each general primate group. 2. List and briefly describe at least five elements of the post-cranial anatomy found in humans, but not in apes, that facilitate efficient bipedal locomotion. Provide specific ...

Introduction

The Minoan Civilization was the forerunner of the ancient Greek culture which emerged from the island of Crete. The island of Crete was isolated from the rest of the Greek mainland by the Sea of Crete to the north and by the Mediterranean Sea to the west. The island with its mountainous rugged terrain and white sand coastal areas proved to be a great spot for international affairs and trade routes especially for the European, Africa, and Asia Minor merchants. Because of its isolated landscape, many scholars have proposed the existence of cultural interactions between Cretan civilization and those ...

Part One: Primate Observation Field Notes

The observations of the primate took place at San Francisco Zoo. The following information provides the comments on the field notes made about the two primates – the Colobus Monkey and the Western Lowland Gorilla. The Colobus Monkey – a medium sized monkey of moderate build at San Francisco Zoo is found in the Doelger Primate Discovery Center (DPDC). Together with other species such as the pied tamarins, black howler monkey, siamangs and the squirrel monkeys, the colobus monkey is managed at DPDC under the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plans. These plans are designed to protect those species ...

Introduction

Even though the concept of evolution is a typical narrative, it remains one of the most highly contentious of the topics. Major disagreements persist in the field, particularly when the evolutionary origin and physical modification of primates are the subject matter of discussion. Because of these differences, lots of significant finds in the field have attracted considerable amounts of opposition from experts depending on the species, or the side angle of evolution one recognizes (Ravosa and Dagosto). Disputes often center around locomotion and posture – whether a particular species was fully upright or could walk bipedally, brain size (intelligence), sexuality ...

Did Human Bipedalism Evolve from a Knuckle-walking Ape Ancestor Did Human Bipedalism Evolve from a Knuckle-walking Ape Ancestor

Introduction

The narratives of human evolution are one of the oft-told scientific stories whenever the topic of the origin of man crops up. However, this topic is also one of the thorniest and most highly contentious. There are major disagreements in the manner in which man first came to be, and every interpretation of almost every new find on the matter will be sure to find opposition among scholars on the field (Harcourt-Smith & Aiello, 2004). While there are numerous causes of disputes ...