Primates...

Lemurs-
a. Lemurs are inhabitants of the island of Madagascar, located off the continent of Africa. Lemurs populate rain forests, as well as the dry areas of Madagascar. They share their niche along side squirrels, monkeys, and woodpeckers. Lemurs are mostly herbivores, therefore they are usually among trees and plants.

b. The locomotion behavior in lemurs varies. There are lemurs that become accustomed to side to side clinging and jumping that when on the ground, lemurs would jump side ways usually standing upright since they are so used to clinging and switching to branches side to side. They also walk in all fours. In addition, lemurs have also been reported to be very good swimmers.

c. The lemurs locomotor skills, such as swinging from branch to branch perpendicularly and jumping side ways while on the ground, is forced by the environment. Since there were bigger land animal predators in Madagascar, lemurs learned to stay on trees for safety. Lemurs eat only plants, fruits, and small insects, although it is indicated that lemurs like to eat almost anything edible.

Spider Monkey
a. Spider monkeys are found in tropical forests of South America. Spider monkeys are usually found within the tropical rain forests from the southern part of Mexico to Brazil. Since spider monkeys are living in a forest, its predators are mostly jaguars, pumas, and large snakes.

b. Spider monkeys like to move around in trees using all four limbs and their tail. Spider monkeys like to hook their tails on branches of trees and swing from branch to branch using their long powerful arms. Spider monkeys use their tails as their fifth hand, so they use their tail for hanging on trees as they pick fruits or nuts. They use their tail to keep their balance if they ever stand on their two legs.

c. Just like the lemurs, spider monkeys eat fruits, but they also like to nourish themselves with nuts. So their strong arms for hanging are evolutionary product. They have been accounted to be more tree dwellers, and rarely walk on the grounds of the rain forest.    '

Baboon
a. Baboons are primates found living in Africa and Asia. The baboons found in Africa are used to living in hot and humid conditions compared to the baboons found in Japan. Baboons like to live around trees for a safe place to sleep in, and near water sources.


b. Baboons are primates who uses all fours to walk on the ground. Like the chimpanzee, it can walk up straight, but is seen more knuckle-walking. Baboons gets around trees very well.

c. Baboons also walk on their knuckles, usually on all fours. To me it is the force of nature that led baboons to walk this way. Baboons, like its other primate cousins, have bigger mammalian predators like the cheetah and leopards. Since baboons eat fruits, blossoms, plants, and insects, baboons need to be able to climb up trees to get fruits and chase insects on trees. They have very good grip for climbing.

  

Gibbon
a. Gibbons are located in the tropical and sub-tropical areas of Southeast Asia. They live among trees to eat fruits and small insects.

b. A description of your specified character trait for that primate.
Gibbons have longer arms than their legs. They are also very athletic and lively. They swing swiftly from branch to branch to get to where they need or want to go. I have also read that gibbons can walk small branches up in the air like tightrope walkers using their arms for balance. They can also jump long distance from one tree to the next.

c. Gibbons are also primates who live in trees, but in high locations of the trees. Although they do not make nests for sleep, they are just like the spider monkey and lemurs. They eat plants, fruits, and insects, and sometimes small birds. For many of the things they eat, they need to be on trees.  To be able to survive, gibbons need strong arms and legs to mingle around in trees to look for food and travel. Since they are not very large primates, predators  like leopards and large snakes are likely to go after them. Their swift movements help them avoid these predators.

Chimpanzee
a. Wild chimpanzees can only be found in the continent of Africa.  They live in rain forests of equatorial Africa.


b. Chimpanzees use all four of their arms and legs to walk. When they use their knuckles to walk, it is called knuckle-walking. They can also walk upright like humans when they need to carry something. Chimpanzees, like the gibbons and spider monkeys, use their arms and legs to jump and swing in trees.

c. As primates, chimpanzees need a way to be able to gather food and travel to where their food is located. In addition, I have also read that most of the chimpanzees’ eating are done in trees, and for this to be done, they need to have strong arms and legs and good balance.

Since there are evidence pointing that most of these primates are related, their evolution is closely related. My assignment was to look at the locomotor patterns on the five primates. From what I have read, they all have pretty much the same physical characteristics. They all have fingers and thumbs with the exception of the spider monkeys, who doesnt have thumbs. Their environments definitely influenced their locomotives. For these primates, living in and around trees is a necessity, so their arms, legs, and in spider monkeys, their tails developed to adapt to their environment.