Primate Locomotion Order; Primates 2 main sub-orders; - Prosimii - Lorises + Lemurs - Anthropoidea - Monkeys, apes The main difference between new and old world primates is their location. (See map) New World Primates Old World Primates In addition, new world primates have prehensile tails whereas old world monkeys do not. Vertebrate Movement Biological components required for movement; - Muscles- these are made up of excitable tissue which is able to store and release energy - Nerves- transmit information to muscles for movement, relay sensory information, aid proprioception (i.e. knowing where your limbs etc. are without looking at them) - Bones- provide leverage for movement
Joints W 1 W P Vertebrates use a lever system. F F Different joint types operate with different orders of levers, depending on where the fulcrum (pivot point) is, where the load is, and where the force is being applied. Class I lever (a) Class 1 Lever Force 1 W (c) Class Il lever W t P t P W P E (b) F 1 W P F F P Class III lever F Class 2 Lever Force Load Load Fulcrum Class 3 Lever Force Load Fulcrum Types of Locomotion Arboreal: - Suspensory - Leaping - Climbing - Tail swinging - Walking (on branches) Terrestrial: - Walking Fulcrum lever attached to fulcrum
Suspensory behaviour: - Complete or partial suspension - Brachiation- swinging through trees using arms, requires very long arms and hands with long fingers. The thumb of these primates is usually missing or vestigial, as it may get in the way when grasping the branches. - Semi-brachiation- using partial suspension, moving through the trees using a combination of leaping and arm swinging