How Primates Differ From Other Mammals

The knowledge of primates is an important part of zoology, but the topic is also important for the understanding of the subject of anthropology. Where zoology is the study of the animal kingdom and anthropology is the study of human biology and the past human species. 

This article has been structured by the subject experts making the students understand the following - 

• Introduction

• What are Primates? 

• What are non-primates?

• Physical features and development

• Natural Environment and Food Habits 

• Key learnings from the chapter

• Frequently asked questions

Introduction

In Zoology, animals are classified into two groups, namely – primates and non-primates. Although many physiological and anatomical traits of these two groups are the same, there are many dissimilarities as well. The critical difference between primates and non-primates is that the former possess a complicated and voluminous brain while the latter has a comparatively smaller brain.

Follow the full article to learn more about the topic.

What are Primates?

A primate is any mammal belonging to a group including lemurs, apes, monkeys, lorises, tarsiers, and humans. They first came into existence about 55 to 85 million years ago and predominantly dwelled on land, adapting their living in the tropical forest trees. Various characteristics of primates show their modifications to sustain in this fast-changing environment like visual acuity, colour vision, dextrous hands and changed shoulder girdle.

The size of primates (according to their body weight) ranges from 30g to more than 200 kg. Based on the usage of classification, 190 to 448 species of primates exist on Earth. Moreover, new species are continuously being discovered out of which 25+ species were introduced between 2000 to 2010, and 11 species from 2010 till now.

Did You Know?

The tiniest primate is Madame Berthe’s mouse lemur whose average length of the body is 3.6 inches (9.2 cm), and it weighs around 1.1 or (30g).

Next, take a look at the non-primates meaning.

What are Non - primates?

Non-primates are animals that do not include characteristics similar to primates. Birds, reptiles, and amphibians belong to this group. Some mammals are also considered non-primates.

Now that you have understood them individually, let us proceed further with how primates are different from other mammals.

Physical Features and Development

In comparison with other terrestrial mammals, the big brain of primates holds a special fissure known as Calcarine sulcus which segregates the visual cortexes (first and second) on either portion of the brain. Primates depend on their developed visual sense, while non-primate mammals rely on smelling sense. Other than apes and humans, all other primates have tails.

All land-dwelling mammals possess claws or hooves on their digits, but primates have flat nails. Although some primates possess claws, their hallux contains a flat nail. Apart from humans, every other primate mammal can grasp objects like branches of trees. The reason behind this feature is that the hallux divides from other toes and together it creates a pincer. Moreover, in the case of opossums and squirrels, these arboreal mammals have the grasping feature in their feet.

The feature of dexterous hands makes old-world monkeys (humans and apes) possess thumbs capable of opposing. Also, some lorises and lemurs have this opposable thumb feature. A very significant characteristic owned by primates is Meissner’s corpuscles (specialized nerve endings). These nerve endings are present in hands and feet that enhance tactile sensitivity, and no placental mammal has this feature.

Another difference between primates and non-primates (here mammals) is the duration of development. Maturity in a primate comes later, and these organisms have a larger lifespan as compared to other mammals of the same body size. Multiple species of primates are sexually dimorphic and show variation in traits like:

• Fat distribution

• Muscle mass

• Size of the canine tooth

• Pelvic width

• Distribution of hair

• Complexion

In terms of intelligence, non-primate mammals are said to be less intelligent than primates. However, some exceptions are also there.

Natural Environment and Food Habits

Primates differ from other mammals in their food habits and habitat. Generally, primate habitats exist all over the world. The non-human ones are found mainly in South and Central America, Southern Asia, and Africa. Some primate species are available in North America’s Mexico and North Asia’s Japan. Some species like the Japanese macaque or the snow monkey of Japanese islands of Honshu and Hokkaido, Barbary macaque of North Africa, and many species of langur of China are said to live outside the tropics. Other than tropical forests, these organisms exist in temperate forests, deserts, savannas, coastal areas, and mountains. Apart from humans, baboons, and gorillas, all other primate mammals live arboreal life.

Nourishment of primates can be categorised into three groups of food:

• Animal prey: insects, crustaceans, spiders, small vertebrates, and birds’ eggs.

• Plant parts (reproductive): flowers, fruits, nuts, seeds, rhizomes, and tubers.

• Plant parts (vegetative): leaves, grasses, stems, and parts of gums and bark.

The above content will help you know how primates are different from other mammals.

Key Learnings from the Chapter - 

• Mammals are warm-blooded vertebrates and the female secretes milk for the nourishment of their young ones. 

• Animals are divided into two groups - Primates and Non-Primates

• Primates are animals segregated in the group as lemurs, apes, monkeys, lorises, tarsiers, and humans 

• Non-Primates are animals belonging to the group of reptiles, birds, amphibians.

• Primates and Non-Primates has certain similarities and dissimilarities