- Lemurs
Which is 2- incisors 1- canine 3- premolars and 3-premolars. Their dental formation is unique because it is made up of both incisors and canine giving it a special name "dental comb." Lemurs are great in grooming and eating because of their dental comb, makes it easier to groom and grab their foods. their teeth are the only things that helps them get their food.
2. Spider Monkeys
Spider Monkeys live in the tropical Venezuela and Colombia. They mostly eat fruits and nuts which is why they stay in higher trees. Spider monkeys have the same pattern as Lemurs do. 2.1.3.3, their teeth have adapted to their life style. Living in the trees protect them from any of their predators. living in the trees the spider monkey had to learn to eat nuts and fruits hence their diet of fruit and nuts the most thing trees grow.
3. Baboons
Baboons are more likely to be found in the grasslands looking for food or sleeping/lounging in trees without leaves or on cliffs. Their dental formation is close to the other but just a bit different. 2.1.2.3 The incisors are for ripping off pieces of food and the canine if for tearing the food apart. They live in large groups which causes them to become more aggressive when it comes to eating they rip and tear their food apart in order to swallow it because the faster its in their stomachs the better.
4. Gibbon
Gibbons Are mostly in the southeast part of Asia, they are the smallest ones of the apes and live on the way top of the trees. They are very tiny apes weighing 12 to 20 pounds and as tall as 3 feet. Gibbons are becoming more like pets to humans than they are wild. They have a short jaw and their dentition is the same as baboons, 2.1.2.3. Because they are so small they spend most of their days in trees and their as well as teeth have evolved to eating fruits and figs.
5. Chimpanzees
They live in groups as big as 10 which are lead by a male the alpha male. They are mot likely to be found in central and west Africa. Their dentition is the same as gibbons and baboons, 2.1.2.3. They also eat fruits and leaves but sometimes they eat other things. They have a wide mouth space in order to grab as much food as they can.
Summary: In all of my research it seems clear that their dentition is effected mostly by their environment that they live in and what they eat, Chimpanzees, gibbons, and baboons all have the same pattern and all three eat the same things. Like spider monkeys and lemurs they have the same patterns too. Each primate has adapted to their own environment as best as they can. They all may seem the same but they do have their differences in several ways.
2. Spider Monkeys
Spider Monkeys live in the tropical Venezuela and Colombia. They mostly eat fruits and nuts which is why they stay in higher trees. Spider monkeys have the same pattern as Lemurs do. 2.1.3.3, their teeth have adapted to their life style. Living in the trees protect them from any of their predators. living in the trees the spider monkey had to learn to eat nuts and fruits hence their diet of fruit and nuts the most thing trees grow.
3. Baboons
Baboons are more likely to be found in the grasslands looking for food or sleeping/lounging in trees without leaves or on cliffs. Their dental formation is close to the other but just a bit different. 2.1.2.3 The incisors are for ripping off pieces of food and the canine if for tearing the food apart. They live in large groups which causes them to become more aggressive when it comes to eating they rip and tear their food apart in order to swallow it because the faster its in their stomachs the better.
4. Gibbon
Gibbons Are mostly in the southeast part of Asia, they are the smallest ones of the apes and live on the way top of the trees. They are very tiny apes weighing 12 to 20 pounds and as tall as 3 feet. Gibbons are becoming more like pets to humans than they are wild. They have a short jaw and their dentition is the same as baboons, 2.1.2.3. Because they are so small they spend most of their days in trees and their as well as teeth have evolved to eating fruits and figs.
5. Chimpanzees
They live in groups as big as 10 which are lead by a male the alpha male. They are mot likely to be found in central and west Africa. Their dentition is the same as gibbons and baboons, 2.1.2.3. They also eat fruits and leaves but sometimes they eat other things. They have a wide mouth space in order to grab as much food as they can.
Summary: In all of my research it seems clear that their dentition is effected mostly by their environment that they live in and what they eat, Chimpanzees, gibbons, and baboons all have the same pattern and all three eat the same things. Like spider monkeys and lemurs they have the same patterns too. Each primate has adapted to their own environment as best as they can. They all may seem the same but they do have their differences in several ways.
Hi Rouba!
ReplyDeleteI didn't really realize until after reading your post that not all "monkeys" have the same teeth formation. It's interesting that even though most of these species eat the same types of food, there are two different ways which their teeth are placed. I feel like no matter where an animal lives, they will adapt to the habitat in which they're living in at the moment. I thought your post was interesting to read and I actually really enjoyed learning about the names of their teeth.
First, I need to address some points in your first paragraph:
ReplyDelete"Lemurs are not dominant in the monkey scale..."
I'm not sure I understand what you mean by that. Dominance in terms of size? Aggression? Population numbers?
"...they have other monkeys that are older and have better traits than they do."
Actually, from an evolutionary perspective, lemurs are one of the earliest primates to evolve. That's what "pro-siman" means... "early monkey". Also, this is not a contest of traits, just a comparison. Lemur traits are no better or worse than any other primate traits... they just have traits that work for them. So be careful about judgment calls in these posts! Just the facts and any conclusions you can draw and support from those facts.
Back to the post.
Your images are a little mixed up. The picture in your spider monkey section is a chimpanzee. The baboon section has a gibbon and your chimpanzee section has the upper jaw of a baboon. Don't mislead your readers! Make sure your images are accurate.
Good description of the dentition of the lemur. Can you make the connection between the dentition and the environment (diet)? How do the lemur teeth help them eat eggs, insects and lizards?
For spider monkeys, good connection between their diet and their environment. Now can you make that connection between their dentition and the environment? How do their teeth help them consume fruit and nuts?
For baboons, the canines may have a dietary function, but they can also be explained by the need for detering predators. Baboons do live in large groups and may need to eat quickly because of competition, but they also eat on the ground and are vulnerable to predators, which also explains their haste. Baboons even have a pouch in their cheeks which let them store food until they can get it to a safer place to eat.
Okay on the gibbons, though you need to explain how their dentition is shaped by their diet (environment).
I'm not familiar with the chimpanzee mouth being wider than normal for eating speed. They do have a dentiton very similar to ours and a highly varied diet. Could that be related?
Why do old world monkeys and apes have one fewer tooth in each quadrant than do lemurs and new world monkeys?
For your summary, I see your point on the similarities but it is important to recognize the differences as well. Each of these primates have differences in their diets and those are reflected in their dentition.
Rouba,
ReplyDeleteIt is fascinating that Chimpanzees, gibbons and baboons all share dental patterns even though they are found in different regions. Amazing how dental structure adapts to the primates location and the food that they eat.
I don't agree that other monkeys have "better" traits than lemurs do; each monkey's traits have been selected over time to be more fit for its environment. The traits of a baboon may be great for its environment, but if a baboon is put into the environment of a spider monkey or a lemur it would be in trouble.
ReplyDeleteThe lemur's dental comb is interesting though, I haven't seen teeth like that in a primate before.