A Tail of Two Monkeys: Dietary Choice in Relation to Cranial and Dental Evolution in the Red Howler Monkey and Olive Baboon
Poster Number
22
Format
Poster Presentation
Faculty Mentor Name
Dorothy Dechant
Faculty Mentor Department
Dentistry
Abstract/Artist Statement
Monkeys, along with prosimians, apes and humans, are classified in the Order Primates. Members of this order share certain characteristics while each species exhibits a number of unique traits. The niche parameters of two monkeys, the New World red howler monkey (Alouatta seniculus) and the Old World olive baboon (Papio anubis) are compared here, with emphasis on cranial and dental anatomy. Literature searches resulted in comparative information of the ecology, life history, behavior, diet, locomotion and anatomy of these two species. Cranial and dental measurements were taken to describe anatomical differences resulting from adaptation to an arboreal niche with leaf-eating diet (howler monkey) versus a terrestrial niche with omnivorous diet (olive baboon). The data compiled suggests that dietary adaptation to folivory has produced a comparatively smaller, arboreal monkey while adaptation to omnivory has produced a larger, terrestrial monkey.
Location
Grave Covell
Start Date
21-4-2012 10:00 AM
End Date
21-4-2012 12:00 PM
A Tail of Two Monkeys: Dietary Choice in Relation to Cranial and Dental Evolution in the Red Howler Monkey and Olive Baboon
Grave Covell
Monkeys, along with prosimians, apes and humans, are classified in the Order Primates. Members of this order share certain characteristics while each species exhibits a number of unique traits. The niche parameters of two monkeys, the New World red howler monkey (Alouatta seniculus) and the Old World olive baboon (Papio anubis) are compared here, with emphasis on cranial and dental anatomy. Literature searches resulted in comparative information of the ecology, life history, behavior, diet, locomotion and anatomy of these two species. Cranial and dental measurements were taken to describe anatomical differences resulting from adaptation to an arboreal niche with leaf-eating diet (howler monkey) versus a terrestrial niche with omnivorous diet (olive baboon). The data compiled suggests that dietary adaptation to folivory has produced a comparatively smaller, arboreal monkey while adaptation to omnivory has produced a larger, terrestrial monkey.