Body Size and Sexual Dimorphism

Lemurs

a.) These primates live in Madagascar Islands or Comoro Islands which is on the Southeast coast of Africa and have evolved with the ability to live in an extreme seasonal environment. Lemurs deal with disgustingly dry weather all the way to drenching wet weather. They are called arboreal which is why they live in trees, but there are also some that live on the ground too. During the rainy seasons, most Lemurs live in the rain forest because there are more food there but will leave once the seasons over. These primates will adapt easily to any environment they're given.

b.) Lemurs vary on body size, depending on the type of Lemurs you are looking at, however, in general they're very small in size. Their length is between 90 centimeters and 110 centimeters. They have long pointy noses that allows them to smell which is what they depend heavily on. They rely on their balance skills. They vary on weight from 1.1 ounces to about 20 pounds. Compared to an anthropoid primate, their brain to body size ratio is smaller. It's the same for male and female lemurs, not much of a difference in size regardless of their gender, although their colors are different. Lemurs lack sexual dimorphism, however, they show sexual dichromatism, which is when males and females of the same species show different patterns and color fur. Males posses black/dark chocolate fur while females are lighter brown/chestnut color.

c.) The lemurs are relatively small and have mess body mass then most primates. When in the rain forest, jumping from tree to tree, they have the ability to throw themselves a lot further then most primates larger then them. Lemurs weigh less and since they're smaller, they're able to hide up in trees from their predators easily. Their body size is huge advantage in their habitat because it enables them to either be on the ground or up in the trees. Most of them live in trees, however, larger Lemurs supposedly live on the ground.

Spider Monkeys

a.) Spider monkeys are found in the tropical rainforests of Central and South America and can be found all the way north to Mexico but some species are also found in Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia. They live in trees just like Lemurs do but prefer undisturbed evergreen rainforests and the upper canopies. They very rarely come down to ground level. Because they live pretty much in the upper canopy, they are pretty well adapted to their environment in the treetops and are fairly strong. They are considered the acrobats of New World primates.

b.) These primates have very little sexual dimorphism as well. Males (about 24 pounds) tend to be slightly larger then females (about 21 pound). Their length is about 35 centimeters including their tails. Males are more dominant than females, however, I have read that females are the ones who scare predators away.

c.) The spider monkeys characteristics allows them to adapt to their lifestyle quite well. Their long arms allows them to swing from tree to tree, using the hand over hand method called brachiation. Their hook type hands gives them the ability to grip the branches and swing right off of them to the next one and their tails are strong enough to hold their whole bodies. These prehensile tails allows them to move throughout the rainforest with security and ease.

Baboon

a.) These primates live in the grassland of Africa, the savannas, woodlands and some live in the tropical rainforest and baboons are very adaptable for any environment they live in. They mostly live in tall trees or cliff faces. They can survive a long time without water because at night, they can lick the dew around them to give them the refreshing water.

b.) Smaller, thinner, and lighter baboons live in the coastal and southern Kenya while darker and more heavy ones live in western and central Kenya. No matter the size, both are considered “dogfaced”. They range from 50 to 100 pounds and are 14 centimeters to 30 centimeters at the shoulder. These primates are one of the largest primates. They are sexual dimorphic mainly in size because the males are nearly twice as big as females. Although, color is sometimes another sexual dimorphism. Males are usually a white and silver color with red or tan around their face while females are mainly just brown in color.

c.) Because Baboons are one of the largest primates, their body size allows them fight off predators well. They're still able to move quickly and they live in the open grasslands of Africa enabling them to see far in the distance in case there are predators near. Males have a bigger body than females so they can compete for mating partners when given the opportunity.

Gibbon

a.) Gibbons live in the evergreen tropical rainforest of southeast Asia and scattered in the forests of China, Burma, Philippines, and Malaysia. They also live in the upper branches of trees and swing from tree to tree. These primates rarely are on the ground and when they walk, whether it be on the branches or on the trees, they will put their arms over their heads to balance them.

b.) Because of their body size, they are considered the lesser of the apes and are relatively smaller then most apes. They have an average of 3 feet in height and weigh around 17 and 26 pounds and their fur color could range from cream/brown to black. These primates also show very little sexual dimorphism. Males and females are around the same size, however, their coloring of the skin and fur is what can be determined male or female. Males are mainly black while females are more of a golden color. This seems to be the way most of these primates can tell between males and females.

c.) Gibbons have long arms enabling them to swing from tree to tree. They also have hook hands and when they're in locomotion, they can move at around 35 miles an hour and flying through gaps of 50 feet just in one leap. Their light weight bodies and long arms is what allows them to fly through the rainforest so quickly. Since they are rarely on the ground, they mainly stay in the treetops which helps them stay away from predators. Their little bodies is an advantage of them hiding in the branches.

Chimpanzee

a.) These great apes only can be found in Africa starting from the west coast of the continent to as far east as Tanzania. They also live in the tropical rainforests, although this place used to be the equatorial forest belt of Africa. These apes are very adaptable to any given environment they live in. Some can adapt to open woodlands, open savannahs, and swamp forests. Whichever habitat they adapted to will determine their behavior. Chimps rarely venture away from forests because they spend most of their time in the trees where the eat, sleep, and socialize. They do not stay high in the trees, but are in the mid to lower tree levels including the ground.

b.) There's a difference between the males and females in these primates because males are usually around 75 to 150 pounds with a height between 3 to 4 feet while females weigh around 50 to 100 pounds with a height of 2 to 3 feet. In regards to the color, males and females have the same black hair all over their bodies, with white beards, pale faces and prominent ears.

c.) Because their bodies are bigger then most, they are able to fight off predators heading in their direction and have long arms to enable them to travel between trees. Their body weight, however, is what makes them not able to live in the treetops of the rainforest like the some of the other primates. They have bigger hands allowing them to grip the trees when traveling on the branches.

The environment has a huge influence on the way these primates live. All of their long arms allow them to swing throughout the rainforests and trees. Their body size depends on the habitat that their living in too. Because chimpanzees and baboons have bigger bodies, some often live on the ground while the other primates like lemurs, spider monkeys, and gibbon are able to live in the trees because of their light body weight. Chimps and baboons have to fight off more predators when on the ground which is why they have bigger bodies, in contrast to the other primates and their smaller bodies.