…the unity and diversity of life, illustrated by skull replicas of living primates (back row) and extinct putative human relatives (front row). Unity of form is plainly visible (short snouts, bony brain case, binocular vision, jaw arrangement) = the mark of kinship. Variations on the primate “theme” are also in evidence (teeth, skull size, muscle attachments, brain size) = ecological diversity. We measured these skulls and talked about their significance in Intro Bio this week.

A few cool living relatives:

Tarsier: a nocturnal (BIG eyes) insectivore (sharp little teeth)

Capuchin — strong premolars for cracking nuts, big ol’ canines for social “interactions”

The largest living great ape — massive sagittal crest (ridge of bone on top of head) for attachment of HUGE chewing muscles used to chomp on stems and leaves. The ape-cow.