a. The most anatomically modern humans, also known as homo-sapiens, have been around for roughly 200,000 years and are said to have originated in Africa. They are known for their highly developed brain, ability to reason, problem solving skills and language capabilities. These, along with their skeletal structure, physical make up, ability to walk upright, and opposable thumbs are what distinguish humans from any other species on Earth.
Orangutans are primates that are from the great ape family. They are known as being among the most intelligent primates and typically have longer arms than other great apes. Orangutans are native to Indonesia and Malaysia.
b. An
opposable thumb can be placed opposite the fingers of the same hand and allow
the digits to grasp and handle objects. The usage of opposable thumbs in one difference between the human and the orangutan. Humans use their hands and
thumbs for grasping and manipulating objects while Orangutans, who also use
their thumbs for these purposes, also use their hands to walk. Another
importance difference that separates the two thumbs is length. No other primate
has a thumb that is as long as a humans thereby not being as productive as the
human thumb.
c. Both humans and the orangutan originate from the Hominidae Family. Hominidae has three branches: gorillas, chimpanzees and humans. Only recently, within the last 30 years, has this family included gorillas and chimpanzees.
2.
Analogous
trait: Front pouch
a. A kangaroo is a marsupial that is native to Australia. They are known for having large, powerful hind legs, large feet (for leaping), a long muscular tail (for balance), and a small head. Their only means of travel is through hopping and they are strict herbivores. One well known characteristic of the female kangaroo is her marsupium, or pouch, where she will keep her joey until it is ready to leave, which is usually about nine months.
Seahorses are fish that range in size from .6 inches to 14 inches long. They do not have scales but rather a thin skin that covers the surface of their bone structure. They are found throughout the world and are known for their distinctive body shape, which gives them their name. They are among the only species in the world that is given birth to by the male of the species.
b. Despite their differences, the
kangaroo and the seahorse both use pouches (known as the marsupium in kangaroos
and brood pouch in seahorses) to “give birth to” and develop their young.
c. Honestly, I have no idea who
their common ancestor would be.
I had no idea that the human thumb was the longest of any species. I actually thought that orangutan's and monkey's thumbs would have been longer since they seen to use their hands more productively swinging from branches and running on them also. Also, that is a great observation with the seahorses and kangaroos. I never would have came up with that for my traits!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading about the kangaroo and the seahorses. I did not know that the male seahorse gives birth, It is interesting, how despite their different habitats they share this same way to carry their offspring. Good answer about the humans and orangutan. Hands and specially thumbs are indeed on the of the traits that we have more in common with this specie. Good Job
ReplyDeleteLet's start with the analogous traits, which was a great choice as an example of parallel evolution.
ReplyDeleteYou didn't need to know who the specific ancestor was, but can you guess as to the general type of creature was the common ancestor, and more importantly, did this ancestor have a pouch and pass on this trait to the kangaroo and the sea horse? Or did these organisms develop the trait independently?
The opposable thumbs of the human and the orangutan are not really homologous traits, they are the same trait. They are used for precision grasping and fine locomotor skills. (Orangs walk on their fists, not their thumbs.) A homologous trait will have a common origin but a different function and structure due to different evolutionary pressures.
is it has any relation with similar structure but different function
ReplyDelete