Final answer:
The tarsier is unique in the primate world, possessing traits of both prosimian and anthropoid primates and is classified under the haplorrhines. They have exceptionally large eyes relative to their skull, are carnivorous, and can rotate their heads 360 degrees.
Step-by-step explanation:
The tarsier, a member of the family Tarsiidae, exhibits traits that are characteristic of both prosimian and anthropoid primates, leading to some confusion in their classification. However, tarsiers have their own classification under the haplorrhines, to which humans also belong. Traits that tarsiers and other haplorrhines have in common include the inability to synthesize their own Vitamin C and a reliance on obtaining it from their diet.
Tarsiers are known for their distinctive physical characteristics such as remarkably large eyes, which occupy a significant portion of their skull and do not rotate like those of humans. Instead, tarsiers possess the ability to rotate their head 360 degrees, similar to an owl. Additionally, they stand out as the only exclusively carnivorous primates, feeding predominantly on flying insects, among other small animals.
These animals exhibit nocturnal behavior, possess a high sensitivity to noise, and often do not thrive in captive conditions due to stress. The Philippine tarsier (Carlito syrichta), specifically, is endemic to the southern part of the Philippine islands and is one of the smallest primates with considerably large eyes compared to its brain size, and long hind legs for leaping through its arboreal habitat.