Final answer:
The statement that primates became primates through adaptation to life in the savannah is false; they adapted to an arboreal lifestyle. The arboreal theory indicates that their evolution occurred in the trees, leading to various physical adaptations for tree-dwelling.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to the arboreal theory, primates adapted to life in the trees, not the savannah. Therefore, the statement that primates became primates by adapting to life in the savannah is false. The savanna hypothesis is a different concept, which suggests that many human traits, such as upright bipedalism, evolved as adaptations to a savanna habitat, not the arboreal characteristics of primates.
Primates have various adaptations for an arboreal lifestyle, such as thumbs and big toes that are perpendicular to their other digits to help them grasp branches, reflecting their evolution in trees. This heritage has led to traits essential for arboreal living, including rotating shoulder joints, separated digits for gripping, stereoscopic vision for depth perception, and other adaptations like larger brains and a trend toward upright body posture.