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In the Primates, what are the two basic divisions or suborders?

User Arlaharen
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Final answer:

The order Primates splits into two basic divisions or suborders, the Strepsirrhini, including wet-nosed species like lemurs, and the Haplorhini, encompassing dry-nosed species like apes and humans.

Step-by-step explanation:

The order Primates is categorized primarily into two suborders: Strepsirrhini and Haplorhini. Strepsirrhini, commonly known as the wet-nosed primates, includes species like the bush babies, lemurs, and lorises. They exhibit traits such as nocturnality, larger olfactory centers compared to their cousins, and typically possess a smaller size and brain. On the other hand, the Haplorhini suborder, or dry-nosed primates, contains tarsiers, simians (which encompasses New World monkeys, Old World monkeys, apes, and humans). Haplorhines are primarily diurnal and rely heavily on vision. They include creatures that range from the smallest tarsiers to the largest apes, and of course, humans. Differences also exist in dietary needs, such as Haplorhines needing dietary vitamin C.

Further division of Haplorhini leads to the infraorders Simiiformes and Tarsiiformes, where Simiiformes is subdivided into Platyrrhini (New World monkeys) and Catarrhini (Old World monkeys, apes, and humans).

User PurpleAlien
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