Dentition Patterns of Primates

Lemurs are found in the wild only in the Old World which is Europe, Asia, and Africa. However, the lemurs are primarily found exclusively on the island of Madagascar and the nearby Comoro Islands. This area consists of tropical forests and dry scrub. Unfortunately, the lemur population is on the verge of extinction due to their forest habitats being destroyed by farmersclearing the land. There is not much competition for them with any other non-human primates. The Lemurs have long, curved, rodent-like incisor teeth, to get at their food in hard to reach places. They have a dental comb formed by lower protruding incisors and canines that are used for grooming

and feeding. They also have molars with high pointy cusps. Their Dentition pattern or dental formula in each quadrant is 2133 meaning they have 2 incisors, 1 canine, 3 premolars and 3 molars. In general, all primates have the same kind of teeth that are adapted to eating a wide variety of foods. Due to not much competition the lemurs have not needed to adapt to much which could be why they have the most unusual teeth for primates.

Spider Monkeys are limited to tropical forest environments of southern Mexico, Central, and South America. All of these monkeys are predominantly adapted to life in the trees. They spend most of their time in the trees rather than on ground, air, or water. They eat leaves, fruits, nuts, gums, and occasional small prey such as insects. Their Dentition Pattern is also 2133 like the lemurs. Their teeth have possibly adapted to the wide variety of foods they eat.

Baboons occupy a wide variety of different habitats in South and East Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and even Gibraltar at the southern tip of Spain. Some of the Baboon species inhabit tropical forests, while others live on arid grasslands, mountains with snow, or even semi-arid desert land. They spend most of their day on the ground but sleep in the trees. Male savanna baboons grow up to 80 pounds (36.3 kg.) and have powerful jaws with long canine teeth. These traits are helpful to defend them against predators, competition for mates, and occasional hunting. Their Dental Formula 2123.

Gibbons live in in tropical and sub-tropical rain forests in Southeast Asia. They have prominent canines and their Dentition Pattern is 2123.

Chimpanzees habitats include both tropical forests and bordering savannas which are usually semi-arid plains regions covered with grasses and occasional scattered trees. They reside in Africa. Their Dental Formula is also 2123.

In comparing the five primates with regard to their Dentition Patterns it is obvious that the Lemurs and the Spider Monkeys have a dental pattern of 2133 and the Baboons, Gibbons, and Chimpanzees have a Dental Pattern 2123. It is possible then to conclude, because Humans also have 2123 that the Baboons, Gibbons, and Chimpanzees reflect an evolutionary closeness to humans and also sets the latter three primates apart from the former two primates. The Dentition Patterns are not that different with it only consisting of an extra molar. However, the environment plays a role in the expression of this trait because the animals have to adapt to the environment and the variety of foods that are available to them. These animals all eat a variety of foods. In the cases with not as much competition there is an extra molar.