Primate Data Project - Research Paper Example

They have characteristics such as reddish brown hair, long arms and arboreal habits. Based on previous studies, gorillas have shown that they are derivatives of the ancient ancestors dated back to 14million years ago. Its ancestors are believed to be the ancestors of the African Apes and humans. The south Asian Siva Australopithecus and late Miocene (existed between 1200 and 900 million years back) share similarities, and they are also believed to the ancestors of the extant orangutan (Smith et al., 2010). Both primates share various characteristics such as being hairy and long arms that allow them to move from tree to tree (Smith et al., 2010). They also mostly found in places that have dense canopies.

Differences between the two primates comes in the physical make up. The siamangs weigh approximately 25-30 pounds when they are fully grown. In terms of the feeding characteristics, they are omnivorous and they feed primarily on fruits and leaves. They also take nuts and at times they can consume small vertebrates. They have black hair in most cases. These primates are also protective of their young ones since they get involved a lot in rearing them. Orangunas weigh between 50-90 kilograms and they have throat sacs meant for vocalization.

Their hair color is mostly reddish and shaggy. Their arms are longer than their legs and this facilitates swinging from canopy to canopy. Another unique feature is their enormous cheek pads. They feed on leaves and insects just like the siamangas. The two groups of animals were divided into separate groups then they were placed under observation. Each of these observations were then recorded on a table. What followed is the calculation of the percentage time for each activity. The time calculation involved the amount of time spent eating, eating or even moving around the place in which they were (Smith et al., 2010). Collection of the data also involved taking