Haplorhini (), the haplorhines (
Greek for "simple-nosed") or the "dry-nosed" primates, is a suborder of primates containing the
tarsiers and the
simian
The simians, anthropoids, or higher primates are an infraorder (Simiiformes ) of primates containing all animals traditionally called monkeys and apes. More precisely, they consist of the parvorders New World monkeys (Platyrrhini) and Cat ...
s (Simiiformes or anthropoids), as sister of the
Strepsirrhini
Strepsirrhini or Strepsirhini (; ) is a suborder of primates that includes the lemuriform primates, which consist of the lemurs of Madagascar, galagos ("bushbabies") and pottos from Africa, and the lorises from India and southeast Asia. Co ...
("moist-nosed"). The name is sometimes spelled Haplorrhini. The simians include
catarrhines (
Old World monkeys and
apes, including
human
Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, cultu ...
s), and the
platyrrhines (
New World monkeys).
Haplorhini was proposed by
Pocock in 1918 when he realized the tarsiers were actually sister to the monkeys rather than the lemurs, also following findings of
Hugh Cuming 80 years earlier and
Linnaeus 160 years earlier.
For Linnaeus, this ensemble of primates constituted a genus "''Simia''". For religious reasons, ''Homo'' constituted its own genus (which has remained).
The extinct
omomyids, which are considered to be the most
basal haplorhines, are believed to be more closely related to the
tarsiers than to other haplorhines. The exact relationship is not yet fully established – Williams, Kay and Kirk (2010) prefer the view that tarsiers and simians share a
common ancestor, and that common ancestor shares a common ancestor with the omomyids, citing evidence from analysis by Bajpal et al. in 2008; but they also note two other possibilities – that tarsiers are directly descended from omomyids, with simians being a separate line, or that both simians and tarsiers are descended from omomyids.
Haplorhines share a number of derived features that distinguish them from the
strepsirrhine "wet-nosed" primates (whose Greek name means "curved nose"), the other suborder of primates from which they
diverged some 63 million years ago. The haplorhines, including tarsiers, have all lost the function of the terminal
enzyme
Enzymes () are proteins that act as biological catalysts by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different molecules known as products ...
that manufactures
Vitamin C
Vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid and ascorbate) is a water-soluble vitamin found in citrus and other fruits and vegetables, also sold as a dietary supplement and as a topical 'serum' ingredient to treat melasma (dark pigment spots) ...
, while the strepsirrhines, like most other orders of mammals, have retained this enzyme. Genetically, five
short interspersed nuclear elements (SINEs) are common to all haplorhines whilst absent in strepsirrhines.
The haplorhine
upper lip, which has replaced the ancestral
rhinarium found in strepsirrhines, is not directly connected to their nose or gum, allowing a large range of
facial expressions. Their
brain-to-body mass ratio is significantly greater than the strepsirrhines, and their primary sense is vision. Haplorhines have a
postorbital plate, unlike the
postorbital bar found in strepsirrhines. Most species are
diurnal (the exceptions being the tarsiers and the
night monkeys).
All anthropoids have a single-chambered
uterus
The uterus (from Latin ''uterus'', plural ''uteri'') or womb () is the organ in the reproductive system of most female mammals, including humans that accommodates the embryonic and fetal development of one or more embryos until birth. The ...
; tarsiers have a
bicornate uterus like the strepsirrhines. Most species typically have single births, although twins and triplets are common for
marmoset
The marmosets (), also known as zaris or sagoin, are 22 New World monkey species of the genera ''Callithrix'', ''Cebuella'', ''Callibella'', and ''Mico''. All four genera are part of the biological family Callitrichidae. The term "marmoset" is ...
s and
tamarins. Despite similar
gestation period
In mammals, pregnancy is the period of reproduction during which a female carries one or more live offspring from implantation in the uterus through gestation. It begins when a fertilized zygote implants in the female's uterus, and ends once ...
s, haplorhine newborns are relatively much larger than strepsirrhine newborns, but have a longer dependence period on their mother. This difference in size and dependence is credited to the increased complexity of their behavior and natural history.
Etymology
The
taxonomic name Haplorhini derives from the
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic pe ...
' (, "onefold, single, simple") and ' ( (
genitive
In grammar, the genitive case ( abbreviated ) is the grammatical case that marks a word, usually a noun, as modifying another word, also usually a noun—thus indicating an attributive relationship of one noun to the other noun. A genitive can a ...
ῥινός), "nose"). It refers to the lack of a
rhinarium or "wet nose", which is found in many mammals, including
strepsirrhine primates.
Classification and evolution
Molecular estimates based on mitochondrial genomes suggest Haplorhini and its sister clade,
Strepsirrhini
Strepsirrhini or Strepsirhini (; ) is a suborder of primates that includes the lemuriform primates, which consist of the lemurs of Madagascar, galagos ("bushbabies") and pottos from Africa, and the lorises from India and southeast Asia. Co ...
, diverged 74 million years ago (mya), but no crown primate fossils are known prior to the beginning of the
Eocene
The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the modern Cenozoic Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes from the Ancient Greek (''ēṓs'', ...
, 56 mya.
The same molecular analysis suggests the infraorder
Tarsiiformes
Tarsiiformes are a group of primates that once ranged across Europe, northern Africa, Asia, and North America, but whose extant species are all found in the islands of Southeast Asia. Tarsiers (family Tarsiidae) are the only living members ...
, whose only remaining family is that of the tarsier (Tarsiidae), branched off from the other haplorhines 70 mya.
The fossil ''
Archicebus
''Archicebus'' is a genus of fossil primates that lived in the early Eocene forests (~55.8–54.8 million years ago) of what is now Jingzhou in the Hubei Province in central China, discovered in 2003. The only known species, ''A. achil ...
'' may be similar to the most recent common ancestor at this time.
The other major clade within Haplorhini, the
simian
The simians, anthropoids, or higher primates are an infraorder (Simiiformes ) of primates containing all animals traditionally called monkeys and apes. More precisely, they consist of the parvorders New World monkeys (Platyrrhini) and Cat ...
s (or anthropoids), is divided into two parvorders: Platyrrhini (the
New World monkeys) and
Catarrhini (the
Old World monkeys and
apes). The New World monkeys split from catarrhines about 35 - 40 mya and have African origin,
while the apes (
Hominoidea) diverged from Old World monkeys (
Cercopithecoidea) about 25 mya. The available fossil evidence indicates that both the hominoid and cercopithecoid clades originated in Africa.
The following is the listing of the living haplorhine families, and their placement in the Order Primates:
* Order
Primate
Primates are a diverse order of mammals. They are divided into the strepsirrhines, which include the lemurs, galagos, and lorisids, and the haplorhines, which include the tarsiers and the simians ( monkeys and apes, the latter includin ...
s
** Suborder
Strepsirrhini
Strepsirrhini or Strepsirhini (; ) is a suborder of primates that includes the lemuriform primates, which consist of the lemurs of Madagascar, galagos ("bushbabies") and pottos from Africa, and the lorises from India and southeast Asia. Co ...
: lemurs, lorises, galagos etc.
** Suborder Haplorhini: tarsiers + monkeys and apes
*** Infraorder
Tarsiiformes
Tarsiiformes are a group of primates that once ranged across Europe, northern Africa, Asia, and North America, but whose extant species are all found in the islands of Southeast Asia. Tarsiers (family Tarsiidae) are the only living members ...
**** Family
Tarsiidae: tarsiers
*** Infraorder
Simiiformes: monkeys and apes
**** Parvorder
Platyrrhini: New World monkeys
***** Family
Callitrichidae
The Callitrichidae (also called Arctopitheci or Hapalidae) are a family of New World monkeys, including marmosets, tamarins, and lion tamarins. At times, this group of animals has been regarded as a subfamily, called the Callitrichinae, of the ...
: marmosets, tamarins
***** Family
Cebidae
The Cebidae are one of the five families of New World monkeys now recognised. Extant members are the capuchin and squirrel monkeys. These species are found throughout tropical and subtropical South and Central America.
Characteristics
Cebid m ...
: capuchins, squirrel monkeys
***** Family
Aotidae: night or owl monkeys (douroucoulis)
***** Family
Pitheciidae: titis, sakis, uakaris
***** Family
Atelidae: howler, spider, and woolly monkeys
**** Parvorder
Catarrhini Old World anthropoids
***** Superfamily
Cercopithecoidea
****** Family
Cercopithecidae
Old World monkey is the common English name for a family of primates known taxonomically as the Cercopithecidae (). Twenty-four genera and 138 species are recognized, making it the largest primate family. Old World monkey genera include baboons ...
: Old World monkeys
***** Superfamily
Hominoidea: apes
****** Family
Hylobatidae: lesser apes (gibbons)
****** Family
Hominidae
The Hominidae (), whose members are known as the great apes or hominids (), are a taxonomic family of primates that includes eight extant species in four genera: '' Pongo'' (the Bornean, Sumatran and Tapanuli orangutan); ''Gorilla'' (the ...
: great apes and humans
Uncertain placement of extinct early haplorhines
The exact placement of early haplorhine families is uncertain owing to limited evidence. The following sets out a possible order put together by Williams, Kay and Kirk in 2010, based on cladograms put together by Seiffert et al (2005), Marivaux (2006) and Bajpai et al (2008), and should not be seen as definitive. They do not include
Propliopithecoidea as they classify them as early catarrhines.
Also included are Archicebidae, the discovery of which was announced by Ni et al in 2013.
(but see notes below regarding placement).
* Order
Primate
Primates are a diverse order of mammals. They are divided into the strepsirrhines, which include the lemurs, galagos, and lorisids, and the haplorhines, which include the tarsiers and the simians ( monkeys and apes, the latter includin ...
s
**
Plesiadapiformes
Plesiadapiformes ("Adapid-like" or "near Adapiformes") is a group of Primates, a sister of the Dermoptera. While none of the groups normally directly assigned to this group survived, the group appears actually not to be literally extinct (in t ...
**
Strepsirrhini
Strepsirrhini or Strepsirhini (; ) is a suborder of primates that includes the lemuriform primates, which consist of the lemurs of Madagascar, galagos ("bushbabies") and pottos from Africa, and the lorises from India and southeast Asia. Co ...
: lemurs, lorises, galagos and their ancestors
**Haplorhini
*** possible
stem
Stem or STEM may refer to:
Plant structures
* Plant stem, a plant's aboveground axis, made of vascular tissue, off which leaves and flowers hang
* Stipe (botany), a stalk to support some other structure
* Stipe (mycology), the stem of a mushro ...
Haplorrhini - see explanation below
***
Tarsiiformes
Tarsiiformes are a group of primates that once ranged across Europe, northern Africa, Asia, and North America, but whose extant species are all found in the islands of Southeast Asia. Tarsiers (family Tarsiidae) are the only living members ...
/
Omomyiformes
Omomyidae is a group of early primates that radiated during the Eocene epoch between about (mya). Fossil omomyids are found in North America, Europe & Asia making it one of two groups of Eocene primates with a geographic distribution spanning ...
Tarsiers and their ancestors
****
Archicebidae
''Archicebus'' is a genus of fossil primates that lived in the early Eocene forests (~55.8–54.8 million years ago) of what is now Jingzhou in the Hubei Province in central China, discovered in 2003. The only known species, ''A. achil ...
****
Tarsiidae
***
Anthropoidea
The simians, anthropoids, or higher primates are an infraorder (Simiiformes ) of primates containing all animals traditionally called monkeys and apes. More precisely, they consist of the parvorders New World monkeys (Platyrrhini) and Catarrhi ...
/
Simiiformes
****
Eosimiidae
Eosimiidae is the possible family of extinct primates believed to be the earliest simians.
Taxonomy
When they were discovered the possibility that Eosimians were outside and ancestral to Simians was considered (Culotta 1992), but subsequent w ...
early anthropoids (or simians)
****
Amphipithecidae
****
Parapithecoidea
****
Proteopithecoidea
****
Oligopithecidae
****
Catarrhini Old World anthropoids
****
Platyrrhini New World monkeys
Sigé et al (1990) describe ''
Altiatlasius'' as an Omomyiform, but also state that it could be an early anthropoid, with the latter view being supported by Godinot (1994) and Bajpai et al (2008).
Kay et al (2004) point out that a case can be made for Amphipithecidae being placed either as
adapiformes (i.e. early strepsirrhines) or as early anthropoids, noting in particular that they had a long evolution separate from other groups, and that key parts of their anatomy are missing from the fossil record. They conclude that either possibility is equally plausible.
[Callum F Ross, Richard F. Kay ''Anthropoid Origins: New Visions '', Springer, 2004, p. 114]
Kay and Williams (2013, edited by Feagle and Kay), look at possible hypotheses about how oligopiths, parapiths and propliopiths relate to each other and catarrhines and platyrrhines:
- that parapiths and propliopiths are closely related, with their common ancestor being related to oligopiths, and the common ancestor of all three being related to the platyrrhines with extant catarrhines (i.e.
cercopithecoidea and
hominoidea) being descended from the propliopiths;
- or that parapiths and propliopiths are closely related but their common ancestor is closely related to the platyrrhines and the common ancestor of all three is related to the oligopiths, with extant catarrhines again being descended from the propliopiths;
- or that propliopiths and oligopiths are closely related, and parapiths are related to the common ancestor of both and the common ancestor of all three is related to the platyrrhines, with cercopithecoidea being descended from the parapiths and hominoidea being descended from propliopiths.
- finally, they also consider the hypothesis that oligopiths are adapiformes (i.e. early strepsirrhines rather than early haplorhines)
[Richard F. Kay, Blythe A Williams ''Anthropoid Origins: New Visions (Developments in Primatology: Progress and Prospects)'', Springer, 2013, p. 365]
Ni et al, in announcing ''
Archicebus achilles
''Archicebus'' is a genus of fossil primates that lived in the early Eocene forests (~55.8–54.8 million years ago) of what is now Jingzhou in the Hubei Province in central China, discovered in 2003. The only known species, ''A. achil ...
'' in 2013 as what they describe as the earliest known primate with such detailed remains, place it somewhat differently to the above as they place Omomyids within Tarsiiformes, with Omomyids and Tarsiidae sharing a common ancestor, and that common ancestor sharing a common Tarsiiform ancestor with the Archicebidae.
Possible stem Haplorrhini are some species which are usually considered to be
Strepsirrhini
Strepsirrhini or Strepsirhini (; ) is a suborder of primates that includes the lemuriform primates, which consist of the lemurs of Madagascar, galagos ("bushbabies") and pottos from Africa, and the lorises from India and southeast Asia. Co ...
, such as the
Notharctidae
Notharctidae is an extinct family of adapiform primate
Primates are a diverse order of mammals. They are divided into the strepsirrhines, which include the lemurs, galagos, and lorisids, and the haplorhines, which include the tarsiers an ...
, and
Darwinius.
References
Literature cited
*
* ''Primate Taxonomy'' (Smithsonian Institution Press, 2001),
Colin Groves ()
* ''Primates in Question'' (Smithsonian Institution Press, 2003), Robert W. Shumaker & Benjamin B. Beck ()
Neotropical Primates 10(3)
{{Taxonbar, from=Q82261
Primate taxonomy
Extant Paleocene first appearances
Taxa named by R. I. Pocock
Taxa described in 1918