Haplorhini (), the haplorhines (
Greek for "simple-nosed") or the "dry-nosed" primates, is a suborder of primates containing the
tarsiers and the
simians (Simiiformes or anthropoids), as sister of the
Strepsirrhini ("moist-nosed"). The name is sometimes spelled Haplorrhini. The simians include
catarrhines
The parvorder Catarrhini , catarrhine monkeys, Old World anthropoids, or Old World monkeys, consisting of the Cercopithecoidea and apes (Hominoidea). In 1812, Geoffroy grouped those two groups together and established the name Catarrhini, "Old ...
(
Old World monkeys and
ape
Apes (collectively Hominoidea ) are a clade of Old World simians native to sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia (though they were more widespread in Africa, most of Asia, and as well as Europe in prehistory), which together with its sister g ...
s, including
humans), and the
platyrrhines
New World monkeys are the five families of primates that are found in the tropical regions of Mexico, Central and South America: Callitrichidae, Cebidae, Aotidae, Pitheciidae, and Atelidae. The five families are ranked together as the Ceboidea ...
(
New World monkey
New World monkeys are the five families of primates that are found in the tropical regions of Mexico, Central and South America: Callitrichidae, Cebidae, Aotidae, Pitheciidae, and Atelidae. The five families are ranked together as the Ceboidea ...
s).
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
Hugh Cuming (14 February 1791 – 10 August 1865) was an English collector who was interested in natural history, particularly in conchology and botany. He has been described as the "Prince of Collectors".
Born in England, he spent a number of ...
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
Common descent is a concept in evolutionary biology applicable when one species is the ancestor of two or more species later in time. All living beings are in fact descendants of a unique ancestor commonly referred to as the last universal comm ...
, 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 that manufactures
Vitamin C, while the strepsirrhines, like most other orders of mammals, have retained this enzyme. Genetically, five
short interspersed nuclear elements
Retrotransposons (also called Class I transposable elements or transposons via RNA intermediates) are a type of genetic component that copy and paste themselves into different genomic locations ( transposon) by converting RNA back into DNA throug ...
(SINEs) are common to all haplorhines whilst absent in strepsirrhines.
The haplorhine
upper lip, which has replaced the ancestral
rhinarium
The rhinarium (New Latin, "belonging to the nose"; plural: rhinaria) is the furless skin surface surrounding the external openings of the nostrils in many mammals. Commonly it is referred to as the tip of the '' snout'', and breeders of cats and ...
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
The ''postorbital'' is one of the bones in vertebrate skulls which forms a portion of the dermal skull roof and, sometimes, a ring about the orbit. Generally, it is located behind the postfrontal and posteriorly to the orbital fenestra. In some ve ...
plate, unlike the
postorbital bar found in strepsirrhines. Most species are
diurnal (the exceptions being the tarsiers and the
night monkey
Night monkeys, also known as owl monkeys or douroucoulis (), are nocturnal New World monkeys of the genus ''Aotus'', the only member of the family Aotidae (). The genus comprises eleven species which are found across Panama and much of South Ame ...
s).
All anthropoids have a single-chambered
uterus; tarsiers have a
bicornate uterus
A bicornuate uterus or bicornate uterus (from the Latin ''cornū'', meaning "horn"), is a type of mullerian anomaly in the human uterus, where there is a deep indentation at the fundus (top) of the uterus.
Pathophysiology
A bicornuate 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 periods, 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
Taxonomy is the practice and science of categorization or classification.
A taxonomy (or taxonomical classification) is a scheme of classification, especially a hierarchical classification, in which things are organized into groups or types. A ...
name Haplorhini derives from the
Ancient Greek ' (, "onefold, single, simple") and ' ( (
genitive ῥινός), "nose"). It refers to the lack of a
rhinarium
The rhinarium (New Latin, "belonging to the nose"; plural: rhinaria) is the furless skin surface surrounding the external openings of the nostrils in many mammals. Commonly it is referred to as the tip of the '' snout'', and breeders of cats and ...
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, diverged 74 million years ago (mya), but no crown primate fossils are known prior to the beginning of the
Eocene, 56 mya.
The same molecular analysis suggests the infraorder
Tarsiiformes, 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
simians (or anthropoids), is divided into two parvorders: Platyrrhini (the
New World monkey
New World monkeys are the five families of primates that are found in the tropical regions of Mexico, Central and South America: Callitrichidae, Cebidae, Aotidae, Pitheciidae, and Atelidae. The five families are ranked together as the Ceboidea ...
s) and
Catarrhini
The parvorder Catarrhini , catarrhine monkeys, Old World anthropoids, or Old World monkeys, consisting of the Cercopithecoidea and apes (Hominoidea). In 1812, Geoffroy grouped those two groups together and established the name Catarrhini, "Old W ...
(the
Old World monkeys and
ape
Apes (collectively Hominoidea ) are a clade of Old World simians native to sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia (though they were more widespread in Africa, most of Asia, and as well as Europe in prehistory), which together with its sister g ...
s). The New World monkeys split from catarrhines about 35 - 40 mya and have African origin,
while the apes (
Hominoidea
Apes (collectively Hominoidea ) are a clade of Old World simians native to sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia (though they were more widespread in Africa, most of Asia, and as well as Europe in prehistory), which together with its sister g ...
) diverged from Old World monkeys (
Cercopithecoidea
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 ...
) 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
Primates
** Suborder
Strepsirrhini: lemurs, lorises, galagos etc.
** Suborder Haplorhini: tarsiers + monkeys and apes
*** Infraorder
Tarsiiformes
**** Family
Tarsiidae
Tarsiers ( ) are haplorhine primates of the family Tarsiidae, which is itself the lone extant family within the infraorder Tarsiiformes. Although the group was once more widespread, all of its species living today are found in Maritime Southeast ...
: tarsiers
*** Infraorder
Simiiformes
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 Catarrh ...
: 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: capuchins, squirrel monkeys
***** Family
Aotidae
Night monkeys, also known as owl monkeys or douroucoulis (), are nocturnal New World monkeys of the genus ''Aotus'', the only member of the family Aotidae (). The genus comprises eleven species which are found across Panama and much of South Am ...
: night or owl monkeys (douroucoulis)
***** Family
Pitheciidae
The Pitheciidae () are one of the five families of New World monkeys now recognised. Formerly, they were included in the family Atelidae. The family includes the titis, saki monkeys and uakaris. Most species are native to the Amazon region of Bra ...
: titis, sakis, uakaris
***** Family
Atelidae
The Atelidae are one of the five families of New World monkeys now recognised. It was formerly included in the family Cebidae. Atelids are generally larger monkeys; the family includes the howler, spider, woolly, and woolly spider monkeys (t ...
: howler, spider, and woolly monkeys
**** Parvorder
Catarrhini
The parvorder Catarrhini , catarrhine monkeys, Old World anthropoids, or Old World monkeys, consisting of the Cercopithecoidea and apes (Hominoidea). In 1812, Geoffroy grouped those two groups together and established the name Catarrhini, "Old W ...
Old World anthropoids
***** Superfamily
Cercopithecoidea
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 ...
****** 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 (collectively Hominoidea ) are a clade of Old World simians native to sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia (though they were more widespread in Africa, most of Asia, and as well as Europe in prehistory), which together with its sister g ...
: apes
****** Family
Hylobatidae
Gibbons () are apes in the family Hylobatidae (). The family historically contained one genus, but now is split into four extant genera and 20 species. Gibbons live in subtropical and tropical rainforest from eastern Bangladesh to Northeast Indi ...
: lesser apes (gibbons)
****** Family
Hominidae: 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
Propliopithecoidea is a superfamily of catarrhine primates that inhabited Africa and Arabia during the Early Oligocene about 32 to 29 million years ago. Fossils have been found in Egypt, Oman and Angola. They are one of the earliest known familie ...
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
Primates
**
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 ...
**
Strepsirrhini: lemurs, lorises, galagos and their ancestors
**Haplorhini
*** possible
stem Haplorrhini - see explanation below
***
Tarsiiformes /
Omomyiformes 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
Tarsiers ( ) are haplorhine primates of the family Tarsiidae, which is itself the lone extant family within the infraorder Tarsiiformes. Although the group was once more widespread, all of its species living today are found in Maritime Southeast ...
***
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
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 Catarrh ...
****
Eosimiidae early anthropoids (or simians)
****
Amphipithecidae
****
Parapithecoidea
Parapithecoidea is an extinct superfamily of primates which lived in the Eocene and Oligocene periods in Egypt. In some classifications all Parapithecoidea are placed within the family Parapithecidae. Seiffert ''et al.'' (2010) propose that Para ...
****
Proteopithecoidea
****
Oligopithecidae
Oligopithecidae is an extinct basal Catarrhine family from the late Eocene of Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner ...
****
Catarrhini
The parvorder Catarrhini , catarrhine monkeys, Old World anthropoids, or Old World monkeys, consisting of the Cercopithecoidea and apes (Hominoidea). In 1812, Geoffroy grouped those two groups together and established the name Catarrhini, "Old W ...
Old World anthropoids
****
Platyrrhini New World monkeys
Sigé et al (1990) describe ''
Altiatlasius
''Altiatlasius'' ("High Atlas" from Latin altus, "high" + Atlas, "Atlas") is an extinct genus of mammal, which may have been the oldest known primate, dating to the Late Paleocene (c.57 ma) from Morocco. The only species, ''Altiatlasius koulchii' ...
'' 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
Adapiformes is a group of early primates. Adapiforms radiated throughout much of the northern continental mass (now Europe, Asia and North America), reaching as far south as northern Africa and tropical Asia. They existed from the Eocene to the ...
(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
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 ...
and
hominoidea
Apes (collectively Hominoidea ) are a clade of Old World simians native to sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia (though they were more widespread in Africa, most of Asia, and as well as Europe in prehistory), which together with its sister g ...
) 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, 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
''Darwinius'' is a genus within the infraorder Adapiformes, a group of basal strepsirrhine primates from the middle Eocene epoch. Its only known species, ''Darwinius masillae'', lived approximately 47 million years ago (Lutetian stage) based on ...
.
References
Literature cited
*
* ''Primate Taxonomy'' (Smithsonian Institution Press, 2001),
Colin Groves
Colin Peter Groves (24 June 1942 – 30 November 2017) was a British-Australian biologist and anthropologist. Groves was Professor of Biological Anthropology at the Australian National University in Canberra, Australia.
Education
Born in Englan ...
()
* ''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