Scientists have studied primates for many years. Primatology helps anthropologists draw conclusions about the early social organization of hominids. (Kottak, 96) The three primates I recently observed at the Lowry Park Zoo are collared lemurs, mandrills, and Bornean orangutans. Each primate is classified differently. The collared lemur (Eulemur Collaris) is one of the prosimians. They are inhabited in a small protected area in Madagascar. The Mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx) belongs to the Old World monkeys native to Malaysia. Finally, the Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) is classified among the apes and is native to the island of Borneo. From my observations, you can definitely recognize the difference between each species. The first primate I observed was the collared lemur (Eulemur Collaris). When I was watching them, they were always sleeping on a branch. But by observing its environment, you can determine many of its characteristics. The setting in which the lemurs were held in captivity closely resembles the habitat they came from when living in the wild. Lemurs live in trees, which is why they are called arboreal, meaning they spend most of their time on branches rather than on the ground (Kottak, 102). Their tail (which is longer than their body length) helps them balance as they move through the tree. Collared lemurs jump from tree to tree. They have opposite thumbs and long toes that help them climb and cling. You can assume its brain size is small based on its body size. But don't let that fool you. Collared lemurs are very intelligent animals. The two sources of communication between lemurs are vocalization and smell. They e...... middle of paper ...... have this maternal instinct to take care of their child. The same goes for primates. It is usually the mother who takes care of the offspring for a certain period of time. From my observations, each primate is different in terms of anatomy, locomotion and social behavior. They all have a certain lifestyle, some are terrestrial while others are arboreal. Each species has a particular way of communicating with each other. They may use sign language, vocalization, or smell, or all three. The collared lemur, Bornean orangutan, and mandrill all come from different classes, meaning they all have different lifestyles and different techniques for surviving. Works CitedKottak, C. (2012). Window on humanity. (Fifth ed., pp. 96-109). New York: McGraw-Hill. Myers, S. (September 2009). Information on lemurs. Taken from lemurworld.com