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1.9 analyse information and use available evidence to identify technological advances and resulting new information that have changed scientists’ opinions about the classification of primates

analyse information and use available evidence to identify technological advances and resulting new information that have changed scientists’ opinions about the classification of primates

Background

Classification of the primates is difficult. The traditional classification is based on anatomical features while more recent classification is based on genetic differences. The main change in classification that has occurred is that African apes are no longer classified with Asian apes and are considered to be much closer to humans than Asian apes. As new technologies arise the classification system has changed. Traditionally apes were placed in the Pongidae family and humans were in the Hominidae. After molecular evidence (protein analysis) was analysed it was shown that the African apes should be in the Hominidae and the Asian apes (gibbons and orangutan) should be in the Pongidae. Further technological advances such as DNA-DNA hybridisation have shown that chimpanzees and humans are closer than gorillas. The traditional classification had chimpanzees and gorillas closer together. The latest development has removed the gibbons into their own family, the Hylobatidae.

Some useful websites:

Methods of classifying (external website) Taxonomy: Classifying Life Dr John Kimbell, Massachusetts, USA.
Primate taxonomy (external website) Dr Bill Sellers, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, UK