Linguistics 320
From Michael Tomasello and Josep Call, 1997. Primate
Cognition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
The Origin and Evolution of Human Language
Prof. Suzanne Kemmer
Course Homepage
Course Schedule
Primates: Closest Relatives to Humans
Main Primate Groups
Group Appearance
1. Prosimians: lorises, tarsiers, lemurs 55 million years before present
2. New World Monkeys: marmosets and tamarins; cebid monkeys 30-40 million years B.P.
3. Old World Monkeys: colobines and cercopithecines 15-25
million years B.P.
4. Apes: Lesser apes and great apes ca. 10-15 million years B.P.
5. Hominids ca. 4 million years B.P.
Apes and Humans (Hominoidea)
Hylobatidae Gibbons
Pongidae Gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos, orangutans
Hominidae Humans