Skeleton of a crab-eating Macaque (Macaca fascicularis). Female. Skeleton labeled as a "Java Monkey" in 1951. All epithyses are unfused, suggesting a young specimen age. Item Description and Elements Present: Almost all elements are present. All present elements have been numbered with NC#. Many elements have been sided properly. Almost all elements have at least some pink/red staining. Skull and Mandible: All skull sutures unfused. No visibly broken or cracked elements. No staining. All teeth accounted for (maxilla and mandible) and secure. Left upper M2 is slightly loose in socket. Length of skull from occipital bone to front of maxilla is 12 cm. Width of skull from zygomatic process to zygomatic process is 6 cm. Length of mandible is 8 cm. width between distal edges of condyles is 8 cm. Vertebrae: There are 6 cervical, 11/12 thoracic, and 9/10 lumbar vertebrae are present, all without staining. Vertebrae are currently IN ORDER secured via twine. Ribs: ribs are labeled left/right. There are 13 R ribs, 11 L ribs. Ribs have been numbered on the proximal facet. (it is possible I mis-labeled one vertebra.) Scapulae and Clavicals: Both left and right of both elements are present. Limited staining on these elements. Longbones: Random pink/red staining patches on all bones. Left humerus and right femur are present (opposites are missing). All other longbones (ulna, radius, tibia, fibula) have both left and right elements. Head of femur is fused, but, although not loose distal condyles dhow prominent epithysis line. Possible presence of glue attatching the condyles to the femur body. Likewise for head of humerus, distal edge of left tibia, both radii, ulnas, and fibula. Distal epithysis of R tibia is missing. Femur lengthis 13 cm. Pelvis: both left and right os coxae are present. At least a partial set of sacrum vertebrae present. All elements unfused. All elements has random pink/red staining. Caudal vertebrae: at least 17 elements present, and possibly 20. Significant pink/red staining on all elements. Several epithysis have become separated from vertebral bodies. Hands: elements from both left and right hand are present and separated into left/right boxes, though it is unknown whether all elements are present; difficult to properly lay out these small bones without an anatomical guide to macaques. Sternum: All elements are present, unfused, and free from the pink/red stain. Feet: Elements from both feet are present. Both feet have same pink/red staining. Right foot - all bones of ankle joint present. Metapodials are unfused; some epithyses have been glued to distal/proximal ends, and some have either come loose from glue treatment or were purposefully left un-fixed. At least three complete philanges are present. Left: in condition significantly similar to right.
- Catalog Number:
- 67259 -LONG
- Object/Specimen Description:
- Specimen Count:
- 1
- Sex:
- Female
- Life Stage:
- Immature
- Upper Level Taxonomy:
- Animalia, Chordata, Vertebrata, Tetrapoda, Mammalia, Eutheria, Primates, Haplorrhini, Cercopithecidae, Cercopithecinae
Most primates live in social groups. While group size ranges from a few to over 100 individuals (depending on species), the composition of a primate group is pretty stable. The hub of the group tends to be females with offspring. Some groups have just one male, the harem leader, who monopolizes females by chasing other males away from a territory. Other groups have multiple males, and may range over areas too large to defend. Regardless, dominance hierarchies are often established in primate groups. The strongest individuals get better access to food or other resources. Primates are constantly picking through each other's fur (grooming). While grooming removes parasites and cleans fur, it may also help maintain social hierarchies. Scientists have found that in some primate societies, subordinate females will groom dominant females in exchange for extra food.
Mammals are able to make enough internal body heat to keep their bodies at a relatively constant, high temperature. Endothermy (endo= inside; thermic= heat) makes mammals less dependent on outside temperatures, freeing them to be active in a wide range of conditions. Mammals may be active at night (nocturnal) or in the day (diurnal), in climates as extreme as the cold poles or the hot tropics. Adaptations to warm up or cool off, such as shivering and sweating, allow mammals to maintain their preferred body temperatures in the face of these extremes. Mammals also regulate body temperature with behavior: elephants flapping ears to cool off, humans wearing coats to warm up, dogs panting to cool down. The hairs making up mammal fur are raised or lowered to provide more or less insulation as needed.