Afarensis is a 3.5-2.8 million year old hominin from the Kada Hadar member of the Hadar formation in the Middle Awash, Ethiopia. He is approximately 41 inches tall, weighs approximately 60 pounds and has a cranial capacity of a whopping 410 cc (approximately). Afarensis is currently considered to be transitional between apes and humans and displays some traits of both. Since he spends a lot of time on the couch watching monster movies, some observers question whether he is an obligate biped (although no one has observed him climbing a tree). He also has a blog called 
Order: Primates
Family: Callitrichidae
Genus: Callithrix
Species: Callithrix kuhlii
Common Name: Weid's black-tufted-ear marmoset
In some ways, marmosets are highly derived. Their incisors are almost as large as their canines and have thin enamel which causes them to wear down into a chisel like shape similar to rodent incisors. They primarily feed on gums, saps and resins. Weid's black-tufted-ear marmoset lives in southwest Brazil.
Weid's black-tufted-ear marmoset also has a uniques breeding system. They live in groups and only the dominant female mates, usually with several different males. Consequently, all the males in the group have a vested interest in taking care of the offspring. This has led to some interesting effects on marmoset biology and behavior.
Comments
Do the males babysit because they think the babies might be their kids, or because the kids smell like (and/or have pheromones like) the mother?
IOW, do you get the feeling this whole knowing about the role of sex in reproduction is just a bit too facile?
Posted by: Alan Kellogg | April 7, 2007 1:01 PM