Comparative morphology of the primate tongue

Area of Science:

• Primate evolutionary biology
• Comparative anatomy
• Oral function evolution

Background:

• The primate tongue's role in oral function is key to understanding evolutionary adaptations.
• Morphological variations in primate tongues offer insights into phylogenetic relationships.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review primate tongue morphology in relation to phylogenetic classification.
• To clarify the evolutionary trajectory of oral functions in primates.

Main Methods:

• Comparative morphological analysis of extant primate tongues.
• Review of existing literature on primate lingual anatomy.
• Phylogenetic classification of primate species.

Main Results:

• Prosimian tongues show greater external manipulation ability for food uptake than Haplorhini.
• Haplorhini show reduced reliance on tongue for food uptake due to manual dexterity and tool use.
• Lingual papillae distribution varies, with foliate papillae prominent in Haplorhini but reduced in prosimians; vallate papillae differ between prosimians, Platyrrhini, and Catarrhini.

Conclusions:

• Primate tongue function has undergone adaptive changes, with a perceived 'degeneration' in external food uptake from prosimians to Homininae.
• Lingual papillae morphology, particularly foliate and vallate types, reflects phylogenetic divergence within primates.