This phylogenetic tree of primates shows a consistent trend toward higher intelligence as it progresses from prosimians to New World monkeys to Old World monkeys to apes and finally to humans. The neocortex, which is involved in sensory perception, motor command generation, spatial reasoning, and conscious thought, is the part of the brain that has grown the most. The neocortex is also involved in the language of humans. While other mammals rely heavily on their sense of smell, primates' arboreal lifestyle has resulted in a tactile (touch) and visually-dominant sensory system, as shown in this phylogenetic tree of primates. Go ahead and start using EdrawMax to create phylogenetic trees for your class.
