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Galvis NF, Rodríguez D, Stevenson PR. Body Mass Gain in Wild Brown Capuchins (Sapajus apella) in Relation to Fruit Production and Social Dominance. Am J Primatol 2024:e23683. [PMID: 39267526 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2024] [Revised: 08/29/2024] [Accepted: 09/01/2024] [Indexed: 09/17/2024]
Abstract
In ecological contexts natural selection might favor individuals with a larger body mass to monopolize resources; however, there is wide variation in body mass within populations and potential factors. In this study, we evaluated whether fruit production limits body mass in one group of Sapajus apella, its effects on behavior, and whether there is a relationship between social status and body mass. We recorded activity patterns using focal follows (20 min), body mass (using a modified Ohaus scale), and community wide fruit production estimates (from 60 fruit traps). Body mass remained relatively stable during periods of food scarcity, but in periods of abundance most individuals gained weight, as indicated by their relative growth rates (RGR). Subordinate subadults showed the highest RGR, as expected by their age. In periods of high fruit production activities as traveling, grooming, and playing were more frequent than during fruit scarcity, suggesting energy maximization and potential energetic constraints. We found differences in behavior within the group, as the alpha male was observed feeding more frequently (and for longer periods of time), was more aggressive (e.g., feeding trees), and received more grooming than other individuals. In addition, the alpha male was 60% heavier than the group's average body mass. Our study supports the hypothesis that body weight gain is related to fruit abundance and that body size is associated with social dominance; however, large individuals (both males and females) seem to incur in high metabolic or reproductive costs, as they do not gain much weight as smaller individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nelson F Galvis
- Laboratorio de Ecología de Bosques Tropicales y Primatología-Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
| | | | - Pablo R Stevenson
- Laboratorio de Ecología de Bosques Tropicales y Primatología-Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
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2
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Arlegi M, Lorenzo C. Evolutionary selection and morphological integration in the hand of modern humans. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2024:e25024. [PMID: 39228137 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.25024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2024] [Revised: 08/10/2024] [Accepted: 08/18/2024] [Indexed: 09/05/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To enhance our understanding of the evolutionary dynamics of the modern human hand by analyzing the degree of integration and ability to respond to selection pressures of each phalanx and metacarpal bone. MATERIALS AND METHODS The sample comprised 96 adult individuals, both female and male, from Euro-American, Afro-American, and European populations. We collected 10 linear measurements from the 19 metacarpals and proximal, middle, and distal phalanges that constitute the five digits of the hand. Using these data, we constructed variance/covariance matrices to quantify the degree of integration and assess the hand ability to respond to selective pressures. RESULTS Distal phalanges are the most evolvable and flexible elements, while being the least integrated and constrained. The thumb is similarly integrated as the second and third rays, while medial rays (fourth and fifth digits) are more integrated. However, the thumb presents different integration and response to selection patterns. No significant relationship was found between functionality and the indices of selection and integration. Finally, the correlation between hand and foot indices yielded significant results for conditional evolvability and flexibility. DISCUSSION The findings suggest different evolutionary trajectories for the metacarpal and distal phalanx in the modern human thumb, likely reflecting varying functional and developmental pressures. The first metacarpal, characterized by high flexibility and low evolvability, appears to have reached a stable, optimal morphology, under stabilizing selection. In contrast, the distal phalanx seems to have undergone directional evolution, suggesting specialization for a specific function. Comparisons between hands and feet suggest that these structures evolve differently under directional selection but similarly under stabilizing selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikel Arlegi
- McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Carlos Lorenzo
- Departament d'Història i Història de l'Art, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain
- Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES-CERCA), Tarragona, Spain
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Smith BH. Mammalian Life History: Weaning and Tooth Emergence in a Seasonal World. BIOLOGY 2024; 13:612. [PMID: 39194550 DOI: 10.3390/biology13080612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2024] [Revised: 08/06/2024] [Accepted: 08/08/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024]
Abstract
The young of toothed mammals must have teeth to reach feeding independence. How tooth eruption integrates with gestation, birth and weaning is examined in a life-history perspective for 71 species of placental mammals. Questions developed from high-quality primate data are then addressed in the total sample. Rather than correlation, comparisons focus on equivalence, sequence, the relation to absolutes (six months, one year), the distribution of error and adaptive extremes. These mammals differ widely at birth, from no teeth to all deciduous teeth emerging, but commonalities appear when infants transit to independent feeding. Weaning follows completion of the deciduous dentition, closest in time to emergence of the first permanent molars and well before second molars emerge. Another layer of meaning appears when developmental age is counted from conception because the total time to produce young feeding independently comes up against seasonal boundaries that are costly to cross for reproductive fitness. Mammals of a vast range of sizes and taxa, from squirrel monkey to moose, hold conception-to-first molars in just under one year. Integrating tooth emergence into life history gives insight into living mammals and builds a framework for interpreting the fossil record.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Holly Smith
- Museum of Anthropological Archaeology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
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Pina M, Nakatsukasa M. New quantitative analyses of the Nacholapithecus kerioi proximal ulna confirm morphological affinities with Equatorius and large papionins. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2024:e25000. [PMID: 39049556 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.25000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 06/25/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The elbow of Nacholapithecus has been extensively described qualitatively, however its ulnar morphology has never been the focus of an in-depth quantitative analysis before. Hence, our main aim is quantifying the proximal ulnar morphology in Nacholapithecus and exploring whether it is similar to those of Equatorius and Griphopithecus as previously reported. MATERIALS AND METHODS We compared Nacholapithecus proximal ulnar morphology with a sample of extant and extinct anthropoids through principal component analysis and agglomerative hierarchical cluster analysis. Moreover, we calculated the Cophenetic Correlation Coefficient and checked for taxonomical group mean differences through MANOVA and pairwise post-hoc comparisons, as well as the phylogenetic signal in the variables used. RESULTS The Nacholapithecus ulna displays a moderately long and relatively narrow olecranon, a relatively wide trochlear surface-radial notch width, and a relatively thin sigmoid notch depth. These features resemble those of large papionins and chimpanzees, and some extinct taxa, mainly Equatorius. DISCUSSION Results presented here reinforce previous inferences on the functional morphology of the Nacholapithecus elbow, showing adaptations for general quadrupedal behaviors. However, other derived features (e.g., a relatively wide trochlear surface) might be associated with the ape-like traits described for its distal humerus (e.g., wide trochlear groove), thus displaying a combination of primitive and derived features in the proximal ulna. Finally, affinities with large papionins could suggest the presence of some terrestrial habits in Nacholapithecus. However, the lack of evidence in the rest of the skeleton prevents us from suggesting terrestrial affinities in this taxon in a conclusive manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Pina
- South Bank Applied BioEngineering Research (SABER), School of Engineering, London South Bank University, London, UK
- Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - Masato Nakatsukasa
- Laboratory of Physical Anthropology, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
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Turcotte CM, Choi AM, Spear JK, Hernandez-Janer EM, Taboada HG, Stock MK, Villamil CI, Bauman SE, Martinez MI, Brent LJN, Snyder-Mackler N, Montague MJ, Platt ML, Williams SA, Higham JP, Antón SC. Quantifying the relationship between bone and soft tissue measures within the rhesus macaques of Cayo Santiago. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2024; 184:e24920. [PMID: 38447005 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Interpretations of the primate and human fossil record often rely on the estimation of somatic dimensions from bony measures. Both somatic and skeletal variation have been used to assess how primates respond to environmental change. However, it is unclear how well skeletal variation matches and predicts soft tissue. Here, we empirically test the relationship between tissues by comparing somatic and skeletal measures using paired measures of pre- and post-mortem rhesus macaques from Cayo Santiago, Puerto Rico. MATERIALS AND METHODS Somatic measurements were matched with skeletal dimensions from 105 rhesus macaque individuals to investigate paired signals of variation (i.e., coefficients of variation, sexual dimorphism) and bivariate codependence (reduced major axis regression) in measures of: (1) limb length; (2) joint breadth; and (3) limb circumference. Predictive models for the estimation of soft tissue dimensions from skeletons were built from Ordinary Least Squares regressions. RESULTS Somatic and skeletal measurements showed statistically equivalent coefficients of variation and sexual dimorphism as well as high epiphyses-present ordinary least square (OLS) correlations in limb lengths (R2 >0.78, 0.82), joint breadths (R2 >0.74, 0.83) and, to a lesser extent, limb circumference (R2 >0.53, 0.68). CONCLUSION Skeletal measurements are good substitutions for somatic values based on population signals of variation. OLS regressions indicate that skeletal correlates are highly predictive of somatic dimensions. The protocols and regression equations established here provide a basis for reliable reconstruction of somatic dimension from catarrhine fossils and validate our ability to compare or combine results of studies based on population data of either hard or soft tissue proxies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra M Turcotte
- Department of Anthropology, Center for the Study of Human Origins, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Anatomy, New York Institute of Technology, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, New York, USA
| | - Audrey M Choi
- Department of Anthropology, Center for the Study of Human Origins, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jeffrey K Spear
- Department of Anthropology, Center for the Study of Human Origins, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, USA
| | - Eva M Hernandez-Janer
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
| | - Hannah G Taboada
- Department of Anthropology, Center for the Study of Human Origins, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, USA
| | - Michala K Stock
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Metropolitan State University of Denver, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Catalina I Villamil
- Doctor of Chiropractic Program, School of Health Sciences and Technologies, Universidad Central del Caribe, Bayamón, Puerto Rico, USA
| | - Samuel E Bauman
- Caribbean Primate Research Center, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA
| | - Melween I Martinez
- Caribbean Primate Research Center, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA
| | | | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- School for Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Michael J Montague
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Michael L Platt
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Scott A Williams
- Department of Anthropology, Center for the Study of Human Origins, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, USA
| | - James P Higham
- Department of Anthropology, Center for the Study of Human Origins, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, USA
| | - Susan C Antón
- Department of Anthropology, Center for the Study of Human Origins, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, USA
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Russo GA, Prang TC, McGechie FR, Kuo S, Ward CV, Feibel C, Nengo IO. An ape partial postcranial skeleton (KNM-NP 64631) from the Middle Miocene of Napudet, northern Kenya. J Hum Evol 2024; 192:103519. [PMID: 38843697 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2024.103519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024]
Abstract
An ape partial postcranial skeleton (KNM-NP 64631) was recovered during the 2015-2021 field seasons at Napudet, a Middle Miocene (∼13 Ma) locality in northern Kenya. Bony elements representing the shoulder, elbow, hip, and ankle joints, thoracic and lumbar vertebral column, and hands and feet, offer valuable new information about the body plan and positional behaviors of Middle Miocene apes. Body mass estimates from femoral head dimensions suggest that the KNM-NP 64631 individual was smaller-bodied (c. 13-17 kg) than some Miocene taxa from eastern Africa, including Ekembo nyanzae, and probably Equatorius africanus or Kenyapithecus wickeri, and was more comparable to smaller-bodied male Nacholapithecus kerioi individuals. Similar to many Miocene apes, the KNM-NP 64631 individual had hip and hallucal tarsometatarsal joints reflecting habitual hindlimb loading in a variety of postures, a distal tibia with a large medial malleolus, an inflated humeral capitulum, probably a long lumbar spine, and a long pollical proximal phalanx relative to femoral head dimensions. The KNM-NP 64631 individual departs from most Early Miocene apes in its possession of a more steeply beveled radial head and deeper humeral zona conoidea, reflecting enhanced supinating-pronating abilities at the humeroradial joint. The KNM-NP 64631 individual also differs from Early Miocene Ekembo heseloni in having a larger elbow joint (inferred from radial head size) relative to the mediolateral width of the lumbar vertebral bodies and a more asymmetrical talar trochlea, and in these ways recalls inferred joint proportions for, and talocrural morphology of, N. kerioi. Compared to most Early Miocene apes, the KNM-NP 64631 individual likely relied on more forelimb-dominated arboreal behaviors, perhaps including vertical climbing (e.g., extended elbow, hoisting). Moreover, the Napudet ape partial postcranial skeleton suggests that an arboreally adapted body plan characterized by relatively large (here, based on joint size) forelimbs, but lacking orthograde suspensory adaptations, may not have been 'unusual' among Middle Miocene apes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabrielle A Russo
- Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.
| | - Thomas C Prang
- Department of Anthropology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Faye R McGechie
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix 475 N 5th St, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA
| | - Sharon Kuo
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, Duluth, Duluth, MN 55802, USA; Technological Primates Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Carol V Ward
- Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences, M263 Medical Sciences Building, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA; Department of Anthropology, 107 Swallow Hall, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Craig Feibel
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Rutgers University, Busch Campus, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA; Department of Anthropology, Rutgers University, Douglass Campus, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
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Lukova A, Dunmore CJ, Bachmann S, Synek A, Pahr DH, Kivell TL, Skinner MM. Trabecular architecture of the distal femur in extant hominids. J Anat 2024; 245:156-180. [PMID: 38381116 PMCID: PMC11161831 DOI: 10.1111/joa.14026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Extant great apes are characterized by a wide range of locomotor, postural and manipulative behaviours that each require the limbs to be used in different ways. In addition to external bone morphology, comparative investigation of trabecular bone, which (re-)models to reflect loads incurred during life, can provide novel insights into bone functional adaptation. Here, we use canonical holistic morphometric analysis (cHMA) to analyse the trabecular morphology in the distal femoral epiphysis of Homo sapiens (n = 26), Gorilla gorilla (n = 14), Pan troglodytes (n = 15) and Pongo sp. (n = 9). We test two predictions: (1) that differing locomotor behaviours will be reflected in differing trabecular architecture of the distal femur across Homo, Pan, Gorilla and Pongo; (2) that trabecular architecture will significantly differ between male and female Gorilla due to their different levels of arboreality but not between male and female Pan or Homo based on previous studies of locomotor behaviours. Results indicate that trabecular architecture differs among extant great apes based on their locomotor repertoires. The relative bone volume and degree of anisotropy patterns found reflect habitual use of extended knee postures during bipedalism in Homo, and habitual use of flexed knee posture during terrestrial and arboreal locomotion in Pan and Gorilla. Trabecular architecture in Pongo is consistent with a highly mobile knee joint that may vary in posture from extension to full flexion. Within Gorilla, trabecular architecture suggests a different loading of knee in extension/flexion between females and males, but no sex differences were found in Pan or Homo, supporting our predictions. Inter- and intra-specific variation in trabecular architecture of distal femur provides a comparative context to interpret knee postures and, in turn, locomotor behaviours in fossil hominins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Lukova
- Skeletal Biology Research Centre, School of Anthropology and ConservationUniversity of KentCanterburyUK
| | - Christopher J. Dunmore
- Skeletal Biology Research Centre, School of Anthropology and ConservationUniversity of KentCanterburyUK
| | - Sebastian Bachmann
- Institute of Lightweight Design and Structural BiomechanicsTU WienWienAustria
| | - Alexander Synek
- Institute of Lightweight Design and Structural BiomechanicsTU WienWienAustria
| | - Dieter H. Pahr
- Institute of Lightweight Design and Structural BiomechanicsTU WienWienAustria
- Department of Anatomy and Biomechanics, Division BiomechanicsKarl Landsteiner University of Health SciencesKremsAustria
| | - Tracy L. Kivell
- Department of Human OriginsMax Planck Institute for Evolutionary AnthropologyLeipzigGermany
| | - Matthew M. Skinner
- Department of Human OriginsMax Planck Institute for Evolutionary AnthropologyLeipzigGermany
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Mourthé Í, Paim FP, Mercês MP, Valsecchi J, Rabelo RM. Update of the geographic range of Humboldt's squirrel monkeys (Saimiri cassiquiarensis cassiquiarensis Lesson, 1840) using a model-based approach. Am J Primatol 2024; 86:e23625. [PMID: 38558023 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Saimiri cassiquiarensis cassiquiarensis (Cebidae) is a primate subspecies with a wide distribution in the Amazonian region of Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela. However, the boundaries of its geographic range remain poorly defined. This study presents new occurrence localities for this subspecies and updates its distribution using a compiled data set of 140 occurrence records based on literature, specimens vouchered in scientific collections, and new field data to produce model-based range maps. After cleaning our data set, we updated the subspecies' extent of occurrence, which was used in model calibration. We then modeled the subspecies' range using a maximum entropy algorithm (MaxEnt). The final model was adjusted using a fixed threshold, and we revised this polygon based on known geographic barriers and parapatric congeneric ranges. Our findings indicate that this subspecies is strongly associated with lowland areas, with consistently high daily temperatures. We propose modifications to all range boundaries and estimate that 3% of the area of occupancy (AOO, as defined by IUCN) has already been lost due to deforestation, resulting in a current range of 224,469 km2. We also found that 54% of their AOO is currently covered by protected areas (PAs). Based on these results, we consider that this subspecies is currently properly classified as Least Concern, because it occupies an extensive range, which is relatively well covered by PAs, and is currently experiencing low rates of deforestation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ítalo Mourthé
- Grupo de Pesquisa em Biologia e Conservação de Primatas, Instituto de Desenvolvimento Sustentável Mamirauá, Tefé, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Biodiversidade e Conservação, Universidade Federal do Pará, Altamira, Brazil
- Primate Specialist Group, International Union for Conservation of Nature/Species Survival Commission, Austin, USA
| | - Fernanda P Paim
- Grupo de Pesquisa em Biologia e Conservação de Primatas, Instituto de Desenvolvimento Sustentável Mamirauá, Tefé, Brazil
| | | | - João Valsecchi
- Grupo de Pesquisa em Biologia e Conservação de Primatas, Instituto de Desenvolvimento Sustentável Mamirauá, Tefé, Brazil
- Rede de Pesquisa em Diversidade, Conservação e Uso da Fauna da Amazônia, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Rafael M Rabelo
- Grupo de Pesquisa em Biologia e Conservação de Primatas, Instituto de Desenvolvimento Sustentável Mamirauá, Tefé, Brazil
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Böhme M, Begun DR, Holmes AC, Lechner T, Ferreira G. Buronius manfredschmidi-A new small hominid from the early late Miocene of Hammerschmiede (Bavaria, Germany). PLoS One 2024; 19:e0301002. [PMID: 38848328 PMCID: PMC11161025 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0301002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
The known diversity of European middle and late Miocene hominids has increased significantly during the last decades. Most of these great apes were frugivores in the broadest sense, ranging from soft fruit frugivores most like chimpanzees to hard/tough object feeders like orangutans, varying in size from larger than siamangs (over 17 kg) to larger than most chimpanzees (~60-70 kg). In contrast to the frequent sympatry of hominoids in the early-to-middle Miocene of Africa, in no European Miocene locality more than one hominid taxon has been identified. Here we describe the first case of hominid sympatry in Europe from the 11.62 Ma old Hammerschmiede HAM 5 level, best known from its excellent record of Danuvius guggenmosi. The new fossils are consistent in size with larger pliopithecoids but differ morphologically from any pliopithecoid and from Danuvius. They are also distinguished from early and middle Miocene apes, share affinities with late Miocene apes, and represent a small hitherto unknown late Miocene ape Buronius manfredschmidi. With an estimated body mass of about 10 kg it represents the smallest known hominid taxon. The relative enamel thickness of Buronius is thin and contrasts with Danuvius, whose enamel is twice as thick. The differences between Buronius and Danuvius in tooth and patellar morphology, enamel thickness and body mass are indicative of differing adaptations in each, permitting resource partitioning, in which Buronius was a more folivorous climber.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Böhme
- Department of Geosciences, Section Terrestrial Palaeoclimatology, Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Section Palaeontology, Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment, Tübingen, Germany
| | - D. R. Begun
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - A. C. Holmes
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - T. Lechner
- Department of Geosciences, Section Terrestrial Palaeoclimatology, Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Section Palaeontology, Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment, Tübingen, Germany
| | - G. Ferreira
- Department of Geosciences, Section Terrestrial Palaeoclimatology, Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Section Palaeontology, Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment, Tübingen, Germany
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10
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Janisch J, Myers LC, Schapker N, Kirven J, Shapiro LJ, Young JW. Pump and sway: Wild primates use compliant supports as a tool to augment leaping in the canopy. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2024; 184:e24914. [PMID: 38515235 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Despite qualitative observations of wild primates pumping branches before leaping across gaps in the canopy, most studies have suggested that support compliance increases the energetic cost of arboreal leaping, thus limiting leaping performance. In this study, we quantified branch pumping behavior and tree swaying in wild primates to test the hypothesis that these behaviors improve leaping performance. MATERIALS AND METHODS We recorded wild colobine monkeys crossing gaps in the canopy and quantitatively tracked the kinematics of both the monkey and the compliant support during behavioral sequences. We also empirically measured the compliance of a sample of locomotor supports in the monkeys' natural habitat, allowing us to quantify the resonant properties of substrates used during leaping. RESULTS Analyses of three recordings show that adult red colobus monkeys (Piliocolobus tephrosceles) use branch compliance to their advantage by actively pumping branches before leaping, augmenting their vertical velocity at take-off. Quantitative modeling of branch resonance periods, based on empirical measurements of support compliance, suggests that monkeys specifically employed branch pumping on relatively thin branches with protracted periods of oscillation. Finally, an additional four recordings show that both red colobus and black and white colobus monkeys (Colobus guereza) utilize tree swaying to cross large gaps, augmenting horizontal velocity at take-off. DISCUSSION This deliberate branch manipulation to produce a mechanical effect for stronger propulsion is consistent with the framework of instrumental problem-solving. To our knowledge, this is the first study of wild primates which quantitatively shows how compliant branches can be used advantageously to augment locomotor performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith Janisch
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, Ohio, USA
| | - Lydia C Myers
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Nicole Schapker
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, Ohio, USA
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, USA
| | - Jack Kirven
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, Ohio, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio, USA
| | - Liza J Shapiro
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Jesse W Young
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, Ohio, USA
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Turcotte CM, Choi AM, Spear JK, Hernandez-Janer EM, Dickinson E, Taboada HG, Stock MK, Villamil CI, Bauman SE, Martinez MI, Brent LJN, Snyder-Mackler N, Montague MJ, Platt ML, Williams SA, Antón SC, Higham JP. Mechanical and morphometric approaches to body mass estimation in rhesus macaques: A test of skeletal variables. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2024; 184:e24901. [PMID: 38445298 PMCID: PMC11137856 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Estimation of body mass from skeletal metrics can reveal important insights into the paleobiology of archeological or fossil remains. The standard approach constructs predictive equations from postcrania, but studies have questioned the reliability of traditional measures. Here, we examine several skeletal features to assess their accuracy in predicting body mass. MATERIALS AND METHODS Antemortem mass measurements were compared with common skeletal dimensions from the same animals postmortem, using 115 rhesus macaques (male: n = 43; female: n = 72). Individuals were divided into training (n = 58) and test samples (n = 57) to build and assess Ordinary Least Squares or multivariate regressions by residual sum of squares (RSS) and AIC weights. A leave-one-out approach was implemented to formulate the best fit multivariate models, which were compared against a univariate and a previously published catarrhine body-mass estimation model. RESULTS Femur circumference represented the best univariate model. The best model overall was composed of four variables (femur, tibia and fibula circumference and humerus length). By RSS and AICw, models built from rhesus macaque data (RSS = 26.91, AIC = -20.66) better predicted body mass than did the catarrhine model (RSS = 65.47, AIC = 20.24). CONCLUSION Body mass in rhesus macaques is best predicted by a 4-variable equation composed of humerus length and hind limb midshaft circumferences. Comparison of models built from the macaque versus the catarrhine data highlight the importance of taxonomic specificity in predicting body mass. This paper provides a valuable dataset of combined somatic and skeletal data in a primate, which can be used to build body mass equations for fragmentary fossil evidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra M Turcotte
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Anatomy, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, New York, USA
| | - Audrey M Choi
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jeffrey K Spear
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, USA
| | - Eva M Hernandez-Janer
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
| | - Edwin Dickinson
- Department of Anatomy, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, New York, USA
| | - Hannah G Taboada
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, USA
| | - Michala K Stock
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Metropolitan State University of Denver, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Catalina I Villamil
- School of Chiropractic, Universidad Central del Caribe, Bayamón, Puerto Rico, USA
| | - Samuel E Bauman
- Caribbean Primate Research Center, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA
| | - Melween I Martinez
- Caribbean Primate Research Center, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA
| | | | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- School for Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Michael J Montague
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Michael L Platt
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Scott A Williams
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, USA
| | - Susan C Antón
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, USA
| | - James P Higham
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, USA
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12
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Edmonds HM, Daly ES, Smail IE. Zygomatic arch root position in relation to dietary type in haplorhine primates. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2024; 307:2065-2083. [PMID: 37877628 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 10/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023]
Abstract
The zygomatic root, along with other key craniofacial features, is hypothesized to play a crucial role in strengthening the face in response to stresses and strains related to feeding. As such, it has been cited as indicative of dietary specialization among fossil taxa, although it remains unknown how variable zygomatic arch root position is among living primates, and whether its positioning predicts differences in diet. We test whether primates that consume more mechanically challenging foods possess more anteriorly positioned zygomatic roots compared to those consuming less challenging foods. Zygomatic root position, as defined by the zygomaxillare landmark, was identified and recorded from digital images and physical specimens of adult primate crania. Data were collected from 33 haplorhine species (n = 722). Published data were used to assign species to a dietary type based on patterns of overall consumption along with reliance on especially challenging foods. Pairwise comparisons between mechanically challenging (hard and/or tough) and less mechanically challenging (soft) consumers found significant differences (p < 0.05) in the position of the zygomatic root in 17 of 20 pairs, 11 of which supported the prediction that a more mechanically challenging diet is associated with a more anteriorly placed zygomatic root. PGLS analysis found no significant effect of phylogeny on root position. This suggests that a more anteriorly positioned zygomatic root is useful for identifying dietary specialization in some taxa but is not required for consuming a mechanically challenging diet given that other craniofacial and behavioral factors can facilitate the consumption of such foods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hallie M Edmonds
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Chandler-Gilbert Community College, Chandler, Arizona, USA
| | - E Susanne Daly
- Department of Biological Sciences, Salisbury University, Salisbury, Maryland, USA
| | - Irene E Smail
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, Lewisburg, West Virginia, USA
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13
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Balolia KL, Fitzgerald PL. Male proboscis monkey cranionasal size and shape is associated with visual and acoustic signalling. Sci Rep 2024; 14:10715. [PMID: 38782960 PMCID: PMC11116372 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-60665-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The large nose adorned by adult male proboscis monkeys is hypothesised to serve as an audiovisual signal of sexual selection. It serves as a visual signal of male quality and social status, and as an acoustic signal, through the expression of loud, low-formant nasalised calls in dense rainforests, where visibility is poor. However, it is unclear how the male proboscis monkey nasal complex, including the internal structure of the nose, plays a role in visual or acoustic signalling. Here, we use cranionasal data to assess whether large noses found in male proboscis monkeys serve visual and/or acoustic signalling functions. Our findings support a visual signalling function for male nasal enlargement through a relatively high degree of nasal aperture sexual size dimorphism, the craniofacial region to which nasal soft tissue attaches. We additionally find nasal aperture size increases beyond dental maturity among male proboscis monkeys, consistent with the visual signalling hypothesis. We show that the cranionasal region has an acoustic signalling role through pronounced nasal cavity sexual shape dimorphism, wherein male nasal cavity shape allows the expression of loud, low-formant nasalised calls. Our findings provide robust support for the male proboscis monkey nasal complex serving both visual and acoustic functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharine L Balolia
- School of Archaeology and Anthropology, Australian National University, Canberra, 2601, Australia.
| | - Pippa L Fitzgerald
- School of Archaeology and Anthropology, Australian National University, Canberra, 2601, Australia
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14
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Borries C, Koenig A. Female-biased birth sex ratio in a female dispersal primate suggests local resource competition. Biol Lett 2024; 20:20240002. [PMID: 38689558 PMCID: PMC11061642 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2024.0002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Group living may entail local resource competition (LRC) which can be reduced if the birth sex ratio (BSR) is biased towards members of the dispersing sex who leave the group and no longer compete locally with kin. In primates, the predicted relationship between dispersal and BSR is generally supported although data for female dispersal species are rare and primarily available from captivity. Here, we present BSR data for Phayre's leaf monkeys (Trachypithecus phayrei crepusculus) at the Phu Khieo Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand (N = 104). In this population, nearly all natal females dispersed, while natal males stayed or formed new groups nearby. The slower reproductive rate in larger groups suggests that food can be a limiting resource. In accordance with LRC, significantly more females than males were born (BSR 0.404 males/all births) thus reducing future competition with kin. This bias was similar in 2-year-olds (no sex-differential mortality). It became stronger in adults, supporting our impression of particularly fierce competition among males. To better evaluate the importance of BSR, more studies should report sex ratios throughout the life span, and more data for female dispersal primates need to be collected, ideally for multiple groups of different sizes and for several years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carola Borries
- Department of Anthropology and Interdepartmental Doctoral Program in Anthropological Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Andreas Koenig
- Department of Anthropology and Interdepartmental Doctoral Program in Anthropological Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
- Graduate Program in Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
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15
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Young MW, Dickinson E, Gustafson JA, Granatosky MC. Center of mass position does not drive energetic costs during climbing. J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb246943. [PMID: 38511508 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Climbing animals theoretically should optimize the energetic costs of vertical climbing while also maintaining stability. Many modifications to climbing behaviors have been proposed as methods of satisfying these criteria, focusing on controlling the center of mass (COM) during ascent. However, the link between COM movements and metabolic energy costs has yet to be evaluated empirically. In this study, we manipulated climbing conditions across three experimental setups to elicit changes in COM position, and measured the impact of these changes upon metabolic costs across a sample of 14 humans. Metabolic energy was assessed via open flow respirometry, while COM movements were tracked both automatically and manually. Our findings demonstrate that, despite inducing variation in COM position, the energetic costs of climbing remained consistent across all three setups. Differences in energetic costs were similarly not affected by body mass; however, velocity had a significant impact upon both cost of transport and cost of locomotion, but such a relationship disappeared when accounting for metabolic costs per stride. These findings suggest that climbing has inescapable metabolic demands driven by gaining height, and that attempts to mitigate such a cost, with perhaps the exception of increasing speed, have only minimal impacts. We also demonstrate that metabolic and mechanical energy costs are largely uncorrelated. Collectively, we argue that these data refute the idea that efficient locomotion is the primary aim during climbing. Instead, adaptations towards effective climbing should focus on stability and reducing the risk of falling, as opposed to enhancing the metabolic efficiency of locomotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melody W Young
- Department of Anatomy, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, NY 11568, USA
| | - Edwin Dickinson
- Department of Anatomy, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, NY 11568, USA
| | - Jon A Gustafson
- Department of Anatomy, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, NY 11568, USA
| | - Michael C Granatosky
- Department of Anatomy, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, NY 11568, USA
- Center for Biomedical Innovation, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, NY 11568, USA
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16
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Vincenti G, Molinaro L, Sajjadi SMS, Moradi H, Pagani L, Fabbri PF. Female biased adult sex ratio in the Bronze Age cemetery of Shahr-i Sokhta (Iran) as an indicator of long distance trade and matrilocality. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2024; 183:e24911. [PMID: 38348756 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This paper starts from the unusual observation of the overrepresentation of females among adults in the cemetery of Bronze Age Shahr-i Sokhta (Seistan, Iran) and explores the post marital residence pattern. By integrating taphonomical (skeletal preservation), anthropological (sex ratio [SR], sexual dimorphism, stress indicators, age at death), archeological (long distance trade indicators, habitation floor area, social role of women), and ancient DNA (heterozygosity levels in X chromosomes) data we test the hypothesis of post marital matrilocality in the site. METHODS We computed the SR (pelvis-based sex determination) in a random unpublished adult sample from the cemetery of Shahr-i Sokhta and in two samples previously published by other authors. We used comparative data on SR from: a large Supra Regional multi-chronological sample of sites, n = 47, with 8808 adult sexed individuals, from Southern Europe, Egypt, Middle East, Southern Russia; a Regional Bronze Age sample of sites (n = 10) from Bactria Margiana and Indus Valley with 1324 adult sexed individuals. We estimated the heterozygosity levels in X chromosomes compared with the rest of the autosomes on the assumption that in a matrilocal society females should show lower variability than men. RESULTS Adult SR in a sample (n = 549) from Shahr-i Sokhta is 70.5, the overrepresentation of females is shared with Regional Bronze Age sites from Bactria Margiana (SR = 72.09) and Indus Valley (SR = 67.54). On the contrary, in a larger Supra Regional multi-chronological sample of sites, mean SR ranges between 112.7 (Bronze Age) and 163.1 (Middle Ages). Taphonomical and anthropological indicators do not explain the overrepresentation of female skeletons. Archeological indicators suggest a high social status of women and that the society was devoted to long range trade activities. heterozygosity levels in X chromosomes are in agreement with a matrilocal society. CONCLUSIONS Indicators suggest that Bronze Age Shahr-ì Sokhta was a matrilocal society and that long distance trade was an important economic factor producing an overrepresentation of adult female skeletons in the cemetery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgia Vincenti
- MAIPS, Multidisciplinary Archaeological Italian Project at Shahr-i Sokhta - Dipartimento Beni Culturali, Laboratorio di Antropologia Fisica, Università del Salento, Lecce, Italy
| | - Ludovica Molinaro
- Estonian Biocentre, Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
- Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | | | - Luca Pagani
- Estonian Biocentre, Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Pier Francesco Fabbri
- MAIPS, Multidisciplinary Archaeological Italian Project at Shahr-i Sokhta, Università del Salento, Lecce, Italy
- Museo Fiorentino di Preistoria, Firenze, Italy
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17
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Young JW, Chadwell BA, O'Neill TP, Pastor F, Marchi D, Hartstone-Rose A. Quantitative assessment of grasping strength in platyrrhine monkeys. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2024; 183:e24900. [PMID: 38269651 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Revised: 01/01/2024] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Despite the longstanding importance of grasping adaptations in theories of primate evolution, quantitative data on primate grasping strength remain rare. We present the results of two studies testing the prediction that callitrichines-given their comparative retreat from a small-branch environment and specialization for movement and foraging on tree trunks and large boughs-should be characterized by weaker grasping forces and underdeveloped digital flexor muscles relative to other platyrrhines. METHODS First, we directly measured manual grasping strength in marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) and squirrel monkeys (Saimiri boliviensis), using a custom-constructed force transducer. Second, we reanalyzed existing datasets on the fiber architecture of forearm and leg muscles in 12 platyrrhine species, quantifying digital flexor muscle physiological cross-sectional area (i.e., PCSA, a morphometric proxy of muscle strength) relative to the summed PCSA across all forearm or leg muscles. RESULTS Callithrix was characterized by lower mean and maximum grasping forces than Saimiri, and callitrichines as a clade were found to have relatively underdeveloped manual digital flexor muscle PCSA. However, relative pedal digital flexor PCSA did not significantly differ between callitrichines and other platyrrhines. CONCLUSIONS We found partial support for the hypothesis that variation in predominant substrate usage explains variation in empirical measurements of and morphological correlates of grasping strength in platyrrhines. Future research should extend the work presented here by (1) collecting morphological and empirical metrics of grasping strength in additional primate taxa and (2) extending performance testing to include empirical measures of primate pedal grasping forces as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse W Young
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED), Rootstown, Ohio, USA
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, USA
| | - Brad A Chadwell
- Department of Anatomy, Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine, Meridian, Idaho, USA
| | - Timothy P O'Neill
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED), Rootstown, Ohio, USA
| | - Francisco Pastor
- Departamento de Anatomía y Radiología, Universidad de Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
| | | | - Adam Hartstone-Rose
- College of Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
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18
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Goldsborough Z, Crofoot MC, Barrett BJ. Male-biased stone tool use by wild white-faced capuchins (Cebus capucinus imitator). Am J Primatol 2024; 86:e23594. [PMID: 38196199 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Tool-using primates often show sex differences in both the frequency and efficiency of tool use. In species with sex-biased dispersal, such within-group variation likely shapes patterns of cultural transmission of tool-use traditions between groups. On the Panamanian islands of Jicarón and Coiba, a population of white-faced capuchins (Cebus capucinus imitator)-some of which engage in habitual stone tool use-provide an opportunity to test hypotheses about why such sex-biases arise. On Jicarón, we have only observed males engaging in stone tool use, whereas on Coiba, both sexes are known to use tools. Using 5 years of camera trap data, we provide evidence that this variation likely reflects a sex difference in tool use rather than a sampling artifact, and then test hypotheses about the factors driving this pattern. Differences in physical ability or risk-aversion, and competition over access to anvils do not account for the sex-differences in tool-use we observe. Our data show that adult females are physically capable of stone tool use: adult females on Coiba and juveniles on Jicarón smaller than adult females regularly engage in tool use. Females also have ample opportunity to use tools: the sexes are equally terrestrial, and competition over anvils is low. Finally, females rarely scrounge on left-over food items either during or after tool-using events, suggesting they are not being provisioned by males. Although it remains unclear why adult white-faced capuchin females on Jicarón do not use stone-tools, our results illustrate that such sex biases in socially learned behaviors can arise even in the absence of obvious physical, environmental, and social constraints. This suggests that a much more nuanced understanding of the differences in social structure, diet, and dispersal patterns are needed to explain why sex-biases in tool use arise in some populations but not in others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoë Goldsborough
- Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Center for the Advanced Study of Collective Behavior, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Ancon, Panama
| | - Margaret C Crofoot
- Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Center for the Advanced Study of Collective Behavior, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Ancon, Panama
| | - Brendan J Barrett
- Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Center for the Advanced Study of Collective Behavior, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Ancon, Panama
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Tombak KJ, Hex SBSW, Rubenstein DI. New estimates indicate that males are not larger than females in most mammal species. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1872. [PMID: 38472185 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45739-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Sexual size dimorphism has motivated a large body of research on mammalian mating strategies and sexual selection. Despite some contrary evidence, the narrative that larger males are the norm in mammals-upheld since Darwin's Descent of Man-still dominates today, supported by meta-analyses that use coarse measures of dimorphism and taxonomically-biased sampling. With newly-available datasets and primary sources reporting sex-segregated means and variances in adult body mass, we estimate statistically-determined rates of sexual size dimorphism in mammals, sampling taxa by their species richness at the family level. Our analyses of wild, non-provisioned populations representing >400 species indicate that although males tend to be larger than females when dimorphism occurs, males are not larger in most mammal species, suggesting a need to revisit other assumptions in sexual selection research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaia J Tombak
- Department of Anthropology, Hunter College of the City University of New York, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
| | - Severine B S W Hex
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Daniel I Rubenstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
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20
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Orr CM, Atkinson R, Ernewein J, Tocheri MW. Carpal kinematics and morphological correlates of wrist ulnar deviation mobility in nonhuman anthropoid primates. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2024; 183:e24728. [PMID: 36924247 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Primates employ wrist ulnar deviation during a variety of locomotor and manipulative behaviors. Extant hominoids share a derived condition in which the ulnar styloid process has limited articulation or is completely separated from the proximal carpals, which is often hypothesized to increase ulnar deviation range of motion. Acute angulation of the hamate's triquetral facet is also hypothesized to facilitate ulnar deviation mobility and mechanics. In this study, we test these longstanding ideas. METHODS Three-dimensional (3D) carpal kinematics were examined using a cadaveric sample of Pan troglodytes, Pongo sp., and five monkey species. Ulnar styloid projection and orientation of the hamate's triquetral facet were quantified using 3D models. RESULTS Although carpal rotation patterns in Pan and Pongo were uniquely similar in some respects, P. troglodytes exhibited overall kinematic similarity with large terrestrial cercopithecoids (Papio and Mandrillus). Pongo, Macaca, and Ateles had high wrist ulnar deviation ranges of motion, but Pongo did this via a unique mechanism. In Pongo, the triquetrum functions as a distal carpal rather than part of the proximal row. Ulnar styloid projection and wrist ulnar deviation range of motion were not correlated but ulnar deviation range of motion and the triquetrohamate facet orientation were correlated. CONCLUSIONS Increased ulnar deviation mobility is not the function of ulnar styloid withdrawal in hominoids. Instead, this feature probably reduces stress on the ulnar side wrist or is a byproduct of adaptations that increase supination. Orientation of the hamate's triquetral facet offers some potential to reconstruct ulnar deviation mobility in extinct primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caley M Orr
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Department of Anthropology, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Richard Atkinson
- Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine, Midwestern University, Downers Grove, Illinois, USA
| | - Jamie Ernewein
- Modern Human Anatomy Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- University of Colorado School of Medicine, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Matthew W Tocheri
- Department of Anthropology, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
- Human Origins Program, Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
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21
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Prang TC. The relative size of the calcaneal tuber reflects heel strike plantigrady in African apes and humans. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2024; 183:e24865. [PMID: 38058279 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The positional repertoire of the human-chimpanzee last common ancestor is critical for reconstructing the evolution of bipedalism. African apes and humans share a heel strike plantigrade foot posture associated with terrestriality. Previous research has established that modern humans have a relatively large and intrinsically robust calcaneal tuber equipped to withstand heel strike forces associated with bipedal walking and running. However, it is unclear whether African apes have a relatively larger calcaneal tuber than non-heel-striking primates, and how this trait might have evolved among anthropoids. Here, I test the hypothesis that heel-striking primates have a relatively larger calcaneal tuber than non-heel-striking primates. METHODS The comparative sample includes 331 individuals and 53 taxa representing hominoids, cercopithecoids, and platyrrhines. Evolutionary modeling was used to test for the effect of foot posture on the relative size of the calcaneal tuber in a phylogenetic framework that accounts for adaptation and inertia. Bayesian evolutionary modeling was used to identify selective regime shifts in the relative size of the calcaneal tuber among anthropoids. RESULTS The best fitting evolutionary model was a Brownian motion model with regime-dependent trends characterized by relatively large calcaneal tubers among African apes and humans. Evolutionary modeling provided support for an evolutionary shift toward a larger calcaneal tuber at the base of the African ape and human clade. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study support the view that African apes and humans share derived traits related to heel strike plantigrady, which implies that humans evolved from a semi-terrestrial quadrupedal ancestor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas C Prang
- Department of Anthropology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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22
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Miarisoa JE, Raveloson H, Randrianambinina B, Couette S. Deciphering the mandibular shape variation in a group of Malagasy primates using Fourier outline analysis. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2023; 182:372-387. [PMID: 37676062 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Among living Malagasy primates, the family Lemuridae has previously been recognized as presenting a higher mandibular morphological variation than other families. We conducted a quantitative analysis of mandibular size and shape within the five genera (Lemur, Eulemur, Hapalemur, Prolemur, and Varecia) associated with a set of covariables that could explain this variation. MATERIALS AND METHODS We used Fourier outline analysis on the left hemimandible of 182 specimens covering the Lemuridae family. The influence of the phylogeny but also seven covariables (genus, diet, sex, sexual behavior, mating system, ecoregion, and forest type) on mandibular variation was examined using multivariate statistics and model selection. RESULTS Our results indicate that the high level of morphological variation within the family, associated with a phylogenetic effect and differences in diet, is due to a strong distinction between the genera Prolemur and Hapalemur and the other genera of the family. A second analysis, correcting this strong effect, indicates that mandibular shape variation is influenced not only by the phylogeny and the diet but by a combination of all the covariables. DISCUSSION The analysis of morphological variation is a powerful tool with major applications, both for the estimation of biological diversity and for the understanding of the fundamental parameters of species' ecology. Our work indicates that, if mandibular shape variation is mainly driven by dietary adaptation, other variables describing ecology and habitat should be considered and taken into account for an integrative understanding of species resources and the establishment of conservation measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeanne Emma Miarisoa
- École Doctorale Ecosystèmes Naturels, (EDEN), University of Mahajanga, Mahajanga, BP, Madagascar
- UMR CNRS/uB/EPHE 6282 Biogéosciences, Dijon, France
- École Pratique des Hautes Etudes, PSL, Paris, France
| | - Herimalala Raveloson
- École Doctorale Ecosystèmes Naturels, (EDEN), University of Mahajanga, Mahajanga, BP, Madagascar
| | | | - Sébastien Couette
- UMR CNRS/uB/EPHE 6282 Biogéosciences, Dijon, France
- École Pratique des Hautes Etudes, PSL, Paris, France
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23
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Pontzer H. The provisioned primate: patterns of obesity across lemurs, monkeys, apes and humans. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220218. [PMID: 37661747 PMCID: PMC10475869 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Non-human primates are potentially informative but underutilized species for investigating obesity. I examined patterns of obesity across the Primate order, calculating the ratio of body mass in captivity to that in the wild. This index, relative body mass, for n = 40 non-human primates (mean ± s.d.: females: 1.28 ± 0.30, range 0.67-1.78, males: 1.24 ± 0.28, range 0.70-1.97) overlapped with a reference value for humans (women: 1.52, men: 1.44). Among non-human primates, relative body mass was unrelated to dietary niche, and was marginally greater among female cohorts of terrestrial species. Males and females had similar relative body masses, but species with greater sexual size dimorphism (male/female mass) in wild populations had comparatively larger female body mass in captivity. Provisioned populations in wild and free-ranging settings had similar relative body mass to those in research facilities and zoos. Compared to the wild, captive diets are unlikely to be low in protein or fat, or high in carbohydrate, suggesting these macronutrients are not driving overeating in captive populations. Several primate species, including chimpanzees, a sister-species to humans, had relative body masses similar to humans. Humans are not unique in the propensity to overweight and obesity. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Causes of obesity: theories, conjectures and evidence (Part II)'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Herman Pontzer
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
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24
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Kralick AE, O'Connell CA, Bastian ML, Hoke MK, Zemel BS, Schurr TG, Tocheri MW. Beyond Dimorphism: Body Size Variation Among Adult Orangutans Is Not Dichotomous by Sex. Integr Comp Biol 2023; 63:907-921. [PMID: 37061788 PMCID: PMC10563650 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icad015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 04/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Among extant great apes, orangutans are considered the most sexually dimorphic in body size. However, the expression of sexual dimorphism in orangutans is more complex than simply males being larger than females. At sexual maturity, some male orangutans develop cheek pads (flanges), while other males remain unflanged even after becoming reproductively capable. Sometimes flange development is delayed in otherwise sexually mature males for a few years. In other cases, flange development is delayed for many years or decades, with some males even spending their entire lifespan as unflanged adults. Thus, unflanged males of various chronological ages can be mistakenly identified as "subadults." Unflanged adult males are typically described as "female-sized," but this may simply reflect the fact that unflanged male body size has only ever been measured in peri-pubescent individuals. In this study, we measured the skeletons of 111 wild adult orangutans (Pongo spp.), including 20 unflanged males, 45 flanged males, and 46 females, resulting in the largest skeletal sample of unflanged males yet studied. We assessed long bone lengths (as a proxy for stature) for all 111 individuals and recorded weights-at-death, femoral head diameters, bi-iliac breadths, and long bone cross-sectional areas (CSA) (as proxies for mass) for 27 of these individuals, including seven flanged males, three adult confirmed-unflanged males, and three young adult likely-unflanged males. ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis tests with Tukey and Dunn post-hoc pairwise comparisons, respectively, showed that body sizes for young adult unflanged males are similar to those of the adult females in the sample (all P ≥ 0.09 except bi-iliac breadth), whereas body sizes for adult unflanged males ranged between those of adult flanged males and adult females for several measurements (all P < 0.001). Thus, sexually mature male orangutans exhibit body sizes that range from the female end of the spectrum to the flanged male end of the spectrum. These results exemplify that the term "sexual dimorphism" fails to capture the full range of variation in adult orangutan body size. By including adult unflanged males in analyses of body size and other aspects of morphology, not as aberrations but as an expected part of orangutan variation, we may begin to shift the way that we think about features typically considered dichotomous according to biological sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra E Kralick
- Department of Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Caitlin A O'Connell
- Department of Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Anthropology, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Meredith L Bastian
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC 20001, USA
| | - Morgan K Hoke
- Department of Anthropology & Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Babette S Zemel
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- , Department of Pediatrics, The University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Theodore G Schurr
- Department of Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Matthew W Tocheri
- Department of Anthropology, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E1, Canada
- Human Origins Program, Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20013, USA
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, University of Wollongong, Wollongong NSW 2522, Australia
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Rincon AV, Waller BM, Duboscq J, Mielke A, Pérez C, Clark PR, Micheletta J. Higher social tolerance is associated with more complex facial behavior in macaques. eLife 2023; 12:RP87008. [PMID: 37787008 PMCID: PMC10547472 DOI: 10.7554/elife.87008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The social complexity hypothesis for communicative complexity posits that animal societies with more complex social systems require more complex communication systems. We tested the social complexity hypothesis on three macaque species that vary in their degree of social tolerance and complexity. We coded facial behavior in >3000 social interactions across three social contexts (aggressive, submissive, affiliative) in 389 animals, using the Facial Action Coding System for macaques (MaqFACS). We quantified communicative complexity using three measures of uncertainty: entropy, specificity, and prediction error. We found that the relative entropy of facial behavior was higher for the more tolerant crested macaques as compared to the less tolerant Barbary and rhesus macaques across all social contexts, indicating that crested macaques more frequently use a higher diversity of facial behavior. The context specificity of facial behavior was higher in rhesus as compared to Barbary and crested macaques, demonstrating that Barbary and crested macaques used facial behavior more flexibly across different social contexts. Finally, a random forest classifier predicted social context from facial behavior with highest accuracy for rhesus and lowest for crested, indicating there is higher uncertainty and complexity in the facial behavior of crested macaques. Overall, our results support the social complexity hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan V Rincon
- Department of Psychology, Centre for Comparative and Evolutionary Psychology, University of PortsmouthPortsmouthUnited Kingdom
| | - Bridget M Waller
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research on Social Interaction, Department of Psychology, Nottingham Trent UniversityNottinghamUnited Kingdom
| | | | - Alexander Mielke
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Claire Pérez
- Department of Psychology, Centre for Comparative and Evolutionary Psychology, University of PortsmouthPortsmouthUnited Kingdom
| | - Peter R Clark
- Department of Psychology, Centre for Comparative and Evolutionary Psychology, University of PortsmouthPortsmouthUnited Kingdom
- School of Psychology, University of LincolnLincolnUnited Kingdom
| | - Jérôme Micheletta
- Department of Psychology, Centre for Comparative and Evolutionary Psychology, University of PortsmouthPortsmouthUnited Kingdom
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26
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Kirk EC, Dunn RH, Rodwell B, Townsend KEB. New specimens of middle Eocene omomyines (Primates, Omomyoidea) from the Uinta Basin of Utah and the Tornillo Basin of Texas, with clarification of the generic status of Ourayia, Mytonius, and Diablomomys. J Hum Evol 2023; 183:103425. [PMID: 37734122 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2023.103425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
In the middle Eocene, multiple lineages of North American omomyoids independently evolved body masses greater than 500 g. Most of these large-bodied omomyoids are known from small sample sizes, which has contributed to a lack of consensus regarding their alpha taxonomy. Here, we describe new Uintan omomyine specimens from the Uinta Basin of Utah and the Tornillo Basin of Texas. These new samples expand the hypodigms of Diablomomys dalquesti, Mytonius hopsoni, and Ourayia uintensis, and favor the recognition of new species of Mytonius and Ourayia based on specimens from the Tornillo Basin. These samples support the recognition of Diablomomys as a valid genus distinct from Omomys, Ourayia as a valid genus distinct from Macrotarsius, and Mytonius as a valid genus distinct from Ourayia. Although Diablomomys and Omomys co-occur in the late Uintan of the Tornillo Basin, Ourayia and Mytonius are time-successive taxa with a wide distribution across multiple Laramide basins. The data presented here reinforce the conclusion that the Uintan was a time period in which omomyines diversified to include a large number of taxa with body masses above Kay's threshold and frugivorous-folivorous diets. These data also provide evidence that North American primate faunas exhibited a shifting pattern of regional endemism during the middle Eocene. By the early Uintan, primate faunas from Southern California were already quite distinct from primate faunas of the central Rocky Mountains or Trans-Pecos Texas. By the late Uintan, primate faunas in all three regions demonstrated greater provincialism, with Trans-Pecos Texas and Southern California both exhibiting a large number of endemic primate taxa and sharing only a single primate genus (Macrotarsius) in common. This increase in primate endemism across the Uintan may be tied to changes in paleohabitats associated with the larger trend toward decreasing temperatures from the Early Eocene Climatic Optimum to the Eocene/Oligocene transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Christopher Kirk
- Department of Anthropology, The University of Texas at Austin, 2201 Speedway Stop C3200, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Department of Geological Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, 2275 Speedway Stop C9000, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Jackson School Museum of Earth History, The University of Texas at Austin, J. J. Pickle Research Campus, 10100 Burnet Road, PRC 6-VPL, R7600, Austin, TX 78758, USA.
| | - Rachel H Dunn
- Department of Anatomy, Des Moines University, 3200 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50312, USA
| | - Benjamin Rodwell
- Department of Anthropology, The University of Texas at Austin, 2201 Speedway Stop C3200, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - K E Beth Townsend
- Department of Anatomy, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, 19555 N. 59th Avenue, Glendale, AZ 85308, USA
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27
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Auger C, Cipolletta C, Todd A, Fuh T, Sotto-Mayor A, Pouydebat E, Masi S. Feeling a bit peckish: Seasonal and opportunistic insectivory for wild gorillas. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2023; 182:210-223. [PMID: 37483018 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Insectivory likely contributed to survival of early humans in diverse conditions and influenced human cognitive evolution through the need to develop harvesting tools. In living primates, insectivory is a widespread behavior and frequently seasonal, although previous studies do not always agree on reasons behind this. Since western gorillas (Gorilla gorilla) diet is largely affected by seasonal variation in fruit availability, we aimed to test three non-mutually exclusive hypotheses (habitat use, frugivory and rainfall) to explain seasonality in termite feeding across age/sex classes in three habituated groups (Nindividuals = 27) in Central Africa. MATERIALS AND METHODS We used 4 years of ranging, scan and continuous focal sampling records of gorillas (Nranging days = 883, Nscans = 12,384; Nhours = 891) in addition to 116 transects recording vegetation and termite mound distribution. RESULTS Depending on the age/sex classes, we found support for all three hypotheses. Time spent in termite-rich vegetation positively impacted termite consumption in all age/sex classes, but subadults. Lengthier travels increased termite feeding in females but decreased it in subadults. Frugivory decreased termite consumption in adults. Daily rainfall had a positive effect on termite feeding and foraging in silverbacks and juveniles, but a negative effect in subadults. For females, rainfall had a positive effect on termite feeding, but a negative effect for termite foraging. DISCUSSION In great apes, seasonal insectivory seems to be multifactorial and primarily opportunistic with important differences among age/sex classes. While insectivory has potentials to be traditional, it likely played a crucial role during primate evolution (including ours), allowing diet flexibility in changing environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Auger
- Éco-Anthropologie, Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique: UMR7206, Paris, France
- Mécanismes Adaptatifs et Evolution, Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique: UMR7179, Paris, France
| | - Chloé Cipolletta
- Dzanga-Sangha Protected Areas, World Wide Fund for Nature, Bangui, Central African Republic
| | - Angelique Todd
- Dzanga-Sangha Protected Areas, World Wide Fund for Nature, Bangui, Central African Republic
| | - Terence Fuh
- Dzanga-Sangha Protected Areas, World Wide Fund for Nature, Bangui, Central African Republic
| | - Andrea Sotto-Mayor
- Éco-Anthropologie, Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique: UMR7206, Paris, France
| | - Emmanuelle Pouydebat
- Mécanismes Adaptatifs et Evolution, Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique: UMR7179, Paris, France
| | - Shelly Masi
- Éco-Anthropologie, Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique: UMR7206, Paris, France
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28
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Kikuchi Y. Body mass estimates from postcranial skeletons and implication for positional behavior in Nacholapithecus kerioi: Evolutionary scenarios of modern apes. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2023; 306:2466-2483. [PMID: 36753432 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/22/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
This study reported the body mass (BM) estimates of the Middle Miocene fossil hominoid Nacholapithecus kerioi from Africa. The average BM estimates from all forelimb and hindlimb skeletal elements was 22.7 kg, which is slightly higher than the previously reported estimate of ~22 kg. This study revealed that Nacholapithecus has a unique body proportion with an enlarged forelimb relative to a smaller hindlimb, suggesting an antipronograde posture/locomotion, which may be related to the long clavicle, robust ribs, and some hominoid-like vertebral morphology. Because the BM of Nacholapithecus in this study was estimated to be below 30 kg, Nacholapithecus probably did not have relatively shorter and robust femora, which may result from other mechanical constraints, as seen in extant African hominoids. The BM estimate of Nacholapithecus suggests that full substantial modifications of the trunk and forelimb anatomy for risk avoidance and foraging efficiency, as seen in extant great apes, would not be expected in Nacholapithecus. Because larger monkeys are less arboreal (e.g., Mandrillus sphinx or Papio spp.), and the maximum BM among extant constant arboreal cercopithecoids is ~24 kg (male Nasalis larvatus), Nacholapithecus would be a constant arboreal primate. Although caution should be applied because of targeting only males in this study, arboreal quadrupedalism with upright posture and occasional antipronograde locomotion (e.g., climbing, chambering, descending, arm-swing, and sway) using the powerful grasping capacity of the hand and foot may be assumed for positional behavior of Nacholapithecus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuhiro Kikuchi
- Division of Human Anatomy and Biological Anthropology, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Saga University, Saga, Japan
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29
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Rosenbaum S, Kuzawa CW. The promise of great apes as model organisms for understanding the downstream consequences of early life experiences. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 152:105240. [PMID: 37211151 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Early life experiences have a significant influence on adult health and aging processes in humans. Despite widespread interest in the evolutionary roots of this phenomenon, very little research on this topic has been conducted in humans' closest living relatives, the great apes. The longitudinal data sets that are now available on wild and captive great ape populations hold great promise to clarify the nature, evolutionary function, and mechanisms underlying these connections in species which share key human life history characteristics. Here, we explain features of great ape life history and socioecologies that make them of particular interest for this topic, as well as those that may limit their utility as comparative models; outline the ways in which available data are complementary to and extend the kinds of data that are available for humans; and review what is currently known about the connections among early life experiences, social behavior, and adult physiology and biological fitness in our closest living relatives. We conclude by highlighting key next steps for this emerging area of research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christopher W Kuzawa
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, USA; Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, USA
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30
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Cosman MN, MacLatchy LM, Schlecht SH, Devlin MJ. Intraspecific variation of long bone cross-sectional properties in Pan troglodytes troglodytes and Gorilla gorilla gorilla. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2023; 182:69-81. [PMID: 37504383 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 07/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Morphological intraspecific variation is due to the balance between skeletal plasticity and genetic constraint on the skeleton. Osteogenic responses to external stimuli, such as locomotion, have been well documented interspecifically across the primate order, but less so at the intraspecific level. Here, we examine the differences in cross-sectional variability of the femur, humerus, radius, and tibia in Pan troglodytes troglodytes versus Gorilla gorilla gorilla. We investigate whether there are sex, species, bone, and trait differences in response to variable body size and locomotion. MATERIALS AND METHODS Adult male and female P. t. troglodytes and G. g. gorilla long bones from the Cleveland Museum of Natural History were scanned with a peripheral quantitative computer tomography system. Scans were taken at the midshaft of each bone according to functional bone length. Coefficients of variation were used to provide a size-independent measure of variation. We applied a Bonferroni correction to account for the multiple pairwise tests. RESULTS There were limited significant differences between males and females, however, females tended to be more variable than males. Variation in Gorilla, when significant, was greater than in Pan, although significant differences were limited. There were no differences between bone variability in male and female Gorilla, and female Pan. DISCUSSION Increased female variability may be due to more variable locomotor behavior, particularly during periods of pregnancy, lactation, and caring for an offspring compared to consistent locomotion over the life course by males. Body size may be a contributing factor to variability; more work is needed to understand this relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Laura M MacLatchy
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Stephen H Schlecht
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Maureen J Devlin
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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31
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Zhou B, He Y, Chen Y, Su B. Comparative Genomic Analysis Identifies Great-Ape-Specific Structural Variants and Their Evolutionary Relevance. Mol Biol Evol 2023; 40:msad184. [PMID: 37565562 PMCID: PMC10461412 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msad184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
During the origin of great apes about 14 million years ago, a series of phenotypic innovations emerged, such as the increased body size, the enlarged brain volume, the improved cognitive skill, and the diversified diet. Yet, the genomic basis of these evolutionary changes remains unclear. Utilizing the high-quality genome assemblies of great apes (including human), gibbon, and macaque, we conducted comparative genome analyses and identified 15,885 great ape-specific structural variants (GSSVs), including eight coding GSSVs resulting in the creation of novel proteins (e.g., ACAN and CMYA5). Functional annotations of the GSSV-related genes revealed the enrichment of genes involved in development and morphogenesis, especially neurogenesis and neural network formation, suggesting the potential role of GSSVs in shaping the great ape-shared traits. Further dissection of the brain-related GSSVs shows great ape-specific changes of enhancer activities and gene expression in the brain, involving a group of GSSV-regulated genes (such as NOL3) that potentially contribute to the altered brain development and function in great apes. The presented data highlight the evolutionary role of structural variants in the phenotypic innovations during the origin of the great ape lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- National Resource Center for Non-Human Primates, Kunming Primate Research Center, and National Research Facility for Phenotypic & Genetic Analysis of Model Animals (Primate Facility), Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yaoxi He
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- National Resource Center for Non-Human Primates, Kunming Primate Research Center, and National Research Facility for Phenotypic & Genetic Analysis of Model Animals (Primate Facility), Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Yongjie Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- National Resource Center for Non-Human Primates, Kunming Primate Research Center, and National Research Facility for Phenotypic & Genetic Analysis of Model Animals (Primate Facility), Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Bing Su
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- National Resource Center for Non-Human Primates, Kunming Primate Research Center, and National Research Facility for Phenotypic & Genetic Analysis of Model Animals (Primate Facility), Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
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Marivaux L, Negri FR, Antoine PO, Stutz NS, Condamine FL, Kerber L, Pujos F, Ventura Santos R, Alvim AMV, Hsiou AS, Bissaro MC, Adami-Rodrigues K, Ribeiro AM. An eosimiid primate of South Asian affinities in the Paleogene of Western Amazonia and the origin of New World monkeys. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2301338120. [PMID: 37399374 PMCID: PMC10334725 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2301338120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent fossil discoveries in Western Amazonia revealed that two distinct anthropoid primate clades of African origin colonized South America near the Eocene/Oligocene transition (ca. 34 Ma). Here, we describe a diminutive fossil primate from Brazilian Amazonia and suggest that, surprisingly, a third clade of anthropoids was involved in the Paleogene colonization of South America by primates. This new taxon, Ashaninkacebus simpsoni gen. et sp. nov., has strong dental affinities with Asian African stem anthropoids: the Eosimiiformes. Morphology-based phylogenetic analyses of early Old World anthropoids and extinct and extant New World monkeys (platyrrhines) support relationships of both Ashaninkacebus and Amamria (late middle Eocene, North Africa) to the South Asian Eosimiidae. Afro-Arabia, then a mega island, played the role of a biogeographic stopover between South Asia and South America for anthropoid primates and hystricognathous rodents. The earliest primates from South America bear little adaptive resemblance to later Oligocene-early Miocene platyrrhine monkeys, and the scarcity of available paleontological data precludes elucidating firmly their affinities with or within Platyrrhini. Nonetheless, these data shed light on some of their life history traits, revealing a particularly small body size and a diet consisting primarily of insects and possibly fruit, which would have increased their chances of survival on a natural floating island during this extraordinary over-water trip to South America from Africa. Divergence-time estimates between Old and New World taxa indicate that the transatlantic dispersal(s) could source in the intense flooding events associated with the late middle Eocene climatic optimum (ca. 40.5 Ma) in Western Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurent Marivaux
- Laboratoire de Paléontologie, Institut des Sciences de l’Évolution de Montpellier (UMR 5554, CNRS/Université de Montpellier/Institut de Recherche pour le Développement), Université de Montpellier, 34095Montpellier, France
| | - Francisco R. Negri
- Laboratório de Paleontologia, Universidade Federal do Acre, 69980-000Cruzeiro do Sul, Brazil
| | - Pierre-Olivier Antoine
- Laboratoire de Paléontologie, Institut des Sciences de l’Évolution de Montpellier (UMR 5554, CNRS/Université de Montpellier/Institut de Recherche pour le Développement), Université de Montpellier, 34095Montpellier, France
| | - Narla S. Stutz
- Laboratoire de Paléontologie, Institut des Sciences de l’Évolution de Montpellier (UMR 5554, CNRS/Université de Montpellier/Institut de Recherche pour le Développement), Université de Montpellier, 34095Montpellier, France
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Geociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, 91501-970Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Fabien L. Condamine
- Laboratoire de Paléontologie, Institut des Sciences de l’Évolution de Montpellier (UMR 5554, CNRS/Université de Montpellier/Institut de Recherche pour le Développement), Université de Montpellier, 34095Montpellier, France
| | - Leonardo Kerber
- Centro de Apoio à Pesquisa Paleontológica da Quarta Colônia, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, 97230-000São João do Polêsine, Brazil
| | - François Pujos
- Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales, CONICET–Universidad Nacional de Cuyo-Mendoza, 5500Mendoza, Argentina
| | - Roberto Ventura Santos
- Laboratório de Geocronologia, Instituto de Geociências, Universidade de Brasília, 70910-000Brasília, Brazil
| | - André M. V. Alvim
- Laboratório de Geocronologia, Instituto de Geociências, Universidade de Brasília, 70910-000Brasília, Brazil
| | - Annie S. Hsiou
- Laboratório de Paleontologia, Universidade de São Paulo, 14040-901Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Marcos C. Bissaro
- Laboratório de Paleontologia, Universidade de São Paulo, 14040-901Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Karen Adami-Rodrigues
- Núcleo de Estudos em Paleontologia e Estratigrafia, Centro das Engenharias, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, 96010-020Pelotas, Brazil
| | - Ana Maria Ribeiro
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Geociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, 91501-970Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Seção de Paleontologia, Museu de Ciências Naturais, Secretaria do Meio Ambiente e Infraestrutura, 90690-000Porto Alegre, Brazil
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Grabowski M, Kopperud BT, Tsuboi M, Hansen TF. Both Diet and Sociality Affect Primate Brain-Size Evolution. Syst Biol 2023; 72:404-418. [PMID: 36454664 PMCID: PMC10275546 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syac075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2020] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Increased brain size in humans and other primates is hypothesized to confer cognitive benefits but brings costs associated with growing and maintaining energetically expensive neural tissue. Previous studies have argued that changes in either diet or levels of sociality led to shifts in brain size, but results were equivocal. Here we test these hypotheses using phylogenetic comparative methods designed to jointly account for and estimate the effects of adaptation and phylogeny. Using the largest current sample of primate brain and body sizes with observation error, complemented by newly compiled diet and sociality data, we show that both diet and sociality have influenced the evolution of brain size. Shifting from simple to more complex levels of sociality resulted in relatively larger brains, while shifting to a more folivorous diet led to relatively smaller brains. While our results support the role of sociality, they modify a range of ecological hypotheses centered on the importance of frugivory, and instead indicate that digestive costs associated with increased folivory may have resulted in relatively smaller brains. [adaptation; allometry; bayou; evolutionary trend; energetic constraints; phylogenetic comparative methods; primate brain size; Slouch; social-brain hypothesis.].
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Grabowski
- Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology, Liverpool John Moores University, 3 Byrom Street, Liverpool L3 3AF, UK
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Blindernveien 31, 0371 Oslo, Norway
| | - Bjørn T Kopperud
- GeoBio-Center LMU, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Richard-Wagner Straße 10, 80333 Munich, Germany
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Paleontology and Geobiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Richard-Wagner Straße 10, 80333 Munich, Germany
| | - Masahito Tsuboi
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Blindernveien 31, 0371 Oslo, Norway
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Ekologihuset, Sölvegatan 37, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - Thomas F Hansen
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Blindernveien 31, 0371 Oslo, Norway
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Morse PE, Pampush JD, Kay RF. Dental topography of the Oligocene anthropoids Aegyptopithecus zeuxis and Apidium phiomense: Paleodietary insights from analysis of wear series. J Hum Evol 2023; 180:103387. [PMID: 37245335 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2023.103387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Fossil primate dietary inference is enhanced when ascertained through multiple, distinct proxies. Dental topography can be used to assess changes in occlusal morphology with macrowear, providing insight on tooth use and function across the lifespans of individuals. We measured convex Dirichlet normal energy-a dental topography metric reflecting occlusal sharpness of features such as cusps and crests-in macrowear series of the second mandibular molars of two African anthropoid taxa from ∼30 Ma (Aegyptopithecus zeuxis and Apidium phiomense). Wear was quantified via three proxies: occlusal dentine exposure, inverse relief index, and inverse occlusal relief. The same measurements were calculated on macrowear series of four extant platyrrhine taxa (Alouatta, Ateles, Plecturocebus, and Sapajus apella) to provide an analogical framework for dietary inference in the fossil taxa. We predicted that Ae. zeuxis and Ap. phiomense would show similar patterns in topographic change with wear to one another and to extant platyrrhine frugivores like Ateles and Plecturocebus. The fossil taxa have similar distributions of convex Dirichlet normal energy to one another, and high amounts of concave Dirichlet normal energy 'noise' in unworn molars-a pattern shared with extant hominids that may distort dietary interpretations. Inverse relief index was the most useful wear proxy for comparison among the taxa in this study which possess disparate enamel thicknesses. Contrary to expectations, Ae. zeuxis and Ap. phiomense both resemble S. apella in exhibiting an initial decline in convex Dirichlet normal energy followed by an increase at the latest stages of wear as measured by inverse relief index, lending support to previous suggestions that hard-object feeding played a role in their dietary ecology. Based on these results and previous analyses of molar shearing quotients, microwear, and enamel microstructure, we suggest that Ae. zeuxis had a pitheciine-like strategy of seed predation, whereas Ap. phiomense potentially consumed berry-like compound fruits with hard seeds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul E Morse
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
| | - James D Pampush
- Department of Exercise Science, High Point University, High Point, NC 27260, USA; Department of Physician Assistant Studies, High Point University, High Point, NC 27260, USA
| | - Richard F Kay
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA; Division of Earth and Climate Sciences, Nicholas School, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
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Peçanha SV, Estruc TM, de Carvalho RBJ, dos Santos-Sousa CA, Souza-Júnior P, Abidu-Figueiredo M. Morphometry and skeletopy of kidneys and renal vessels in Alouatta guariba clamitans (Primates: Atelidae): case reports. BRAZILIAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY MEDICINE 2023; 45:e005222. [PMID: 37250867 PMCID: PMC10219613 DOI: 10.29374/2527-2179.bjvm005222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Various animal models are used for research; however, non-human primates are well suited for biomedical research owing to their genetic homology with humans. The objective of this research was the anatomical characterization of red howler's kidneys in view of the scarcity of information in the literature. Protocols were approved by the Committee for Ethics in the Use of Animals at the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro (number 018/2017). The study was conducted at the Laboratory of Teaching and Research in Domestic and Wild Animal Morphology, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro. Specimens of Alouatta guariba clamitans were collected from the Serra dos Órgãos National Park road in Rio de Janeiro and subsequently frozen. Four adult cadavers (two males and two females) were used, identified, and injected with a 10% formaldehyde solution. Later, the specimens were dissected, and measurements and topography of the kidneys and renal vessels were recorded. The kidneys of A. g. clamitans resemble a "bean seed," with a smooth surface. The longitudinal section shows two distinct regions, cortical and medullary; in addition, the kidneys are unipyramidal. The renal arteries emerged from the abdominal aorta as a single vessel posterior to the renal veins. The renal veins drained directly into the caudal vena cava as a single vessel in all specimens.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Carlos Augusto dos Santos-Sousa
- Veterinarian, DSc. Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Natureza, Universidade Federal do Acre (UFAC), Rio Branco, AC, Brazil.
| | - Paulo Souza-Júnior
- Veterinarian, DSc. Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Pampa (UNIPAMPA), Uruguaiana, RS, Brazil.
| | - Marcelo Abidu-Figueiredo
- Veterinarian, DSc. Departamento de Anatomia Animal e Humana, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ), Seropédica, RJ, Brazil.
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Jesus ADS, El Bizri HR, Fa JE, Valsecchi J, Rabelo RM, Mayor P. Comparative gastrointestinal organ lengths among Amazonian primates (Primates: Platyrrhini). AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2023. [PMID: 37092603 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The morphological features of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) in mammals reflect a species' food niche breadth and dietary adaptations. For many wild mammals, the relationship between the structure of the GIT and diet is still poorly understood, for example, the GIT for frugivorous primates is usually classified as unspecialized and homogeneous. Here, we compare the GIT structure of 13 primate species from the three families of extant platyrrhines (Atelidae, Pitheciidae, and Cebidae) in Amazonia, and discuss possible evolutionary adaptations to different diets and trophic niches. METHODS We measured the length of the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, cecum, colon, and rectum of the digestive tracts of 289 primate specimens. We determined the allometric relationships of the different tubular organs with the total length of the GIT as a proxy of specimen body size. Allometric parameters were used to establish the quotients of differentiation of every organ for each primate specimen. RESULTS There was a high differentiation in structure of the digestive organs among genera. Alouatta specimens clearly separated from the other genera based on dissimilarities in gastric, colonic, and rectal quotients, likely linked to the fermentation of plant contents. In contrast, all cebines (Sapajus, Cebus, and Saimiri) and Cacajao species had similar small intestine quotients, which is expected due to their high rates of animal matter consumed. CONCLUSIONS We show that diverse adaptations in digestive structure exist among frugivorous primates, which in turn reflect different dietary patterns within this group that may enable the geographic coexistence of different primate species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anamélia de Souza Jesus
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde e Produção Animal na Amazônia, Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia, Belém, Brazil
- Grupo de Pesquisa em Ecologia de Vertebrados Terrestres, Instituto de Desenvolvimento Sustentável Mamirauá, Tefé, Brazil
- Grupo de Pesquisa em Biologia e Conservação de Primatas, Instituto de Desenvolvimento Sustentável Mamirauá, Tefé, Brazil
- Rede de Pesquisa para Estudos sobre Diversidade, Conservação e Uso da Fauna na Amazônia (RedeFauna), Manaus, Brazil
| | - Hani R El Bizri
- Grupo de Pesquisa em Ecologia de Vertebrados Terrestres, Instituto de Desenvolvimento Sustentável Mamirauá, Tefé, Brazil
- Rede de Pesquisa para Estudos sobre Diversidade, Conservação e Uso da Fauna na Amazônia (RedeFauna), Manaus, Brazil
- School of Science, Engineering and Environment, University of Salford, Salford, UK
- Comunidad de Manejo de Fauna Silvestre en la Amazonía y en Latinoamérica (ComFauna), Iquitos, Peru
| | - Julia E Fa
- Department of Natural Sciences, School of Science and the Environment, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK
- CIFOR Headquarters, Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), Bogor, Indonesia
| | - João Valsecchi
- Grupo de Pesquisa em Ecologia de Vertebrados Terrestres, Instituto de Desenvolvimento Sustentável Mamirauá, Tefé, Brazil
- Rede de Pesquisa para Estudos sobre Diversidade, Conservação e Uso da Fauna na Amazônia (RedeFauna), Manaus, Brazil
| | - Rafael Magalhães Rabelo
- Grupo de Pesquisa em Ecologia de Vertebrados Terrestres, Instituto de Desenvolvimento Sustentável Mamirauá, Tefé, Brazil
| | - Pedro Mayor
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde e Produção Animal na Amazônia, Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia, Belém, Brazil
- Comunidad de Manejo de Fauna Silvestre en la Amazonía y en Latinoamérica (ComFauna), Iquitos, Peru
- Departamento Sanitat i Anatomia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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MacLatchy LM, Cote SM, Deino AL, Kityo RM, Mugume AAT, Rossie JB, Sanders WJ, Cosman MN, Driese SG, Fox DL, Freeman AJ, Jansma RJW, Jenkins KEH, Kinyanjui RN, Lukens WE, McNulty KP, Novello A, Peppe DJ, Strömberg CAE, Uno KT, Winkler AJ, Kingston JD. The evolution of hominoid locomotor versatility: Evidence from Moroto, a 21 Ma site in Uganda. Science 2023; 380:eabq2835. [PMID: 37053310 DOI: 10.1126/science.abq2835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/15/2023]
Abstract
Living hominoids are distinguished by upright torsos and versatile locomotion. It is hypothesized that these features evolved for feeding on fruit from terminal branches in forests. To investigate the evolutionary context of hominoid adaptive origins, we analyzed multiple paleoenvironmental proxies in conjunction with hominoid fossils from the Moroto II site in Uganda. The data indicate seasonally dry woodlands with the earliest evidence of abundant C4 grasses in Africa based on a confirmed age of 21 million years ago (Ma). We demonstrate that the leaf-eating hominoid Morotopithecus consumed water-stressed vegetation, and postcrania from the site indicate ape-like locomotor adaptations. These findings suggest that the origin of hominoid locomotor versatility is associated with foraging on leaves in heterogeneous, open woodlands rather than forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura M MacLatchy
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Museum of Paleontology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Susanne M Cote
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Alan L Deino
- Berkeley Geochronology Center, Berkeley, CA 94709, USA
| | - Robert M Kityo
- Department of Zoology, Entomology and Fisheries Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Amon A T Mugume
- Department of Zoology, Entomology and Fisheries Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
- Uganda National Museum, Department of Museums and Monuments, Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, Kampala, Uganda
| | - James B Rossie
- Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - William J Sanders
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Museum of Paleontology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Miranda N Cosman
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Steven G Driese
- Department of Geosciences, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76798, USA
| | - David L Fox
- Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - April J Freeman
- Department of Geosciences, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76798, USA
| | - Rutger J W Jansma
- Institute of Human Origins, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Kirsten E H Jenkins
- Department of Social Sciences, Tacoma Community College, Tacoma, WA 98466, USA
| | - Rahab N Kinyanjui
- Earth Sciences Department, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
- Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology, Jena D-07743, Germany
- Human Origins Program, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20013, USA
| | - William E Lukens
- Department of Geology & Environmental Science, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA 22807, USA
| | - Kieran P McNulty
- Department of Anthropology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Alice Novello
- CEREGE, Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, IRD, Collège de France, INRAE, Aix en Provence, France
- Department of Biology & Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Daniel J Peppe
- Department of Geosciences, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76798, USA
| | - Caroline A E Strömberg
- Department of Biology & Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Kevin T Uno
- Division of Biology and Paleo Environment, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, NY 10964, USA
| | - Alisa J Winkler
- Roy M. Huffington Department of Earth Sciences, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX 75275, USA
- Section of Anatomy, Department of Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - John D Kingston
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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Human and African ape myosin heavy chain content and the evolution of hominin skeletal muscle. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2023; 281:111415. [PMID: 36931425 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2023.111415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
Abstract
Humans are unique among terrestrial mammals in our manner of walking and running, reflecting 7 to 8 Ma of musculoskeletal evolution since diverging with the genus Pan. One component of this is a shift in our skeletal muscle biology towards a predominance of myosin heavy chain (MyHC) I isoforms (i.e. slow fibers) across our pelvis and lower limbs, which distinguishes us from chimpanzees. Here, new MyHC data from 35 pelvis and hind limb muscles of a Western gorilla (Gorilla gorilla) are presented. These data are combined with a similar chimpanzee dataset to assess the MyHC I content of humans in comparison to African apes (chimpanzees and gorillas) and other terrestrial mammals. The responsiveness of human skeletal muscle to behavioral interventions is also compared to the human-African ape differential. Humans are distinct from African apes and among a small group of terrestrial mammals whose pelvis and hind/lower limb muscle is slow fiber dominant, on average. Behavioral interventions, including immobilization, bed rest, spaceflight and exercise, can induce modest decreases and increases in human MyHC I content (i.e. -9.3% to 2.3%, n = 2033 subjects), but these shifts are much smaller than the mean human-African ape differential (i.e. 31%). Taken together, these results indicate muscle fiber content is likely an evolvable trait under selection in the hominin lineage. As such, we highlight potential targets of selection in the genome (e.g. regions that regulate MyHC content) that may play an important role in hominin skeletal muscle evolution.
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Goldstein DM, Sylvester AD. Carpal allometry of African apes among mammals. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2023; 181:10-28. [PMID: 36808858 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/20/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Morphological variation in African ape carpals has been used to support the idea that Pan and Gorilla evolved knuckle-walking independently. Little work, however, has focused on the effect of body mass on carpal morphology. Here, we compare carpal allometry in Pan and Gorilla to that of other quadrupedal mammals with similar body mass differences. If allometric trends in Pan and Gorilla carpals mirror those of other mammals with similar body mass variation, then body mass differences may provide a more parsimonious explanation for African ape carpal variation than the independent evolution of knuckle-walking. MATERIALS AND METHODS Three linear measurements were collected on the capitate, hamate, lunate, and scaphoid (or scapholunate) of 39 quadrupedal species from six mammalian families/subfamilies. Relationships between linear measurements and estimated body mass were analyzed using reduced major axis regression. Slopes were compared to 0.33 for isometry. RESULTS Within Hominidae, higher body mass taxa (Gorilla) have relatively anteroposteriorly wider, mediolaterally wider, and/or proximodistally shorter capitates, hamates, and scaphoids than low body mass taxa (Pan). These allometric relationships are mirrored in most, but not all, mammalian families/subfamilies included in the analysis. CONCLUSIONS Within most mammalian families/subfamilies, carpals of high body mass taxa are proximodistally shorter, anteroposteriorly wider, and mediolaterally wider than those of low body mass taxa. These distinctions may be caused by the need to accommodate relatively higher forelimb loading associated with greater body mass. Because these trends occur within multiple mammalian families/subfamilies, some carpal variation in Pan and Gorilla is consistent with body mass differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deanna M Goldstein
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - Adam D Sylvester
- Center for Functional Anatomy and Evolution, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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40
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Barnett AA, Stone AI, Shaw P, Ronchi‐Teles B, dos Santos‐Barnett T, Pimenta NC, Kinap NM, Spironello WR, Bitencourt A, Penhorwood G, Umeed RN, de Oliveira TG, Bezerra BM, Boyle SA, Ross C, Wenzel JW. When food fights back: Cebid primate strategies of larval paper wasp predation and the high‐energy yield of high‐risk foraging. AUSTRAL ECOL 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.13287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Adrian A. Barnett
- Centre for Research in Evolutionary & Environmental Anthropology Roehampton University London UK
- Department of Zoology Pernambuco Federal University Recife Brazil
- Amazonian Mammal Research Group Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia Manaus Brazil
- Animal and Agricultural Sciences Hartpury University Gloucester UK
| | - Anita I. Stone
- Biology Department California Lutheran Univ. Thousand Oaks California USA
| | - Peter Shaw
- Department of Life Sciences, Centre for Research in Ecology, Evolution, and Behaviour, Whitelands College University of Roehampton London UK
| | - Beatriz Ronchi‐Teles
- Entomology Research Group Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia Manaus Brazil
| | | | - Natalia C. Pimenta
- Amazonian Mammal Research Group Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia Manaus Brazil
- Instituto Socioambiental, Programa Rio Negro Manaus Brazil
| | - Natalia M. Kinap
- Amazonian Mammal Research Group Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia Manaus Brazil
| | - Wilson R. Spironello
- Amazonian Mammal Research Group Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia Manaus Brazil
| | - Aparecida Bitencourt
- Food Chemistry & Physics Laboratory, Food Technology Department Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia Manaus Brazil
| | - Gemma Penhorwood
- Animal and Agricultural Sciences Hartpury University Gloucester UK
| | - Rebecca N. Umeed
- Department of Zoology Pernambuco Federal University Recife Brazil
| | | | - Bruna M. Bezerra
- Department of Zoology Pernambuco Federal University Recife Brazil
| | - Sarah A. Boyle
- Department of Biology and Environmental Studies and Sciences Program Rhodes College Memphis Tennessee USA
| | - Caroline Ross
- Centre for Research in Evolutionary & Environmental Anthropology Roehampton University London UK
| | - John W. Wenzel
- Carnegie Museum of Natural History Pittsburgh Pennsylvania USA
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Cassini MH. Role of sexual and natural selection in the evolution of sexual size dimorphism in primates. J Zool (1987) 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.13052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- M. H. Cassini
- Instituto de Biologia y Medicina Experimental Buenos Aires Argentina
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42
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Correia I, Gomes BDF, Villalobos F, Ferrari SF, Gouveia SF. Lessons from comparative primatology for understanding trait covariation and diversity in evolutionary ecology. Mamm Rev 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/mam.12307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Isadora Correia
- Graduate Program in Ecology and Conservation Universidade Federal de Sergipe 49100‐000 São Cristóvão Sergipe Brazil
| | | | - Fabricio Villalobos
- Evolutionary Biology Network Instituto de Ecología A.C. ‐ INECOL, Xalapa Veracruz Mexico
| | - Stephen F. Ferrari
- Department of Ecology Universidade Federal de Sergipe São Cristóvão Sergipe Brazil
| | - Sidney F. Gouveia
- Department of Ecology Universidade Federal de Sergipe São Cristóvão Sergipe Brazil
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Sarringhaus L, Lewton KL, Iqbal S, Carlson KJ. Ape femoral-humeral rigidities and arboreal locomotion. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2022; 179:624-639. [PMID: 36790629 PMCID: PMC9828227 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2021] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study investigates patterns of bone functional adaptations in extant apes through comparing hindlimb to forelimb bone rigidity ratios in groups with varying levels of arboreality. MATERIALS AND METHODS Using CT scans, bone rigidity (J) was calculated at three regions of interest (ROI) along femoral and humeral diaphyses in Homo, Pongo, Pan, and Gorilla with further comparisons made between species and subspecies divisions within Pan and Gorilla. RESULTS Consistent with previous work on extant hominoids, species exhibited differences in midshaft femoral to humeral (F/H) rigidity ratios. Results of the present study confirm that these midshaft differences extend to 35% and 65% diaphyseal ROIs. Modern humans, exhibiting larger ratios, and orangutans, exhibiting smaller ratios, bracketed the intermediate African apes in comparisons. Within some African apes, limb rigidity ratios varied significantly between taxonomic groups. Eastern gorillas exhibited the highest mean ratios and chimpanzees the lowest at all three ROIs. In posthoc comparisons, chimpanzees and bonobos did not differ in relative limb rigidity ratios at any of the three ROIs. However, western gorillas were more similar to bonobos than eastern gorillas at 50% and 35% ROIs, but not at the 65% ROI. CONCLUSION Species, and to a lesser extent subspecies, can be distinguished by F/H limb rigidity ratios according to broad positional behavior patterns at multiple regions of interest along the diaphyses. Similarity of bonobos and western gorillas is in line with behavioral data of bonobos being the most terrestrial of Pan species, and western gorillas the most arboreal of the Gorilla groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Sarringhaus
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Department of Biology, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia, USA
| | - Kristi L Lewton
- Department of Integrative Anatomical Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Safiyyah Iqbal
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Kristian J Carlson
- Department of Integrative Anatomical Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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Small but Nice–Seed Dispersal by Tamarins Compared to Large Neotropical Primates. DIVERSITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/d14121033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Tamarins, small Neotropical primates of the genera Saguinus and Leontocebus, have a mainly frugivorous-faunivorous diet. While consuming the pulp of a high diversity of fruit species, they also swallow seeds and void them intact, thus acting as seed dispersers. Here we compare different aspects of the seed dispersal ecology of tamarins with that of large Neotropical primates from the genera Ateles (spider monkeys) and Lagothrix (woolly monkeys). Due to their small body size, tamarins disperse seeds of a smaller size range, fewer seeds per defecation, and seeds from a smaller number of different plant species per defecation compared to these atelines. We discuss whether tamarin seed dispersal is redundant or complementary to seed dispersal by atelines. On the level of plant species, our comparisons suggest that redundancy or complementarity depends on the plant species concerned. On the habitat level, seed dispersal by tamarins and large New World primates is probably complementary. Particularly, since tamarins are capable of persisting in disturbed forests and near human settlements, they are more likely to contribute to the natural regeneration of such areas than larger primates.
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Perea-García JO, Ramarajan K, Kret ME, Hobaiter C, Monteiro A. Ecological factors are likely drivers of eye shape and colour pattern variations across anthropoid primates. Sci Rep 2022; 12:17240. [PMID: 36243745 PMCID: PMC9569326 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-20900-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
External eye appearance across primate species is diverse in shape and colouration, yet we still lack an explanation for the drivers of such diversity. Here we quantify substantial interspecific variation in eye shape and colouration across 77 primate species representing all extant genera of anthropoid primates. We reassess a series of hypotheses aiming to explain ocular variation in horizontal elongation and in colouration across species. Heavier body weight and terrestrial locomotion are associated with elongated eye outlines. Species living closer to the equator present more pigmented conjunctivae, suggesting photoprotective functions. Irises become bluer in species living further away from the equator, adding to existing literature supporting a circadian clock function for bluer irises. These results shift the current focus from communicative, to ecological factors in driving variation in external eye appearance in anthropoid primates. They also highlight the possibility that similar ecological factors contributed to selection for blue eyes in ancestral human populations living in northern latitudes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Olvido Perea-García
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117557, Singapore.
- Institute of Psychology, Cognitive Psychology Unit, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK, Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | | | - Mariska E Kret
- Institute of Psychology, Cognitive Psychology Unit, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Catherine Hobaiter
- Centre for Social Learning and Cognitive Evolution and Scottish Primate Research Group, School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, Fife, Scotland, UK
| | - Antónia Monteiro
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117557, Singapore
- Science Division, Yale-NUS College, Singapore, Singapore
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46
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Ji X, Harrison T, Zhang Y, Wu Y, Zhang C, Hu J, Wu D, Hou Y, Li S, Wang G, Wang Z. The earliest hylobatid from the Late Miocene of China. J Hum Evol 2022; 171:103251. [PMID: 36113226 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 08/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Yuanmoupithecus xiaoyuan, a small catarrhine from the Late Miocene of Yunnan in southern China, was initially suggested to be related to Miocene proconsuloids or dendropithecoids from East Africa, but subsequent reports indicated that it might be more closely related to hylobatids. Here, detailed comparisons of the material, including seven newly discovered teeth and a partial lower face of a juvenile individual, provide crucial evidence to help establish its phylogenetic relationships. Yuanmoupithecus exhibits a suite of synapomorphies that support a close phylogenetic relationship with extant hylobatids. Furthermore, based on the retention of several primitive features of the dentition, Yuanmoupithecus can be shown to be the sister taxon of crown hylobatids. The contention that Kapi ramnagarensis from the Middle Miocene of India might represent an earlier species of hylobatid is not supported here. Instead, Kapi is inferred to be a specialized pliopithecoid more closely related to Krishnapithecus krishnaii from the Late Miocene of India. Currently then, Yuanmoupithecus represents the earliest known definitively identified hylobatid and the only member of the clade predating the Pleistocene. It extends the fossil record of hylobatids back to 7-8 Ma and fills a critical gap in the evolutionary history of hominoids that has up until now remained elusive. Even so, molecular estimates of a divergence date of hylobatids from other hominoids at about 17-22 Ma signifies that there is still a substantial gap in the fossil record of more than 10 million years that needs to be filled in order to document the biogeographic origins and early evolution of hylobatids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueping Ji
- Kunming Natural History Museum of Zoology, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China; Department of Paleoanthropology, Yunnan Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Kunming, 650118, China
| | - Terry Harrison
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, 10003, USA.
| | - Yingqi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100044, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Beijing, 100044, China
| | - Yun Wu
- Department of Paleoanthropology, Yunnan Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Kunming, 650118, China; School of History, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Chunxia Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100029, China; College of Earth Science and Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266590, China
| | - Jinming Hu
- Institute of International Rivers and Eco-security, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Dongdong Wu
- Kunming Natural History Museum of Zoology, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
| | - Yemao Hou
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100044, China
| | - Song Li
- Kunming Natural History Museum of Zoology, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
| | - Guofu Wang
- Chuxiong Prefectural Museum, Chuxiong, 657000, China
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Conga DF, Bizri HRE, Crespo CG, Gomez-Puerta LA, Ulloa-Urizar GM, Pérez-Peña PE, Bowler M, Mayor P. Environmental predictors of filarial infection in Amazonian primates. Acta Trop 2022; 235:106670. [PMID: 36037980 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2022.106670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Revised: 07/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
Filarial nematode infections are common in primates, but have received little attention in the Neotropics. Epidemiological data on filarial infections in primates are still too sparse to fully understand the complex of this parasitism, especially because of the difficulty in studying the ecology and epidemiology of wild primates.. We describe natural infections by Dipetalonema parasitizing 211 primates belonging to eight free-living primate genera in Amazonia, and assess the relationships between parasitic indicators and climatic (rainfall and river level), ecological (fruiting periods of plants) and biological (sex, species' body mass, group size and density) factors. The overall prevalence was 64.4% (95% CI: 64.0 - 64.9); parasitic mean abundance (N filariae per individual) and parasitic mean intensity (N filariae per infected host) of infection were 11.9 (95% CI: 8.3 - 15.6) and 18.4 (95% CI: 13.4 - 23.4) filariae/individual, respectively. Although we observed differences in parasitic parameters among primate genera, there was no correlation between parasitic parameters with density, body mass or group size. Sapajus, Cebus and Lagothrix had the highest prevalence and parasitic mean intensity. Using Lagothrix lagotricha poeppigii, the most sampled species (n = 92), as a model, we found that the number of filariae per infected host was associated with fruit production in swamp forests during the dry season, the time of food scarcity. The long periods of food shortage may cause environmental stress on primates, impairing their immune defenses and leading to increased parasite load but not affecting infection prevalence. However, the lack of information on vector ecology, key to understand risk factors associated to infection rate, prevents confirming the existence of an infection pattern dependent on food availability.
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Affiliation(s)
- David F Conga
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde e Produção Animal na Amazônia, Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia (UFRA), Av. Presidente Tancredo Neves 2501, Terra Firme, 66077-830, Belém-Pará, Brazil
| | - Hani R El Bizri
- Grupo de Pesquisa em Ecologia de Vertebrados Terrestres, Instituto de Desenvolvimento Sustentável Mamirauá (IDSM), Estrada do Bexiga 2584, Fonte Boa, 69553-225, Tefé-Amazonas, Brazil; Department of Natural Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University. Oxford Road, M15 6BH, Manchester, United Kingdom; Comunidad de Manejo de Fauna Silvestre en la Amazonía y en Latinoamérica (COMFAUNA), 332 Malecon Tarapaca, Iquitos, Peru; Rede de Pesquisa sobre Diversidade, Conservação e Uso da Fauna na Amazônia (RedeFauna), Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Carlos González Crespo
- Center for Animal Disease Modeling and Surveillance, Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Luis A Gomez-Puerta
- Department of Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics, School of Veterinary Medicine, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Peru
| | - Gabriela M Ulloa-Urizar
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde e Produção Animal na Amazônia, Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia (UFRA), Av. Presidente Tancredo Neves 2501, Terra Firme, 66077-830, Belém-Pará, Brazil; Laboratorio de Microbiología y Genómica Bacteriana, Universidad Científica del Sur, Lima, Peru
| | - Pedro E Pérez-Peña
- Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonía Peruana, Av. Jose A. Quiñones km 2.5, Iquitos, Loreto, Peru
| | - Mark Bowler
- School of Engineering, Arts, Science and Technology Science, University of Suffolk, Waterfront Building, Neptune Quay, Ipswich, IP4 1QJ, UK; Institute for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Global, Escondido, California, CA 92027-9614, USA; Suffolk Sustainability Institute, Waterfront Building, Neptune Quay, Ipswich, IP4 1QJ, UK
| | - Pedro Mayor
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde e Produção Animal na Amazônia, Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia (UFRA), Av. Presidente Tancredo Neves 2501, Terra Firme, 66077-830, Belém-Pará, Brazil; Comunidad de Manejo de Fauna Silvestre en la Amazonía y en Latinoamérica (COMFAUNA), 332 Malecon Tarapaca, Iquitos, Peru; Departament de Sanitat i d'Anatomia Animals, Facultat de Veterinària, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Edifici V, E-08193 Bellaterra-Barcelona, Spain; Museo de Culturas Indígenas Amazónicas, Loreto, Iquitos, Peru.
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Salmi R, Szczupider M, Carrigan J. A novel attention-getting vocalization in zoo-housed western gorillas. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0271871. [PMID: 35947550 PMCID: PMC9365142 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0271871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
As a critical aspect of language, vocal learning is extremely rare in animals, having only been described in a few distantly related species. New evidence, however, extends vocal learning/innovation to the primate order, with zoo-housed chimpanzees and orangutans producing novel vocal signals to attract the attention of familiar human caregivers. If the ability to produce novel vocalizations as a means of navigating evolutionarily novel circumstances spans the Hominidae family, then we can expect to find evidence for it in the family’s third genus, Gorilla. To explore this possibility, we conduct an experiment with eight gorillas from Zoo Atlanta to examine whether they use species-atypical vocalizations to get the attention of humans across three different conditions: just a human, just food, or a human holding food. Additionally, we survey gorilla keepers from other AZA-member zoos to compile a list of common attention-getting signals used by the gorillas in their care. Our experiment results indicated that Zoo Atlanta gorillas vocalized most often during the human-food condition, with the most frequently used vocal signal being a species-atypical sound somewhere between a sneeze and a cough (n = 28). This previously undescribed sound is acoustically different from other calls commonly produced during feeding (i.e., single grunts and food-associated calls). Our survey and analyses of recordings from other zoos confirmed that this novel attention-getting sound is not unique to Zoo Atlanta, although further work should be done to better determine the extent and patterns of transmission and/or potential independent innovation of this sound across captive gorilla populations. These findings represent one of the few pieces of evidence of spontaneous novel vocal production in non-enculturated individuals of this species, supporting the inclusion of great apes as moderate vocal learners and perhaps demonstrating an evolutionary function to a flexible vocal repertoire.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Salmi
- Department of Anthropology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Monica Szczupider
- Department of Anthropology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States of America
- Intergrative Conservation Graduate Program, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States of America
| | - Jodi Carrigan
- Zoo Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
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49
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Hooper R, Brett B, Thornton A. Problems with using comparative analyses of avian brain size to test hypotheses of cognitive evolution. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0270771. [PMID: 35867640 PMCID: PMC9307164 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0270771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
There are multiple hypotheses for the evolution of cognition. The most prominent hypotheses are the Social Intelligence Hypothesis (SIH) and the Ecological Intelligence Hypothesis (EIH), which are often pitted against one another. These hypotheses tend to be tested using broad-scale comparative studies of brain size, where brain size is used as a proxy of cognitive ability, and various social and/or ecological variables are included as predictors. Here, we test how robust conclusions drawn from such analyses may be. First, we investigate variation in brain and body size measurements across >1000 bird species. We demonstrate that there is substantial variation in brain and body size estimates across datasets, indicating that conclusions drawn from comparative brain size models are likely to differ depending on the source of the data. Following this, we subset our data to the Corvides infraorder and interrogate how modelling decisions impact results. We show that model results change substantially depending on variable inclusion, source and classification. Indeed, we could have drawn multiple contradictory conclusions about the principal drivers of brain size evolution. These results reflect concerns from a growing number of researchers that conclusions drawn from comparative brain size studies may not be robust. We suggest that to interrogate hypotheses of cognitive evolution, a fruitful way forward is to focus on testing cognitive performance within and between closely related taxa, with an emphasis on understanding the relationship between informational uncertainty and cognitive evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Hooper
- University of Exeter, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Penryn Campus, Cornwall, United Kingdom
- University of Exeter, Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Streatham Campus, Exeter, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (RH); (AT)
| | - Becky Brett
- University of Exeter, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Penryn Campus, Cornwall, United Kingdom
| | - Alex Thornton
- University of Exeter, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Penryn Campus, Cornwall, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (RH); (AT)
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50
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Schroeder L, Elton S, Ackermann RR. Skull variation in Afro-Eurasian monkeys results from both adaptive and non-adaptive evolutionary processes. Sci Rep 2022; 12:12516. [PMID: 35869137 PMCID: PMC9307787 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-16734-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Afro-Eurasian monkeys originated in the Miocene and are the most species-rich modern primate family. Molecular and fossil data have provided considerable insight into their evolutionary divergence, but we know considerably less about the evolutionary processes that underlie these differences. Here, we apply tests developed from quantitative genetics theory to a large (n > 3000) cranio-mandibular morphometric dataset, investigating the relative importance of adaptation (natural selection) and neutral processes (genetic drift) in shaping diversity at different taxonomic levels, an approach applied previously to monkeys of the Americas, apes, hominins, and other vertebrate taxa. Results indicate that natural selection, particularly for differences in size, plays a significant role in diversifying Afro-Eurasian monkeys as a whole. However, drift appears to better explain skull divergence within the subfamily Colobinae, and in particular the African colobine clade, likely due to habitat fragmentation. Small and declining population sizes make it likely that drift will continue in this taxon, with potentially dire implications for genetic diversity and future resilience in the face of environmental change. For the other taxa, many of whom also have decreasing populations and are threatened, understanding adaptive pressures similarly helps identify relative vulnerability and may assist with prioritising scarce conservation resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Schroeder
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6, Canada.
- Human Evolution Research Institute, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa.
| | - Sarah Elton
- Department of Anthropology, Durham University, Dawson Building, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Rebecca Rogers Ackermann
- Department of Archaeology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa
- Human Evolution Research Institute, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa
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