Cranial shape in fruit, nectar, and exudate feeders: implications for interpreting the fossil record.
*Dentition; *Diet; *Fruit; Animals; Biological Evolution; Chiroptera; Discriminant Analysis; Fossils; Primates; Skull/*anatomy & histology; Species Specificity
At least 29 species of fossil primates have been referred to fruit, nectar, and/or exudate feeding dietary niches. Many studies have detailed the morphological correlates of fruit feeding in comparison to insectivory and folivory. In contrast, few studies have sought to differentiate the morphological correlates of fruit feeding from those of nectar and exudate feeding. This study investigates the differences between fruit, nectar, and exudate feeders using 22 cranial and dentary shape variables representing 28 species of living marsupials, bats, and primates. Discriminant function analysis is used to investigate the differences between these dietary categories using both the complete data set and a reduced data set composed of variables that might reasonably be available from fragmentary fossil material. The success rates of post-hoc classifications are 94 and 88%, respectively. These results demonstrate that it is possible to discriminate among fruit, nectar, and exudate feeders among fossil taxa with a reasonable degree of certainty using the data and techniques outlined here. Nectar feeders exhibit a unique combination of features that are associated with reduced masticatory strength and their role as pollination agents. Exudate feeder skulls and dentaries exhibit a combination of features that reflect the high stresses encountered by the anterior dentition through bark gouging behavior. Fruit feeders are morphologically diverse, exhibiting cranial and mandibular shape values that overlap with both nectar and exudate feeders. It is suggested that this diversity reflects the variety of physical properties represented among fruits, and the tendency for individual frugivore species to specialize on particular fruits.
Dumont E R
American journal of physical anthropology
1997
1997-02
Article information provided for research and reference use only. All rights are retained by the journal listed under publisher and/or the creator(s).
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1096-8644(199702)102:2%3C187::AID-AJPA4%3E3.0.CO;2-W" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1002/(SICI)1096-8644(199702)102:2%3C187::AID-AJPA4%3E3.0.CO;2-W</a>
Primate spondyloarthropathy.
*Primate Diseases/classification/epidemiology; Animal; Animals; Disease Models; Incidence; Primates; Spondylarthropathies/classification/epidemiology/*veterinary
Spondyloarthropathy is a common occurrence in Old World primates, with only limited presence in New World monkeys. Clearly distinguished from rheumatoid arthritis, this erosive arthritis afflicts 20% of great apes, baboons, and rhesus macaques and had been increasing in frequency. Habitat-dependent infectious agent diarrhea-induced reactive arthritis is implicated on a background of genetic predisposition. A gorilla-derived therapeutic preventative approach has possible application in human clinical medicine.
Rothschild Bruce M
Current rheumatology reports
2005
2005-06
Article information provided for research and reference use only. All rights are retained by the journal listed under publisher and/or the creator(s).
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1007/s11926-996-0036-0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1007/s11926-996-0036-0</a>
A neurochemical hypothesis for the origin of hominids.
*Ardipithecus; *basal ganglia; *Biological Evolution; *dopamine; *hominin; *Neurochemistry; *neurotransmitter; *Selection; *Social Behavior; Altruism; Animals; Corpus Striatum/*physiology; Dogs; Genetic; Humans; Personality; Primates; Social Conformity
It has always been difficult to account for the evolution of certain human characters such as language, empathy, and altruism via individual reproductive success. However, the striatum, a subcortical region originally thought to be exclusively motor, is now known to contribute to social behaviors and "personality styles" that may link such complexities with natural selection. We here report that the human striatum exhibits a unique neurochemical profile that differs dramatically from those of other primates. The human signature of elevated striatal dopamine, serotonin, and neuropeptide Y, coupled with lowered acetylcholine, systematically favors externally driven behavior and greatly amplifies sensitivity to social cues that promote social conformity, empathy, and altruism. We propose that selection induced an initial form of this profile in early hominids, which increased their affiliative behavior, and that this shift either preceded or accompanied the adoption of bipedality and elimination of the sectorial canine. We further hypothesize that these changes were critical for increased individual fitness and promoted the adoption of social monogamy, which progressively increased cooperation as well as a dependence on tradition-based cultural transmission. These eventually facilitated the acquisition of language by elevating the reproductive advantage afforded those most sensitive to social cues.
Raghanti Mary Ann; Edler Melissa K; Stephenson Alexa R; Munger Emily L; Jacobs Bob; Hof Patrick R; Sherwood Chet C; Holloway Ralph L; Lovejoy C Owen
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
2018
2018-02
Article information provided for research and reference use only. All rights are retained by the journal listed under publisher and/or the creator(s).
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1719666115" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1073/pnas.1719666115</a>
Why are some species more commonly afflicted by arthritis than others? A comparative study of spondyloarthropathy in primates and carnivores
ankylosing spondylitis; arthritis; body size; carnivores; comparative study; disease; disease risk; Environmental Sciences & Ecology; Evolutionary Biology; extinction; Genetics &; gorilla-gorilla; group-size; Heredity; inflammatory arthritis; IUCN threat status; joint; museum specimens; population-density; primates; reactive arthritis; rheumatoid-arthritis; risk; spondyloarthropathy
Spondyloarthropathy is a painful arthritic affliction of humans that also occurs in wild mammals. Important questions remain concerning the underlying causes of spondyloarthropathy in mammals, particularly regarding whether it is infectious in origin or driven by genetic predisposition and environmental stressors. Moreover, spondyloarthropathy has negative effects on host fitness, leading to potential conservation concerns if it impacts threatened species. Using a comparative data set on the prevalence of joint disease in 34 primate species and 100 carnivore species, we tested predictions involving the epidemiological correlates of spondyloarthropathy in wild mammals. Analyses revealed that 5.6% of primates and 3.6% of carnivores exhibited signs of spondyloarthropathy, with maximum incidence as high as 22% in great apes and 27% in bears. We tested whether prevalence of spondyloarthropathy increases with population density and group size, greater contact with soil, a slower host life history, increased ranging, dietary factors and body mass. We found general support for an effect of body mass, with larger bodied primates and carnivores exhibiting a higher prevalence of spondyloarthropathy. In addition, more threatened species experienced higher rates of spondyloarthropathy, with this association influenced by body mass and phylogeny. The effect of body mass could reflect that larger animals are exposed to more pathogens through greater consumption of resources, or that joints of larger bodied mammals experience greater biomechanical stresses, resulting in inflammation and activation of local joint infections.
Nunn C L; Rothschild B; Gittleman J L
Journal of Evolutionary Biology
2007
2007-03
Journal Article
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1420-9101.2006.01276.x" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1111/j.1420-9101.2006.01276.x</a>
ARTHRITIS IN NEW-WORLD MONKEYS - OSTEOARTHRITIS, CALCIUM PYROPHOSPHATE DEPOSITION DISEASE, AND SPONDYLOARTHROPATHY
Alouatta; aotus; arthritis; ateles; calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease; callicebus; Callithrix; Cebus; chimpanzees; defleshed bones; erosive arthritis; lagothrix; osteoarthritis; pithecia; platyrrhini; polyarthritis; primate; primates; reactive; rhesus-monkeys; rheumatoid-arthritis; saguinus; saimiri; skeletal pathology; spondyloarthropathy; Zoology
Analyses of New World skeletal populations for the presence of erosions an other osseous alterations and their character, distribution, and radiologic appearance shows that osteoarthritis is predominantly a disease of animals raised in artificially constrained environments. Primary calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease (CPPD) was also found only in artificially constrained animals, although hyperparathyroidism (overproduction of parathyroid hormone) may have been responsible. CPPD was observed once as a secondary phenomenon, complicating another form of arthritis in free-ranging animals. Limited in occurrence to two genera, Alouatta and Cebus, the frequency of spondyloarthropathy was similar to that noted in humans and significantly lower than that observed in gorillas and chimpanzees. The many dichotomies of Cebus and Alouatta place them almost at opposite ends of the New World monkey spectrum, making a common susceptibility factor difficult to identify.
Rothschild B M; Woods R J
International Journal of Primatology
1993
1993-02
Journal Article
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1007/bf02196503" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1007/bf02196503</a>
OSTEOARTHRITIS, CALCIUM PYROPHOSPHATE DEPOSITION DISEASE, AND OSSEOUS INFECTION IN OLD-WORLD PRIMATES
Anthropology; crystal; Evolutionary Biology; osteoarthritis; primates; rhesus-monkeys; skeletal pathology
Uncertainties as to the nature and implications of osteoarthritis and calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease (CPPD) in primates were subject to critical review through examination of 153 prosimians and 1,250 Old World non-prosimian primates. Osteoarthritis, calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease, and infectious arthritis/osteomyelitis were relatively rare phenomena, affecting only 1.7% and 2.5%, respectively, of free-ranging prosimians and other Old World non-prosimian primates. Frequency of infection in Indri and Presbytis appears to reflect a unique susceptibility or exposure. Papio may have a unique predisposition to CPPD. The dichotomy (frequency and joint distribution) between free-ranging and artificially restrained animals suggests caution in interpretation of osteoarthritis or CPPD in non-free-ranging animals.
Rothschild B M; Woods R J
American Journal of Physical Anthropology
1992
1992-03
Journal Article
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.1330870308" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1002/ajpa.1330870308</a>
REACTIVE EROSIVE ARTHRITIS IN CHIMPANZEES
chimpanzees; disease; erosions; erosive arthritis; gombe; hypertrophic pulmonary osteoarthropathy; primates; reactive arthritis; rheumatoid-arthritis; spondyloarthropathy; Zoology
Diagnosis of diseases of bone, without benefit of soft tissue, in vivo observation, or blood component analysis requires the development of new criteria for diagnosis. Analyzing chimpanzee skeletal populations, applying such criteria (e.g., lesion character, distribution, radiologic appearance, and sex ratios), revealed a picture indistinguishable from human spondyloarthropathy. As Africa has been shown to manifest this condition in indigenous human, chimpanzee, and lowland gorilla populations, the possibility of a non-species specific etiology is suggested.
Rothschild B M; Woods R J
American Journal of Primatology
1991
1991
Journal Article
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.1350250105" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1002/ajp.1350250105</a>
Is primate-like quadrupedalism necessary for fine-branch locomotion? A test using sugar gliders (Petaurus breviceps)
Anthropology; arboreal locomotion; Arboreality; banksia-spinulosa; bonobos pan-paniscus; cheirogaleus-medius; compliant; diagonal-sequence walking; Evolutionary Biology; Gait; Kinematics; Marsupials; monkeys saimiri-boliviensis; opossum monodelphis-domestica; papio-cynocephalus; primates; Quadrupedalism; symmetrical gaits; walking
Locomotor features shared by arboreal marsupials and primates are frequently cited as a functional complex that evolved in the context of a "fine branch niche." Adaptation to a fine branch niche cannot be understood without considering that small and large arboreal mammals may differ in their biomechanical response to a given branch size. We tested the effects of substrate diameter and orientation on quadrupedal kinematics in a small arboreal marsupial (the sugar glider, Petaurus breviceps). P. breviceps individuals were filmed moving across a flat horizontal surface and on horizontal, inclining and declining poles of diameter 2.5, 1.0, and 0.5 cm. Gait frequencies, limb phases, speeds and duty factors were compared across substrate conditions. P breviceps had a clear preference for lateral sequence/diagonal couplets gaits, regardless of substrate type, diameter or orientation. Limb phase was significantly influenced by substrate type (higher limb phases on poles vs. the flat surface) and by orientation (higher limb phases on inclined vs. horizontal poles), but was not influenced by pole diameter. Speed was lowest on declines, and duty factors (at a given speed) were highest on the flat board, smallest pole, and on declines. P. breviceps exhibited some parallels, but also some departures from the characteristic patterns of other arboreal marsupials and primates. Notably, limb phase values, on average, remained lower in P. breviceps than those recorded for primates or other arboreal marsupials. We suggest that arboreal mammals of different body sizes may use dissimilar, but apparently equally successful strategies for navigating a "fine branch niche." (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Shapiro L J; Young J W
Journal of Human Evolution
2010
2010-04
Journal Article
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2009.12.002" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1016/j.jhevol.2009.12.002</a>
AL 288-1 - Lucy or Lucifer: Gender confusion in the Pliocene
1974-1977; al-288-1; Anthropology; australopithecine; australopithecus-afarensis; body size; collections; dimensions; dimorphism; ethiopia; Evolutionary Biology; hadar formation; Lucy; obstetrics; pelvic size; pelvis; primates; reconstruction; sexual
Hausler & Schmid (1995) challenged the long held opinion that AL 288-1 (Australopithecus afarensis), popularly known as "Lucy," was female. They concluded that AL 288-1 was most probably male ("Lucifer") and, by extension, the hypodigm for A. afarensis consists of two species which differ from one another in body size; in their opinion, AL 288-1 was most probably a male of the smaller of the two species. Hausler & Schmid based their conclusion on an obstetric analysis of AL 288-1 and Sts 14 (A. africanus) and on a comparison of the two australopithecine pelves with those of modern humans. This study evaluates the pelvic anatomy and probable sex of AL 288-1 by both assessing the obstetric adequacy of its pelvis and critically reviewing Hausler & Schmid's (1995, 1997) analyses of australopithecine pelvic dimorphism and relative body size of AL 288-1. Three results are shown. First, using Hausler & Schmid's own data, AL 288-1's and Sts 14's pelves are seen not to be dimorphic with respect to each other, as are human males and females, but they are in fact comparable in both size and shape. Second, AL 288-1's pelvis would have been obstetrically adequate, even with an inferred newborn brain size (as suggested by Hausler & Schmid) for A. afarensis that is likely overestimated. Third, AL 288-1 is shown to be one of the smallest adult individuals in A. afarensis. We conclude that AL 288-1 and Sts 14 were the same sex, and that the name "Lucy" correctly identifies AL 288-1's gender as female. (C) 1998 Academic Press.
Tague R G; Lovejoy C O
Journal of Human Evolution
1998
1998-07
Journal Article
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1006/jhev.1998.0223" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1006/jhev.1998.0223</a>
Olfaction and brain size in the bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus)
anatomy; attraction; Balaena mysticetus; bowhead whale; brain; cetaceans; dimethyl sulfide; evolution; evolutionary dynamics; Marine & Freshwater Biology; olfaction; olfactory; primates; receptor gene repertoires; receptor genes; reduction; seabirds; subgenome; vertebrates; Zoology
P>Although there are several isolated references to the olfactory anatomy of mysticetes, it is usually thought that olfaction is rudimentary in this group. We investigated the olfactory anatomy of bowhead whales and found that these whales have a cribriform plate and small, but histologically complex olfactory bulb. The olfactory bulb makes up approximately 0.13% of brain weight, unlike odontocetes where this structure is absent. We also determined that 51% of olfactory receptor genes were intact, unlike odontocetes, where this number is less than 25%. This suggests that bowheads have a sense of smell, and we speculate that they may use this to find aggregations of krill on which they feed.
Thewissen J G M; George J; Rosa C; Kishida T
Marine Mammal Science
2011
2011-04
Journal Article
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-7692.2010.00406.x" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1111/j.1748-7692.2010.00406.x</a>
Cross-sectional bone distribution in the mandibles of gouging and non-gouging platyrrhini
bone biomechanics; callithrix-jacchus; cross-sectional geometry; form; functional-significance; iterative selection method; jaw functional morphology; load resistance; macaca-fascicularis; mandibular corpus; morphology; new-world monkeys; primates; stress; tree gouging; Zoology
Recent morphometric analyses have led to dissimilar conclusions about whether the jaws of tree-gouging primates are designed to resist the purportedly large forces generated during this biting behavior. We further address this question by comparing the cross-sectional geometry of the mandibular corpus and symphysis in tree-gouging common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) to nongouging saddleback tamarins (Saguinus fuscicollis) and squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus). As might be expected, based on size, squirrel monkeys tend to have absolutely larger cross-sectional areas at each tooth location sampled, while saddleback tamarins are intermediate, followed by the smaller common marmosets. Similarly, the amount and distribution of cortical bone in squirrel monkey jaws provides them with increased ability to resist sagittal bending (I (xx) ) and torsion (K) in the corpus as well as coronal bending (I (xx) ) and shearing in the symphysis. However, when the biomechanical parameters are scaled to respective load arm estimates, there are few significant differences in relative resistance abilities among the 3 species. A power analysis indicates that we cannot statistically rule out subtle changes in marmoset jaw form linked to resisting loads during gouging. Nevertheless, our results correspond to studies in vivo of jaw loading, field data, and other comparative analyses suggesting that common marmosets do not generate relatively large bite forces during tree gouging. The 3 species are like most other anthropoids in having thinner bone on the lingual than on the buccal side of the mandibular corpus at M-1. The similarity in corporal shape across anthropoids supports a hypothesized stereotypical pattern of jaw loading during chewing and may indicate a conserved pattern of mandibular growth for the suborder. Despite the overall similarity, platyrrhines may differ slightly from catarrhines in the details of their cortical bone distribution.
Vinyard C J; Ryan T M
International Journal of Primatology
2006
2006-10
Journal Article
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1007/s10764-006-9083-7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1007/s10764-006-9083-7</a>
Phase II jaw movements and masseter muscle activity during chewing in Papio anubis
adaptations; Anthropology; bone strain; dentition; emg; evolution; Evolutionary Biology; jaw muscles; loading patterns; macaca-fascicularis; macaques; mastication; power stroke; primates; teeth
It was proposed that the power stroke in primates has two distinct periods of occlusal contact, each with a characteristic motion of the mandibular molars relative to the maxillary molars. The two movements are called phase I and phase IT, and they occur sequentially in that order (Kay and Hiiemae [1974] Am J. Phys. Anthropol. 40:227-256, Kay and Hiiemae [1974] Prosimian Biology, Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, p. 501-530). Phase I movement is said to be associated with shearing along a series of crests, producing planar phase I facets and crushing on surfaces on the basins of the molars. Phase I terminates in centric occlusion. Phase II movement is said to be associated with grinding along the same surfaces that were used for crushing at the termination of phase I. Hylander et al. ([1987] Am J. Phys. Anthropol. 72:287-312; see also Hiiemae [1984] Food Acquisition and Processing, London: Academic Press, p. 257-281; Hylander and Crompton [1980] Am J. Phys. Anthropol. 52:239-251, [1986] Arch. Oral. Biol. 31:841-848) analyzed data on macaques and suggested that phase IT movement may not be nearly as significant for food breakdown as phase I movement simply because, based on the magnitude of mandibular bone strain patterns, adductor muscle and occlusal forces are likely negligible during movement out of centric occlusion. Our goal is to better understand the functional significance of phase IT movement within the broader context of masticatory kinematics during the power stroke. We analyze vertical and transverse mandibular motion and relative activity of the masseter and temporalis muscles during phase I and II movements in Papio anubis. We test whether significant muscle activity and, by inference, occlusal force occurs during phase IT movement. We find that during phase IT movement, there is negligible force developed in the superficial and deep masseter and the anterior and posterior temporalis muscles. Furthermore, mandibular movements are small during phase II compared to phase I. These results suggest that grinding during phase IT movement is of minimal importance for food breakdown, and that most food breakdown on phase IT facets occurs primarily at the end of phase I movement (i.e., crushing during phase I movement). We note, however, that depending on the orientation of phase I facets, significant grinding also occurs along phase I facets during phase I. (c) 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Wall C E; Vinyard C J; Johnson K R; Williams S H; Hylander W L
American Journal of Physical Anthropology
2006
2006-02
Journal Article
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.20290" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1002/ajpa.20290</a>
Food Mechanical Properties in Three Sympatric Species of Hapalemur in Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar
Anthropology; bamboo lemur; diet; evolution; Evolutionary Biology; fracture-toughness; genus cebus; hardness; macaca-fascicularis; mechanical properties; morphology; patterns; primates
We investigated mechanical dietary properties of sympatric bamboo lemurs, Hapalemur g. griseus, H. aureus, and H. (Prolemur) simus, in Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar. Each lemur species relies on bamboo, though previous behavioral observations found that they specialize on different parts of a common resource (Tan: Int J Primatol 20 [1999] 547-566; Tan: PhD dissertation [2000] State University of New York, Stony Brook). On the basis of these earlier behavioral ecology studies, we hypothesized that specialization on bamboo is related to differences in mechanical properties of specific parts. We quantified mechanical properties of individual plant parts from the diets of the bamboo lemur species using a portable tester. The diets of the Hapalemur spp. exhibited high levels of mechanical heterogeneity. The lemurs, however, could be segregated based on the most challenging (i.e., mechanically demanding) foods. Giant bamboo culm pith was the toughest and stiffest food eaten, and its sole lemur consumer, H. simus, had the most challenging diet. However, the mechanical dietary properties of H. simus and H. aureus overlapped considerably. In the cases where lemur species converged on the same bamboo part, the size of the part eaten increased with body size. Plant parts that were harvested orally but not necessarily masticated were the most demanding, indicating that food preparation may place significant loads on the masticatory apparatus. Finally, we describe how mechanical properties can influence feeding behavior. The elaborate procurement processes of H. simus feeding on culm pith and H. griseus and H. aureus feeding on young leaf bases are related to the toughnesses of protective coverings and the lemurs' exploitation of mechanical vulnerabilities in these plants. Am J Phys Anthropol 139:368-381, 2009. (C) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Yamashita N; Vinyard C J; Tan C L
American Journal of Physical Anthropology
2009
2009-07
Journal Article
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.20992" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1002/ajpa.20992</a>
Terrestrial Activity in Pitheciins (Cacajao, Chiropotes, and Pithecia)
Zoology; behavior; risk; primates; saimiri-sciureus; predation; new-world monkeys; terrestrial; bearded; eastern brazilian amazonia; habitat use; pitheciids; rain-forest; sakis; satanas-chiropotes; seed-predator; spider monkeys
Neotropical monkeys of the genera Cacajao, Chiropotes, and Pithecia (Pitheciidae) are considered to be highly arboreal, spending most of their time feeding and traveling in the upper canopy. Until now, the use of terrestrial substrates has not been analyzed in detail in this group. Here, we review the frequency of terrestrial use among pitheciin taxa to determine the ecological and social conditions that might lead to such behavior. We collated published and unpublished data from 14 taxa in the three genera. Data were gleaned from 53 published studies (including five on multiple pitheciin genera) and personal communications of unpublished data distributed across 31 localities. Terrestrial activity was reported in 61% of Pithecia field studies (11 of 18), in 34% of Chiropotes studies (10 of 29), and 36% of Cacajao studies (4 of 11). Within Pithecia, terrestrial behavior was more frequently reported in smaller species (e.g. P. pithecia) that are vertical clingers and leapers and make extensive use of the understory than in in the larger bodied canopy dwellers of the western Amazon (e.g. P. irrorata). Terrestrial behavior in Pithecia also occurred more frequently and lasted longer than in Cacajao or Chiropotes. An apparent association was found between flooded habitats and terrestrial activity and there is evidence of the development of a local pattern of terrestrial use in some populations. Seasonal fruit availability also may stimulate terrestrial behavior. Individuals also descended to the ground when visiting mineral licks, escaping predators, and responding to accidents such as a dropped infant. Overall, the results of this review emphasize that terrestrial use is rare among the pitheciins in general and is usually associated with the exploitation of specific resources or habitat types. Am. J. Primatol. 74:1106-1127, 2012. (c) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Barnett A A; Boyle S A; Norconk M M; Palminteri S; Santos R R; Veiga L M; Alvim T H G; Bowler M; Chism J; Di Fiore A; Fernandez-Duque E; Guimaraes A C P; Harrison-Levine A; Haugaasen T; Lehman S; Mackinnon K C; De Melo F R; Moreira L S; Moura V S; Phillips C R; Pinto L P; Port-Carvalho M; Setz E Z F; Shaffer C; Da Silva I R; Da Silva Sdsb; Soares R F; Thompson C L; Vieira T M; Vreedzaam A; Walker-Pacheco S E; Spironello W R; Maclarnon A; Ferrari S F
American Journal of Primatology
2012
2012-12
Journal Article or Conference Abstract Publication
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.22068" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1002/ajp.22068</a>
Morphometry, Geometry, Function, and the Future
Anatomy & Morphology; evolution; morphology; performance; primates; darwins finches; adaptation; selection; form; evolutionary; fitness; shape; biological anthropology; geometric morphometrics
The proliferation of geometric morphometrics (GM) in biological anthropology and more broadly throughout the biological sciences has resulted in a multitude of studies that adopt landmark-based approaches for addressing a variety of questions in evolutionary morphology. In some cases, particularly in the realm of systematics, the fit between research question and analytical design is quite good. Functional-adaptive studies, however, do not readily conform to the methods available in the GM toolkit. The symposium organized by Terhune and Cooke entitled Assessing function via shape: What is the place of GM in functional morphology? held at the 2013 meetings of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists was designed specifically to explore this relationship between landmark-based methods and analyses of functional morphology, and the articles in this special issue, which stem in large part from this symposium, provide numerous examples of how the two approaches can complement and contrast each other. Here, we underscore some of the major difficulties in interpreting GM results within a functional regime. In combination with other contributions in this issue, we identify emerging areas of research that will help bridge the gap between multivariate morphometry and functional-adaptive analysis. Ultimately, neither geometric nor functional morphometric approaches is sufficient to elaborate the adaptive pathways that explain morphological evolution through natural selection. These perspectives must be further integrated with research from physiology, developmental biology, genomics, and ecology. Anat Rec, 298:328-333, 2015. (c) 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
McNulty K P; Vinyard C J
Anatomical Record-Advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology
2015
2015-01
Journal Article or Conference Abstract Publication
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1002/ar.23064" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1002/ar.23064</a>
Myological Correlates Of Prosimian Leaping
Anthropology; behavior; body size; coordination; Evolutionary Biology; kinematics; kinetics; locomotion; morphology; primates; relative muscle masses; strepsirhines; vertical clingers and leapers
Demes B; Fleagle J G; Lemelin P
Journal of Human Evolution
1998
1998-04
Journal Article or Conference Abstract Publication
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1006/jhev.1997.0203" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1006/jhev.1997.0203</a>
Functional And Evolutionary Significance Of The Recruitment And Firing Patterns Of The Jaw Adductors During Chewing In Verreaux's Sifaka (propithecus Verreauxi)
Anthropology; biomechanics; bone-strain; electromyography; Evolutionary Biology; Force; fusion; lemurs lemur-catta; macaca-fascicularis; mandibular symphysis; masseter force; mastication; muscle; primates; strepsirrhines; wishboning
Jaw-muscle electromyographic (EMG) patterns indicate that compared with thick-tailed galagos and ring-tailed lemurs, anthropoids recruit more relative EMG from their balancing-side deep masseter, and that this muscle peaks late in the power stroke. These recruitment and firing patterns in anthropoids are thought to cause the mandibular symphysis to wishbone (lateral transverse bending), resulting in relatively high symphyseal stresses. We test the hypothesis that living strepsirrhines with robust, partially fused symphyses have muscle recruitment and firing patterns more similar to anthropoids, unlike those strepsirrhines with highly mobile unfused symphyses. Electromyographic (EMG) activity of the superficial and deep masseter, anterior and posterior temporalis, and medial pterygoid muscles were recorded in four dentally adult Verreaux's sifakas (Propithecus verreauxi). As predicted, we find that sifaka motor patterns are more similar to anthropoids. For example, among sifakas, recruitment levels of the balancing-side (b-s) deep masseter are high, and the b-s deep masseter fires late during the power stroke. As adult sifakas often exhibit nearly complete symphyseal fusion, these data support the hypothesis that the evolution of symphyseal fusion in primates is functionally linked to wishboning. Furthermore, these data provide compelling evidence for the convergent evolution of the wishboning motor patterns in anthropoids and sifakas. Am J Phys Anthropol 145:531-547, 2011. (C) 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Hylander W L; Vinyard C J; Wall C E; Williams S H; Johnsonl K R
American Journal of Physical Anthropology
2011
2011-08
Journal Article or Conference Abstract Publication
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.21529" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1002/ajpa.21529</a>
Ternporalis Function In Anthropoids And Strepsirrhines: An Emg Study
adductor muscle force; Anthropology; biomechanics; electromyography; Evolutionary Biology; fusion; galago crassicaudatus; invivo bone strain; jaw-adductor muscle force; macaca-fascicularis; mandibular symphysis; masseter force; mastication; patterns; postorbital septum; primates; temporalis
The major purpose of this study is to analyze anterior and posterior temporalis muscle force recruitment and firing patterns in various anthropoid and strepsirrhine primates. There are two specific goals for this project. First, we test the hypothesis that in addition to transversely directed muscle force, the evolution of symphyseal fusion in primates may also be linked to vertically directed balancing-side muscle force during chewing (Hylander et al. [2000] Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 112:469-492). Second, we test the hypothesis of whether strepsirrhines retain the hypothesized primitive mammalian condition for the firing of the anterior temporalis, whereas anthropoids have the derived condition (Weijs [1994] Biomechanics of Feeding in Vertebrates; Berlin: Springer-Verlag, p. 282-320). Electromyographic (EMG) activities of the left and right anterior and posterior temporalis muscles were recorded and analyzed in baboons, macaques, owl monkeys, thick-tailed galagos, and ring-tailed lemurs. In addition, as we used the working-side superficial masseter as a reference muscle, we also recorded and analyzed EMG activity of the left and right superficial masseter in these primates. The data for the anterior temporalis provided no support for the hypothesis that symphyseal fusion in primates is linked to vertically directed jaw muscle forces during mastication. Thus, symphyseal fusion in primates is most likely mainly linked to the timing and recruitment of transversely directed forces from the balancing-side deep masseter (Hylander et al. [2000] Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 112:469-492). In addition, our data demonstrate that the firing patterns for the working- and balancing-side anterior temporalis muscles are near identical in both strepsirrhines and anthropoids. Their working- and balancing-side anterior temporalis muscles fire asynchronously and reach peak activity during the power stroke. Similarly, their working- and balancing-side posterior temporalis muscles also fire asynchronously and reach peak activity during the power stroke. Compared to these strepsirrhines, however, the balancing-side posterior temporalis of anthropoids appears to have a relatively delayed firing pattern. Moreover, based on their smaller W/B ratios, anthropoids demonstrate a relative increase in muscle-force recruitment of the balancing-side posterior temporalis. This in turn suggests that anthropoids may emphasize the duration and magnitude of the power stroke during mastication. This hypothesis, however, requires additional testing. Furthermore, during the latter portion of the power stroke, the late activity of the balancing-side posterior temporalis of anthropoids apparently assists the balancing-side deep masseter in driving the working-side molars through the terminal portion of occlusion.
Hylander W L; Wall C E; Vinyard C J; Ross C; Ravosa M R; Williams S H; Johnson K R
American Journal of Physical Anthropology
2005
2005-09
Journal Article or Conference Abstract Publication
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.20058" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1002/ajpa.20058</a>
The effects of natural substrate discontinuities on the quadrupedal gait kinematics of free‐ranging Saimiri sciureus.
positional behavior; arboreal locomotion; KINEMATICS; PRIMATES; ECUADOR; QUADRUPEDALISM; squirrel monkeys; asymmetrical walking; squirrel monkeys; wild primates; COMPLEX matrices; HUMAN kinematics; WALKING speed
Wild primates encounter complex matrices of substrates that differ in size, orientation, height, and compliance, and often move on multiple, discontinuous substrates within a single bout of locomotion. Our current understanding of primate gait is limited by artificial laboratory settings in which primate quadrupedal gait has primarily been studied. This study analyzes wild Saimiri sciureus (common squirrel monkey) gait on discontinuous substrates to capture the realistic effects of the complex arboreal habitat on walking kinematics. We collected high‐speed video footage at Tiputini Biodiversity Station, Ecuador between August and October 2017. Overall, the squirrel monkeys used more asymmetrical walking gaits than symmetrical gaits, and specifically asymmetrical lateral sequence walking gaits when moving across discontinuous substrates. When individuals used symmetrical gaits, they used diagonal sequence gaits more than lateral sequence gaits. In addition, individuals were more likely to change their footfall sequence during strides on discontinuous substrates. Squirrel monkeys increased the time lag between touchdowns both of ipsilaterally paired limbs (pair lag) and of the paired forelimbs (forelimb lag) when walking across discontinuous substrates compared to continuous substrates. Results indicate that gait flexibility and the ability to alter footfall patterns during quadrupedal walking may be critical for primates to safely move in their complex arboreal habitats. Notably, wild squirrel monkey quadrupedalism is diverse and flexible with high proportions of asymmetrical walking. Studying kinematics in the wild is critical for understanding the complexity of primate quadrupedalism. Research Highlights: Free‐ranging Saimiri sciureus quadrupedal gait is more variable than has previously been shown in the laboratory setting and includes a combination of asymmetrical and symmetrical walking gaits, lateral sequence gaits, and diagonal sequence gaits when moving across discontinuous substrates.Primates utilize gait flexibility to navigate their complex, arboreal habitats.Saimiri increases the delay in forelimb touchdowns when moving across discontinuous substrates, supporting the hypothesis that forelimbs may be used to explore the stability of a new substrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
McNamara Allison; Dunham Noah T; Shapiro Liza J; Young Jesse W
American Journal Of Primatology
2019
2019-09
Journal Article
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.23055" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1002/ajp.23055</a><br /><br /><span>PMID: 31578748</span>
Callitrichid responses to dead and dying infants: the effects of paternal bonding and cause of death.
Animacy detection; care; common marmosets; Dead-infant carrying; Death; female; Infanticide; Marmoset; Quantitative methods; tamarins; Thanatology
Many primates show responses to dead infants, yet testing explanations for these behaviors has been difficult. Callitrichids present a unique opportunity to delineate between hypotheses, since unlike most species, male caretakers form closer social bonds with infants than mothers. Callitrichids are also known to commit infanticide, leaving obvious wounds that may enable them to more readily recognize death. We present: (1) a case study of a wild common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) group responding to an infant's natural death, and (2) a review of published infant deaths across callitrichids (N = 16), testing for trends in the sex of reacting individuals and cause of death. In our case study, several group members frequently interacted with the dead infant, attempting to carry it. However, the strongest response was from a male that remained with the corpse for ~ 3 h, despite his group leaving the area. Across callitrichid species, corpse interactions were significantly sex-biased: 100% (N = 6) of accidental deaths involved corpse interaction by males (p = 0.007), compared to 60% (N = 3 of 5) by females (p = 0.095). Cause of death also played a significant role, with individuals attempting to carry dead infants in 100% (N = 6) of accidental deaths, but only 11.1% (N = 1 of 9) of infanticides (p = 0.001). Although the available literature is small and potentially subject to publication biases, these data support the idea that visually obvious wounds may influence callitrichids' perception of dead conspecifics. Additionally, male-biased patterns of corpse interaction in callitrichids indicate that social bonds likely shape reactions to the dead, in addition to kinship. While published data on primate thanatology are limited, this study demonstrates quantitative approaches that can provide empirical insights into primates' responses to dead conspecifics.
Thompson Cynthia L; Hrit Rebecca; Melo Leonardo C O; Vinyard Christopher J; Bottenberg Kimberly N; de Oliveira Maria A B
Primates; journal of primatology
2020
2020-05-14
Article information provided for research and reference use only. All rights are retained by the journal listed under publisher and/or the creator(s).
journalArticle
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1007/s10329-020-00824-3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1007/s10329-020-00824-3</a>
Getting humans off monkeys' backs: Using primate acclimation as a guide for habitat management efforts.
primates; acclimation; Alouatta; climate change; habitat management
Wild primates face grave conservation challenges, with habitat loss and climate change projected to cause mass extinctions in the coming decades. As large-bodied Neotropical primates, mantled howling monkeys (Alouatta palliata) are predicted to fare poorly under climate change, yet are also known for their resilience in a variety of environments, including highly disturbed habitats. We utilized ecophysiology research on this species to determine the morphological, physiological, and behavioral mechanisms howlers employ to overcome ecological challenges. Our data show that howlers at La Pacifica, Costa Rica are capable of modifying body size. Howlers displayed reduced mass in warmer, drier habitats, seasonal weight changes, frequent within-lifetime weight fluctuations, and gradual increases in body mass over the past four decades. These within-lifetime changes indicate a capacity to modify morphology in a way that can impact animals' energetics and thermodynamics. Howlers are also able to consume foods with a wide variety of food material properties by altering oral processing during feeding. While this capability suggests some capacity to cope with the phenological shifts expected from climate change and increased habitat fragmentation, data on rates of dental microwear warns that these acclimations may also cost dental longevity. Lastly, we found that howlers are able to acclimate to changing thermal pressures. On shorter-term daily scales, howlers use behavioral mechanisms to thermoregulate, including timing activities to avoid heat stress and utilizing cool microhabitats. At the seasonal scale, animals employ hormonal pathways to influence heat production. These lines of evidence cumulatively indicate that howlers possess morphological, physiological, and behavioral mechanisms to acclimate to environmental challenges. As such, howlers' plasticity may facilitate their resilience to climate change and habitat loss. While habitat loss in the tropics is unlikely to abate, our results point to a potential benefit of active management and selective cultivation to yield large, interconnected forest fragments with targeted phenology that provides both a complex physical structure and a diversity of food sources. These steps could assist howlers in using their natural acclimation potential to survive future conservation threats.
Thompson CL; Williams SH; Glander Kenneth E; Teaford MF; Vinyard CJ
Integrative and Comparative Biology
2020
2020-05
Article information provided for research and reference use only. All rights are retained by the journal listed under publisher and/or the creator(s).
journalArticle
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1093/icb/icaa048" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1093/icb/icaa048</a>
Mandibular symphyseal fusion in fossil primates: Insights from correlated patterns of jaw shape and masticatory function in living primates.
fusion; mandible; PRIMATES; geometric morphometrics; symphysis; ELECTROMYOGRAPHY; LEMURS; MANDIBLE; MORPHOMETRICS
Objectives: Variation in primate masticatory form and function has been extensively researched through both morphological and experimental studies. As a result, symphyseal fusion in different primate clades has been linked to either the recruitment of vertically directed balancing‐side muscle force, the timing and recruitment of transversely directed forces, or both. This study investigates the relationship between jaw muscle activity patterns and morphology in extant primates to make inferences about masticatory function in extinct primates, with implications for understanding the evolution of symphyseal fusion. Materials and methods: Three‐dimensional mandibular landmark data were collected for 31 extant primates and nine fossil anthropoids and subfossil lemur species. Published electromyography (EMG) data were available for nine of the extant primate species. Partial least squares analysis and phylogenetic partial least squares analysis were used to identify relationships between EMG and jaw shape data and evaluate variation in jaw morphology. Results: Primates with partial and complete symphyseal fusion exhibit shape‐function patterns associated with the wishboning motor pattern and loading regime, in contrast to shape‐function patterns of primates with unfused jaws. All fossil primates examined (except Apidium) exhibit jaw morphologies suggestive of the wishboning motor pattern demonstrated in living anthropoids and indriids. Discussion Partial fusion in Catopithecus, similar to indriids and some subfossil lemurs, may be sufficient to resist, or transfer, some amounts of transversely directed balancing‐side muscle force at the symphysis, representing a transition to greater reliance on transverse jaw movement during mastication. Furthermore, possible functional convergences in physiological patterns during chewing (i.e., Archaeolemur) are identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Knigge RP;Vinyard CJ;McNulty KP
American Journal Of Physical Anthropology
2020
2020-10
Article information provided for research and reference use only. All rights are retained by the journal listed under publisher and/or the creator(s).
journalArticle
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.24048" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1002/ajpa.24048</a>
The stabilizing function of the tail during arboreal quadrupedalism.
angular momentum; balance; locomotor biomechanics; primates; Stability
Locomotion on the narrow and compliant supports of the arboreal environment is inherently precarious. Previous studies have identified a host of morphological and behavioral specializations in arboreal animals broadly thought to promote stability when on precarious substrates. Less well-studied is the role of the tail in maintaining balance. However, prior anatomical studies have found that arboreal taxa frequently have longer tails for their body size than their terrestrial counterparts, and prior laboratory studies of tail kinematics and the effects of tail reduction in focal taxa have broadly supported the hypothesis that the tail is functionally important for maintaining balance on narrow and mobile substrates. In the current set of studies, we extend this work in two ways. First, we use a laboratory dataset on three-dimensional segmental kinematics and tail inertial properties in squirrel monkeys (Saimiri boliviensis) to investigate how tail angular momentum is modulated during steady-state locomotion on narrow supports. In the second study, we use a quantitative dataset on quadrupedal locomotion in wild platyrrhine monkeys to investigate how free-ranging arboreal animals adjust tail movements in response to substrate variation, focusing on kinematic measures validated in prior laboratory studies of tail mechanics (including the laboratory data presented). Our laboratory results show that S. boliviensis significantly increase average tail angular momentum magnitudes and amplitudes on narrow supports, and primarily regulate that momentum by adjusting the linear and angular velocity of the tail (rather than via changes in tail posture per se). We build on these findings in our second study by showing that wild platyrrhines responded to the precarity of narrow and mobile substrates by extending the tail and exaggerating tail displacements, providing ecological validity to the laboratory studies of tail mechanics presented here and elsewhere. In conclusion, our data support the hypothesis that the long and mobile tails of arboreal animals serve a biological role of enhancing stability when moving quadrupedally over narrow and mobile substrates. Tail angular momentum could be used to cancel out the angular momentum generated by other parts of the body during steady-state locomotion, thereby reducing whole-body angular momentum and promoting stability, and could be used to mitigate the effects of destabilizing torques about the support should the animals encounter large, unexpected perturbations. Overall, these studies suggest that long and mobile tails should be considered among the fundamental suite of adaptations promoting safe and efficient arboreal locomotion.
Young JW; Chadwell BA; Dunham NT; McNamara A; Phelps T; Hieronymous TL; Shapiro LJ
Integrative And Comparative Biology
2021
2021-05-22
Article information provided for research and reference use only. All rights are retained by the journal listed under publisher and/or the creator(s).
journalArticle
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1093/icb/icab096" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1093/icb/icab096</a>
Limb Preference in Animals: New Insights into the Evolution of Manual Laterality in Hominids.
Until the 1990s, the notion of brain lateralization—the division of labor between the two hemispheres—and its more visible behavioral manifestation, handedness, remained fiercely defined as a human specific trait. Since then, many studies have evidenced lateralized functions in a wide range of species, including both vertebrates and invertebrates. In this review, we highlight the great contribution of comparative research to the understanding of human handedness' evolutionary and developmental pathways, by distinguishing animal forelimb asymmetries for functionally different actions—i.e., potentially depending on different hemispheric specializations. Firstly, lateralization for the manipulation of inanimate objects has been associated with genetic and ontogenetic factors, with specific brain regions' activity, and with morphological limb specializations. These could have emerged under selective pressures notably related to the animal locomotion and social styles. Secondly, lateralization for actions directed to living targets (to self or conspecifics) seems to be in relationship with the brain lateralization for emotion processing. Thirdly, findings on primates' hand preferences for communicative gestures accounts for a link between gestural laterality and a left-hemispheric specialization for intentional communication and language. Throughout this review, we highlight the value of functional neuroimaging and developmental approaches to shed light on the mechanisms underlying human handedness.
Boulinguez-Ambroise, Grégoire
Aychet, Juliette
Pouydebat, Emmanuelle
Symmetry (20738994). Jan2022, Vol. 14 Issue 1, p96-96. 1p.
2022
English