Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Canine sexual dimorphism in Egyptian Eocene anthropoid primates: Catopithecus and Proteopithecus.

E L Simons1, J M Plavcan, J G Fleagle

  • 1Department of Biological Anthropology and Anatomy and Duke Primate Center, Duke University, 3705 Erwin Road, Durham, NC 27705-5000, USA. esimons@acpub.duke.edu

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|March 3, 1999
PubMed
Summary

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

The evolution of mammalian brain size.

Science advances·2021
Same author

New material of Qatrania from Egypt with comments on the phylogenetic position of the parapithecidae (primates, Anthropoidea).

American journal of primatology·2020
Same author

New fossils of Australopithecus anamensis from Kanapoi, West Turkana, Kenya (2012-2015).

Journal of human evolution·2017
Same author

New fossils of Australopithecus anamensis from Kanapoi, West Turkana, Kenya (2003-2008).

Journal of human evolution·2013
Same author

Climate change and the integrity of science.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2010
Same author

Systematics of early and middle Miocene Old World monkeys.

Journal of human evolution·2009

Early anthropoid primates, Catopithecus and Proteopithecus, exhibited significant canine sexual dimorphism. This suggests ancient polygynous social structures and male competition, even in small-bodied species.

Area of Science:

  • Paleoanthropology
  • Primate Evolution
  • Fossil Record Analysis

Background:

  • The evolution of social behavior and mating systems in early anthropoids is poorly understood.
  • Sexual dimorphism in primate dentition, particularly canines, is often linked to mating strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate sexual dimorphism in the canine teeth of two early anthropoid primate species from the late Eocene of Egypt.
  • To infer the social structure and mating systems of these ancient primates based on dental dimorphism.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of canine tooth size and morphology in fossil specimens of Catopithecus browni and Proteopithecus sylviae.
  • Estimation of body size for these fossil primates.
  • Comparison of observed dimorphism with that of extant primate species.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Substantial sexual dimorphism in canine teeth was observed in both Catopithecus browni and Proteopithecus sylviae.
  • These species are smaller in estimated body size than any living primates currently exhibiting canine dimorphism.
  • The degree of dimorphism suggests a polygynous mating system with significant male-male competition.

Conclusions:

  • Canine dimorphism in early anthropoids originated independently of large body size evolution.
  • Polygyny and intense male-male competition were present in small-bodied anthropoid ancestors during the late Eocene.
  • These findings provide insights into the early evolution of primate social behavior.