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Reverse Dissection and DiceCT Reveal Otherwise Hidden Data in the Evolution of the Primate Face

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Published on: January 7, 2019

Stepwise evolution of stable sociality in primates.

Susanne Shultz¹, Christopher Opie, Quentin D Atkinson

¹Institute of Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology, 64 Banbury Road, University of Oxford, Oxford OX2 6PN, UK. susanne.shultz@anthro.ox.ac.uk

|November 11, 2011

Summary

Primate social evolution progressed from solitary to aggregated living approximately 52 million years ago. This model better explains social complexity changes than previous theories, linking it to diurnal activity.

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Area of Science:

Evolutionary biology
Primatology
Paleoanthropology

Background:

Understanding primate social evolution is challenging as behaviors don't fossilize.
Phylogenetic inertia in primate social behavior allows for evolutionary inference.

Purpose of the Study:

To present and evaluate a novel model of primate social evolution.
To test alternative models of social complexity changes over evolutionary time.

Main Methods:

Utilized Bayesian comparative methods to infer evolutionary changes in social behavior.
Compared a new social evolution model against established alternatives.

Main Results:

The proposed model suggests sociality evolved from solitary to multi-male/multi-female groups (52 Mya), with pair-living and harem systems evolving later (16 Mya).
This model significantly outperformed unstructured and linear stepwise models.
Co-evolution of social living with diurnal activity was supported, but not with sex-biased dispersal.

Conclusions:

Social living in primates likely evolved due to increased predation risk associated with diurnal activity.
The progression from aggregation to stable groups facilitated cooperative behaviors and anthropoid traits like large brains.