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Tale of tails: parallelism and prehensility
American Journal of Physical Anthropology
|January 1, 1983
Summary
Prehensile tail evolution in platyrrhine primates likely occurred twice independently. While some genera show similarities, distinct morphological and neurological differences suggest parallel evolution in atelines and capuchins.
Area of Science:
- Primate evolutionary biology
- Comparative anatomy
- New World monkey evolution
Background:
- Prehensile tails are found in five platyrrhine genera: Cebus, Alouatta, Lagothrix, Ateles, and Brachyteles.
- The shared trait of prehensile tails suggests a close evolutionary relationship, potentially indicating a monophyletic group.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the evolutionary origins of prehensile tails in platyrrhine primates.
- To determine if the prehensile tail is a homologous trait or has evolved independently in different genera.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of tail proportions and caudal/sacral morphology across platyrrhine genera.
- Examination of tail-related neocortex correlations in Cebus compared to atelines.
Main Results:
- Cebus species exhibit shorter, average-proportioned tails compared to the elongate tails of howlers and other atelines.
- Osteological differences in caudal and sacral morphology are observed.
- Cebus lacks the tail/neocortex correlations seen in atelines.
Conclusions:
- Prehensile tail evolution appears to be a case of parallel evolution, occurring independently in atelines and capuchins (Cebus).
- The trait is not homologous across all five genera studied, despite initial appearances.