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Towle I, Constantino PJ, Borths MR, Loch C. Tooth chipping patterns in Archaeolemur provide insight into diet and behavior. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2023; 180:401-408. [PMID: 36790760 PMCID: PMC10107942 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Revised: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Archaeolemur is a recently extinct genus of lemur that is often compared to some Cercopithecidae, especially baboons. This is due in part to their derived dentition, with large anterior teeth and reduced bilophodont molars. Research involving comparative morphology, analysis of coprolites, isotopes, and enamel structure, have suggested Archaeolemur had an omnivorous diet involving mechanically challenging items. Yet, microwear analysis of posterior teeth does not necessarily support this conclusion. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this macroscopic study, dental chipping was recorded on permanent teeth of Archaeolemur from different localities (53 individuals; 447 permanent teeth; including both A. edwardsi and A. majori specimens). This study aimed to compare chipping patterns across the dentition of Archaeolemur with chipping in other primates. RESULTS The results show enamel chipping was prevalent on the anterior teeth of Archaeolemur (38.9% of anterior teeth showed at least one fracture) yet rare in posterior teeth (9%). There was a decrease in chipping frequency across the dentition, moving distally from incisors (50%; 20/40), through caniniform teeth (30%; 15/50), premolars (9.5%; 16/169), and molars (8.5%; 16/188). DISCUSSION The results support previous research suggesting Archaeolemur had a varied omnivorous diet in which the anterior dentition was used for extensive food processing. This likely included mechanically challenging items such as tough/hard large fruits, small vertebrates, and crustaceans. Such a high rate of chipping in the anterior dentition is uncommon in other primates, with exception of hominins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian Towle
- Sir John Walsh Research Institute, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Paul J Constantino
- Department of Biology, Saint Michael's College, Colchester, Vermont, USA
| | - Matthew R Borths
- Duke Lemur Center Museum of Natural History, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Carolina Loch
- Sir John Walsh Research Institute, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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Sefczek TM, McGraw WS, Faralahy DM, Manampisoa GM, Louis EE. Locomotion of an adult female and juvenile male aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis) in Torotorofotsy, Madagascar. Am J Primatol 2021; 83:e23267. [PMID: 33956356 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23267] [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: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Aye-ayes (Daubentonia madagascariensis) locate and acquire invertebrates from within woody substrates at all levels of the rainforest; yet how their locomotion helps them accommodate this diet has not been explored in detail. We studied the locomotor behavior of an adult female (N = 1,085) and juvenile male (N = 708) aye-aye in the undisturbed forest of Torotorofotsy, Madagascar from May to December 2017. We used bout sampling to record locomotion during foraging and travel of the two radio-collared individuals. We used χ 2 tests to compare overall locomotion, travel, and foraging, as well as strata and support use. We performed a correspondence analysis to examine relationships between individual behaviors, strata, and support types. Leaping accounted for 47.9% and 50.1% of all locomotor activity in the adult female and juvenile male, respectively. Leaping was the most common behavior during travel in both individuals (59.2% and 53.9%, respectively), whereas head-first descent was most frequent during foraging (35.0% and 48.0%, respectively). For all three locomotor categories, the main canopy (40.3%-79.6%) was used most frequently and trunks were the most frequently used support type (50.7%-60.0%). There is a strong association between strata and support use overall and during travel. Quadrupedal walking was significantly associated with the main canopy, as was head-first descent with the low canopy. Our analysis demonstrates that aye-ayes use a variety of locomotor behaviors to forage for invertebrates. Aye-ayes' ability to repurpose their positional repertoire to acquire other resources in degraded forests should not obscure the importance of invertebrates to this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy M Sefczek
- Department of Anthropology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA.,Center for Conservation and Research, Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
| | - W Scott McGraw
- Department of Anthropology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | | | | | - Edward E Louis
- Center for Conservation and Research, Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, Omaha, Nebraska, USA.,Madagascar Biodiversity Partnership, Antananarivo, Madagascar
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Ballor KL, Gazzola KM, Perry KL. Bilateral radial and ulnar fractures in a red kangaroo ( Macropus rufus). J Am Vet Med Assoc 2020; 255:942-948. [PMID: 31573862 DOI: 10.2460/javma.255.8.942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
CASE DESCRIPTION An 11-month-old sexually intact male red kangaroo (Macropus rufus) was examined because of bilateral radial and ulnar fractures. CLINICAL FINDINGS Radiography of the forelimbs revealed bilateral, short oblique fractures in the proximal to mid diaphyses of the radii and ulnae. Fractures were overriding and moderately displaced. Wider than expected gaps were evident in the humeroulnar and humeroradial joints bilaterally. Although several physes remained open, no proximal radial physis was radiographically evident. TREATMENT AND OUTCOME Dual bone fixation was performed bilaterally, and dynamic luxation of the left radial head was identified and stabilized intraoperatively. Although satisfactory function of both forelimbs was evident at 8 weeks and 26 months after surgery, a persistent gait abnormality affecting the right forelimb was noted. Twenty-six months after surgery, radiography revealed bilateral proximal radial physes and resolution of the abnormally wide gaps in the humeroradial and humeroulnar joints. Despite dual bone fixation, synostoses formed bilaterally and may have contributed to the persistent lameness in the kangaroo's right forelimb. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Veterinarians treating kangaroos should be aware of difficulties in determining skeletal maturity and planning fracture stabilization because of potential differences in skeletal growth and fracture healing, compared with other species. We described critical issues observed in the treatment and outcome of the kangaroo of the present report and provided lessons learned as well as potential explanations of these issues to facilitate future treatment of kangaroos with forelimb fractures.
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Schultz’s rule in domesticated mammals. Mamm Biol 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mambio.2019.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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5
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Brimacombe CS, Kuykendall KL, Nystrom P. Epiphyseal fusion and dental development in Pan paniscus with comparisons with Pan troglodytes. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2018; 167:903-913. [PMID: 30318603 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Revised: 08/20/2018] [Accepted: 08/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Compared with frequent studies of skeletal development in chimpanzees, relatively little is known about bonobo skeletal development. This study seeks to explore the relationship between skeletal and dental development in both species of Pan. New data are presented for fusion sites not previously observed in bonobos. MATERIALS AND METHODS In a sample of 34 Pan paniscus and 168 Pan troglodytes subadults, state of fusion was recorded for 30 epiphyseal fusion sites using a three-stage system of unfused, midfusion, and complete fusion based on Wintheiser, Clauser, and Tappen. Stage of dental development for permanent mandibular dentition was assessed using the Demrijian, Goldstein, and Tanner method. These data allowed for comparisons of both species of Pan and the two subspecies of P. troglodytes. RESULTS The sequence of fusion events was generally consistent between the two species, but some exceptions may exist for the knee and ankle. The number of fusion events that occurred after complete dental mineralization was similar in both species. No statistically significant differences were found in the fusion timing for the subspecies of P. troglodytes. DISCUSSION Bolter and Zihlman suggested that fusion at the acetabulum occurs earlier in Pan paniscus, while fusion of epiphyses at the knee are delayed, compared with P. troglodytes. Our data do not indicate earlier fusion of the acetabulum, but fusion events at the knee may complete later relative to dental mineralization in Pan pansicus. Compared with Homo sapiens, both P. troglodytes and Pan paniscus demonstrate later completion of epiphyseal fusion relative to dental mineralization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conrad S Brimacombe
- University of Sheffield, Department of Archaeology, Minalloy House, Sheffield, United Kingdom.,University of Sheffield Bioinformatics Hub, Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Kevin L Kuykendall
- University of Sheffield, Department of Archaeology, Minalloy House, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Pia Nystrom
- University of Sheffield, Department of Archaeology, Minalloy House, Sheffield, United Kingdom
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Monson TA, Hlusko LJ. Breaking the rules: Phylogeny, not life history, explains dental eruption sequence in primates. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2018; 167:217-233. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2017] [Revised: 05/07/2018] [Accepted: 05/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tesla A. Monson
- Department of Integrative Biology; University of California; Berkeley California 94720
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, Department of Integrative Biology; University of California; Berkeley California 94720
- Human Evolution Research Center, Department of Integrative Biology; University of California; Berkeley California 94720
| | - Leslea J. Hlusko
- Department of Integrative Biology; University of California; Berkeley California 94720
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, Department of Integrative Biology; University of California; Berkeley California 94720
- Human Evolution Research Center, Department of Integrative Biology; University of California; Berkeley California 94720
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Brimacombe CS. The enigmatic relationship between epiphyseal fusion and bone development in primates. Evol Anthropol 2017; 26:325-335. [PMID: 29265660 DOI: 10.1002/evan.21559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Epiphyseal fusion in primates is a process that occurs in a regular sequence spanning a period of years and thus provides biological anthropologists with a useful marker of maturity that can be used to assess age and stage of development. Despite the many studies that have catalogued fusion timing and sequence pattern, comparatively little research has been devoted to understanding why these sequences exist in the first place. Answering this question is not necessarily intuitive; indeed, given that neither taxonomic affinities nor recent adaptations have been clearly defined, it is a challenge to explain this process in evolutionary terms. In all mammals, there is a tendency for the fusion of epiphyses at joints to occur close in sequence, and this has been proposed to relate to locomotor adaptations. Further consideration of the evidence suggests that linking locomotor behavior to sequence data alone is difficult to prove and may require a different type of evidence. Epiphyseal fusion should be considered in the context of other parameters that affect the developing skeleton, including how joint morphology relates to growth in length, as well as other possible morphological constraints. In recent years, developmental biology has been providing a better understanding of the molecular regulators of epiphyseal fusion. At some point in the near future, we may be able to link our understanding of the genetics of fusion timing to the possible selective mechanisms that are responsible for these sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conrad Stephen Brimacombe
- Human Evolutionary Studies Program and Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
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8
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Godfrey LR, Muldoon KM. Elwyn Simons: Opening windows into Madagascar's past. Evol Anthropol 2017. [PMID: 28627783 DOI: 10.1002/evan.21518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Laurie R Godfrey
- Department of Anthropology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003
| | - Kathleen M Muldoon
- Department of Anatomy, Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, Midwestern University, 19555 N. 59th Avenue, Glendale, AZ, 85308
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9
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Tattersall I. Elwyn LaVerne Simons (1930-2016). AMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/aman.12685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ian Tattersall
- Division of Anthropology; American Museum of Natural History; New York, NY 10024
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10
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Godfrey LR, Granatosky MC, Jungers WL. The Hands of Subfossil Lemurs. DEVELOPMENTS IN PRIMATOLOGY: PROGRESS AND PROSPECTS 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-3646-5_15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
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López-Torres S, Schillaci MA, Silcox MT. Life history of the most complete fossil primate skeleton: exploring growth models for Darwinius. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2015; 2:150340. [PMID: 26473056 PMCID: PMC4593690 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.150340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2015] [Accepted: 08/11/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Darwinius is an adapoid primate from the Eocene of Germany, and its only known specimen represents the most complete fossil primate ever found. Its describers hypothesized a close relationship to Anthropoidea, and using a Saimiri model estimated its age at death. This study reconstructs the ancestral permanent dental eruption sequences for basal Euprimates, Haplorhini, Anthropoidea, and stem and crown Strepsirrhini. The results show that the ancestral sequences for the basal euprimate, haplorhine and stem strepsirrhine are identical, and similar to that of Darwinius. However, Darwinius differs from anthropoids by exhibiting early development of the lower third molars relative to the lower third and fourth premolars. The eruption of the lower second premolar marks the point of interruption of the sequence in Darwinius. The anthropoid Saimiri as a model is therefore problematic because it exhibits a delayed eruption of P2. Here, an alternative strepsirrhine model based on Eulemur and Varecia is presented. Our proposed model shows an older age at death than previously suggested (1.05-1.14 years), while the range for adult weight is entirely below the range proposed previously. This alternative model is more consistent with hypotheses supporting a stronger relationship between adapoids and strepsirrhines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergi López-Torres
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M1C 1A4
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12
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Geiger M, Forasiepi AM, Koyabu D, Sánchez-Villagra MR. Heterochrony and post-natal growth in mammals - an examination of growth plates in limbs. J Evol Biol 2013; 27:98-115. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2013] [Accepted: 10/14/2013] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M. Geiger
- Paläontologisches Institut und Museum der Universität Zürich; Zürich Switzerland
| | | | - D. Koyabu
- University Museum; University of Tokyo; Tokyo Japan
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Bolter DR, Zihlman AL. Skeletal development in Pan paniscus with comparisons to Pan troglodytes. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2012; 147:629-36. [PMID: 22331605 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2011] [Accepted: 12/21/2011] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Fusion of skeletal elements provides markers for timing of growth and is one component of a chimpanzee's physical development. Epiphyseal closure defines bone growth and signals a mature skeleton. Most of what we know about timing of development in chimpanzees derives from dental studies on Pan troglodytes. Much less is known about the sister species, Pan paniscus, with few in captivity and a wild range restricted to central Africa. Here, we report on the timing of skeletal fusion for female captive P. paniscus (n = 5) whose known ages range from 0.83 to age 11.68 years. Observations on the skeletons were made after the individuals were dissected and bones cleaned. Comparisons with 10 female captive P. troglodytes confirm a generally uniform pattern in the sequence of skeletal fusion in the two captive species. We also compared the P. paniscus to a sample of three unknown-aged female wild P. paniscus, and 10 female wild P. troglodytes of known age from the Taï National Park, Côte d'Ivoire. The sequence of teeth emergence to bone fusion is generally consistent between the two species, with slight variations in late juvenile and subadult stages. The direct-age comparisons show that skeletal growth in captive P. paniscus is accelerated compared with both captive and wild P. troglodytes populations. The skeletal data combined with dental stages have implications for estimating the life stage of immature skeletal materials of wild P. paniscus and for more broadly comparing the skeletal growth rates among captive and wild chimpanzees (Pan), Homo sapiens, and fossil hominins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debra R Bolter
- Department of Anthropology, Modesto College, CA 95350, USA.
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Guthrie EH, Frost SR. Pattern and pace of dental eruption in Tarsius. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2011; 145:446-51. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.21525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2010] [Accepted: 02/08/2011] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Bolter DR. A comparative study of growth patterns in crested langurs and vervet monkeys. ANATOMY RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2011; 2011:948671. [PMID: 22567303 PMCID: PMC3335615 DOI: 10.1155/2011/948671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2010] [Accepted: 12/21/2010] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The physical growth patterns of crested langurs and vervet monkeys are investigated for several unilinear dimensions. Long bone lengths, trunk height, foot length, epiphyseal fusion of the long bones and the pelvis, and cranial capacity are compared through six dental growth stages in male Trachypithecus cristatus (crested langurs) and Cercopithecus aethiops (vervet monkeys). Results show that the body elements of crested langurs mature differently than those of vervets. In some dimensions, langurs and vervets grow comparably, in others vervets attain adult values in advance of crested langurs, and in one feature the langurs are accelerated. Several factors may explain this difference, including phylogeny, diet, ecology, and locomotion. This study proposes that locomotor requirements affect differences in somatic growth between the species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debra R. Bolter
- Department of Anthropology, Modesto College, 435 College Avenue, Modesto, CA 95350, USA
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Catlett KK, Schwartz GT, Godfrey LR, Jungers WL. "Life history space": a multivariate analysis of life history variation in extant and extinct Malagasy lemurs. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2010; 142:391-404. [PMID: 20091842 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.21236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Studies of primate life history variation are constrained by the fact that all large-bodied extant primates are haplorhines. However, large-bodied strepsirrhines recently existed. If we can extract life history information from their skeletons, these species can contribute to our understanding of primate life history variation. This is particularly important in light of new critiques of the classic "fast-slow continuum" as a descriptor of variation in life history profiles across mammals in general. We use established dental histological methods to estimate gestation length and age at weaning for five extinct lemur species. On the basis of these estimates, we reconstruct minimum interbirth intervals and maximum reproductive rates. We utilize principal components analysis to create a multivariate "life history space" that captures the relationships among reproductive parameters and brain and body size in extinct and extant lemurs. Our data show that, whereas large-bodied extinct lemurs can be described as "slow" in some fashion, they also varied greatly in their life history profiles. Those with relatively large brains also weaned their offspring late and had long interbirth intervals. These were not the largest of extinct lemurs. Thus, we distinguish size-related life history variation from variation that linked more strongly to ecological factors. Because all lemur species larger than 10 kg, regardless of life history profile, succumbed to extinction after humans arrived in Madagascar, we argue that large body size increased the probability of extinction independently of reproductive rate. We also provide some evidence that, among lemurs, brain size predicts reproductive rate better than body size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kierstin K Catlett
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA.
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Scott J, Godfrey L, Jungers W, Scott R, Simons E, Teaford M, Ungar P, Walker A. Dental microwear texture analysis of two families of subfossil lemurs from Madagascar. J Hum Evol 2009; 56:405-16. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2008.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2008] [Revised: 11/03/2008] [Accepted: 11/16/2008] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Orlando L, Calvignac S, Schnebelen C, Douady CJ, Godfrey LR, Hänni C. DNA from extinct giant lemurs links archaeolemurids to extant indriids. BMC Evol Biol 2008; 8:121. [PMID: 18442367 PMCID: PMC2386821 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-8-121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2007] [Accepted: 04/28/2008] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although today 15% of living primates are endemic to Madagascar, their diversity was even greater in the recent past since dozens of extinct species have been recovered from Holocene excavation sites. Among them were the so-called "giant lemurs" some of which weighed up to 160 kg. Although extensively studied, the phylogenetic relationships between extinct and extant lemurs are still difficult to decipher, mainly due to morphological specializations that reflect ecology more than phylogeny, resulting in rampant homoplasy. RESULTS Ancient DNA recovered from subfossils recently supported a sister relationship between giant "sloth" lemurs and extant indriids and helped to revise the phylogenetic position of Megaladapis edwardsi among lemuriformes, but several taxa - such as the Archaeolemuridae - still await analysis. We therefore used ancient DNA technology to address the phylogenetic status of the two archaeolemurid genera (Archaeolemur and Hadropithecus). Despite poor DNA preservation conditions in subtropical environments, we managed to recover 94- to 539-bp sequences for two mitochondrial genes among 5 subfossil samples. CONCLUSION This new sequence information provides evidence for the proximity of Archaeolemur and Hadropithecus to extant indriids, in agreement with earlier assessments of their taxonomic status (Primates, Indrioidea) and in contrast to recent suggestions of a closer relationship to the Lemuridae made on the basis of analyses of dental developmental and postcranial characters. These data provide new insights into the evolution of the locomotor apparatus among lemurids and indriids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludovic Orlando
- Université de Lyon, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Institut Fédératif Biosciences Gerland Lyon Sud, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, INRA, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, 69364 Lyon Cédex 07, France.
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Harvati K, Frost SR. Dental Eruption Sequences in Fossil Colobines and the Evolution of Primate Life Histories. INT J PRIMATOL 2007. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-007-9149-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Henderson E. Platyrrhine dental eruption sequences. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2007; 134:226-39. [PMID: 17596854 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.20658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
To determine dental eruption sequences of extant platyrrhines, 367 mandibles and maxillae of informative juvenile specimens from all 16 genera were scored for presence of permanent teeth including three intermediate eruption stages following Harvati (Am J Phys Anthropol 112 (2000) 69-85). The timing of molar eruption relative to that of the anterior dentition is variable in platyrrhines. Aotus is precocious, with all molars erupting in succession before replacement of any deciduous teeth, while Cebus is delayed in M2-3 eruption relative to I1-2. Callitrichines have a distinct tendency toward delayed canine and premolar development. Platyrrhine eruption sequences presented here show some evidence of conformity to Schultz's Rule, with relatively early replacement of deciduous dentition in "slower"-growing animals. The relationship of dental eruption sequences to degree of folivory, body mass, brain mass, and dietary quality is also examined. The early eruption of molars relative to anterior teeth in Pithecia, Chiropotes, and Cacajao, in comparison to genera such as Ateles, Lagothrix, and Alouatta, showing relatively later eruption of the molars, appears to be consistent with current phylogenetic hypotheses. Schultz (Am J Phys Anthropol 19 (1935) 489-581) postulated early relative molar eruption as the primitive dental eruption schedule for primates. The extremely early molar eruption of Aotus versus Callicebus (where both incisors erupt before M2 and M3, with M3 usually last) may lend support to the status of Aotus as a basal taxon. The early relative molar eruption of the fossil platyrrhine species Branisella boliviana is also consistent with this hypothesis (Takai et al.: Am J Phys Anthropol 111 (2000) 263-281).
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Henderson
- Department of Anthropology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97405, USA.
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Godfrey LR, Schwartz GT, Samonds KE, Jungers WL, Catlett KK. The secrets of lemur teeth. Evol Anthropol 2006. [DOI: 10.1002/evan.20102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Godfrey LR, Jungers WL, Burney DA, Vasey N, Wheeler W, Lemelin P, Shapiro LJ, Schwartz GT, King SJ, Ramarolahy MF, Raharivony LL, Randria GFN. New discoveries of skeletal elements of Hadropithecus stenognathus from Andrahomana Cave, southeastern Madagascar. J Hum Evol 2006; 51:395-410. [PMID: 16911817 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2006.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2006] [Accepted: 04/24/2006] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Remains of what appears to be a single, subadult Hadropithecus stenognathus were recovered from a previously unexcavated site at Andrahomana Cave (southeastern Madagascar). Specimens found comprise isolated teeth and cranial fragments (including the frontal processes of the orbits), as well as a partial postcranial skeleton. They include the first associated fore- and hind-limb bones, confirming the hind-limb attributions made by Godfrey and co-workers in 1997, and refuting earlier attributions by Lamberton in 1937/1938. Of particular interest here are the previously unknown elements, including a sacrum, other vertebrae and ribs, some hand bones, and the distal epiphysis of a femur. We briefly discuss the functional implications of previously unknown elements. Hadropithecus displayed a combination of characters reminiscent of lemurids, others more like those of the larger-bodied Old World monkeys, and still others more like those of African apes. Yet other characteristics appear unique. Lemurid-like postcranial characteristics may be primitive for the Archaeolemuridae. Hadropithecus diverges from the Lemuridae in the direction of Archaeolemur, but more extremely so. Thus, for example, it exhibits a stronger reduction in the size of the hamulus of the hamate, greater anteroposterior compression of the femoral shaft, and greater asymmetry of the femoral condyles. Nothing in its postcranial anatomy signals a close relationship to either the Indriidae or the Palaeopropithecidae.
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Affiliation(s)
- L R Godfrey
- Department of Anthropology, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Amherst MA 01003, USA.
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Schwartz GT, Mahoney P, Godfrey LR, Cuozzo FP, Jungers WL, Randria GFN. Dental development in Megaladapis edwardsi (Primates, Lemuriformes): Implications for understanding life history variation in subfossil lemurs. J Hum Evol 2005; 49:702-21. [PMID: 16256170 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2005.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2005] [Accepted: 07/21/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Teeth grow incrementally and preserve within them a record of that incremental growth in the form of microscopic growth lines. Studying dental development in extinct and extant primates, and its relationship to adult brain and body size as well as other life history and ecological parameters (e.g., diet, somatic growth rates, gestation length, age at weaning), holds the potential to yield unparalleled insights into the life history profiles of fossil primates. Here, we address the absolute pace of dental development in Megaladapis edwardsi, a giant extinct lemur of Madagascar. By examining the microstructure of the first and developing second molars in a juvenile individual, we establish a chronology of molar crown development for this specimen (M1 CFT = 1.04 years; M2 CFT = 1.42 years) and determine its age at death (1.39 years). Microstructural data on prenatal M1 crown formation time allow us to calculate a minimum gestation length of 0.54 years for this species. Postnatal crown and root formation data allow us to estimate its age at M1 emergence (approximately 0.9 years) and to establish a minimum age for M2 emergence (>1.39 years). Finally, using reconstructions or estimates (drawn elsewhere) of adult body mass, brain size, and diet in Megaladapis, as well as the eruption sequence of its permanent teeth, we explore the efficacy of these variables in predicting the absolute pace of dental development in this fossil species. We test competing explanations of variation in crown formation timing across the order Primates. Brain size is the best single predictor of crown formation time in primates, but other variables help to explain the variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary T Schwartz
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change & Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University, P.O. Box 872402, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA.
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Godfrey LR, Semprebon GM, Schwartz GT, Burney DA, Jungers WL, Flanagan EK, Cuozzo FP, King SJ. New Insights into Old Lemurs: The Trophic Adaptations of the Archaeolemuridae. INT J PRIMATOL 2005. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-005-5325-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Karanth KP, Delefosse T, Rakotosamimanana B, Parsons TJ, Yoder AD. Ancient DNA from giant extinct lemurs confirms single origin of Malagasy primates. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2005; 102:5090-5. [PMID: 15784742 PMCID: PMC555979 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0408354102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2004] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The living Malagasy lemurs constitute a spectacular radiation of >50 species that are believed to have evolved from a common ancestor that colonized Madagascar in the early Tertiary period. Yet, at least 15 additional Malagasy primate species, some of which were relative giants, succumbed to extinction within the past 2,000 years. Their existence in Madagascar is recorded predominantly in its Holocene subfossil record. To rigorously test the hypothesis that all endemic Malagasy primates constitute a monophyletic group and to determine the evolutionary relationships among living and extinct taxa, we have conducted an ancient DNA analysis of subfossil species. A total of nine subfossil individuals from the extinct genera Palaeopropithecus and Megaladapis yielded amplifiable DNA. Phylogenetic analysis of cytochrome b sequences derived from these subfossils corroborates the monophyly of endemic Malagasy primates. Our results support the close relationship of sloth lemurs to living indriids, as has been hypothesized on morphological grounds. In contrast, Megaladapis does not show a sister-group relationship with the living genus Lepilemur. Thus, the classification of the latter in the family Megaladapidae is misleading. By correlating the geographic location of subfossil specimens with relative amplification success, we reconfirm the global trend of increased success rates of ancient DNA recovery from nontropical localities.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Praveen Karanth
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, P.O. Box 208105, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
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Godfrey LR, Samonds KE, Wright PC, King SJ. Schultz’s Unruly Rule: Dental Developmental Sequences and Schedules in Small-Bodied, Folivorous Lemurs. Folia Primatol (Basel) 2005; 76:77-99. [PMID: 15775680 DOI: 10.1159/000083615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2003] [Accepted: 07/16/2004] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Schultz's rule (as reconstructed by Smith) states that there is a relationship between the pattern (or relative order) of eruption of molar versus secondary (replacement) teeth and the overall pace (or absolute timing) of growth and maturation. Species with 'fast' life histories (rapid dental development, rapid growth, early sexual maturation, short life spans) are said to exhibit relatively early eruption of the molars and late eruption of the secondary replacement teeth (premolars, canines, incisors), whereas species with 'slow' life histories are said to exhibit relatively late eruption of the molars and early eruption of the secondary dentition. In a recent review, B.H. Smith noted that primates with tooth combs might violate this rule because tooth combs tend to erupt early, regardless of the pace of life history. We show that exceptions to Schultz's rule among lemurs are not limited to the relative timing of eruption of the tooth comb. Rather, among lemurs, some species with extremely accelerated dental development exhibit a pattern of eruption of molars and of secondary teeth in direct opposition to the expectations of Schultz's rule. We focus particularly on the pattern (order) and pace (absolute timing) of dental development and eruption in Avahi and Lepilemur - two relatively small, nocturnal folivores with rapid dental development. These taxa differ markedly in their eruption sequences (the premolars erupt after M2 and M3 in Lepilemur but not Avahi ). We offer an explanation for the failure of Schultz's rule to predict these differences. Schultz's rule presumes that eruption timing is dependent on the size of the jaw and that, therefore, molar crown formation and eruption will be delayed in species with slow-growing jaws. We show that a variety of processes (including developmental imbrication) allows the crowns of permanent teeth to form and to erupt into jaws that might appear to be too small to accommodate them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurie R Godfrey
- Department of Anthropology, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
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Godfrey LR, Samonds KE, Jungers WL, Sutherland MR, Irwin MT. Ontogenetic correlates of diet in Malagasy lemurs. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2004; 123:250-76. [PMID: 14968422 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.10315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
There is a well-documented relationship between development and other life-history parameters among anthropoid primates. Smaller-bodied anthropoids tend to mature more rapidly than do larger-bodied species. Among anthropoids of similar body sizes, folivorous species tend to grow and mature more quickly than do frugivorous species, thus attaining adult body size at an earlier age. This pattern conforms to the expectations of Janson and van Schaik's "ecological risk aversion hypothesis," which predicts that rates of growth and maturation should vary in inverse relation to the intensity of intraspecific feeding competition. According to the ecological risk aversion hypothesis (RAH), species experiencing high intraspecific feeding competition will grow and mature slowly to reduce the risk of mortality due to food shortages. Species experiencing low levels of intraspecific feeding competition will shorten the juvenile period to reduce the overall duration of this high-risk portion of the life cycle. This paper focuses on development and maturation in lemurs. We show that folivorous lemurs (such as indriids) grow and mature more slowly than like-sized frugivorous lemurs (e.g., most lemurids), but tend to exhibit faster dental development. Their dental developmental schedules are accelerated on an absolute scale, relative to craniofacial growth, and relative to particular life-history landmarks, such as weaning. Dental development has a strong phylogenetic component: even those lemurids that consume substantial amounts of foliage have slower dental development than those indriids that consume substantial amounts of fruit. Implications of these results for the RAH are discussed, and an explanation for this hypothesis' failure to predict lemur growth schedules is offered. We propose that the differing developmental schedules of folivorous and frugivorous lemurs may reflect different solutions to the ecological problem of environmental instability: some rely on a strategy of low maternal input and slow returns, while others rely on a strategy of high maternal input and fast returns.
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Affiliation(s)
- L R Godfrey
- Department of Anthropology, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003-9278, USA
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Abstract
In this study, dental development is described in two pairs of closely related catarrhine primate species that differ in their degree of folivory: 1) Hylobates lar and Symphalangus syndactylus, and 2) Papio hamadryas hamadryas and Semnopithecus entellus. Growth increments in histological thin sections are used to reconstruct the chronology of dental development to determine how dental development is accelerated in the more folivorous species of each pair. Although anterior tooth formation appears to be unrelated to diet, both S. syndactylus and S. entellus initiate the slowest-forming molar earlier than the related less-folivorous species, which supports the hypothesis that dental acceleration is related to food processing. S. syndactylus initiates M2 crown formation at an earlier age than H. lar, and S. entellus initiates and completes M3 at an earlier age than P. h. hamadryas. Similar stages of M3 eruption occur earlier in the more folivorous species; however, the sex of the individual may also play a role in creating such differences. Although the age at M3 emergence is close to that reported for the end of body mass growth in lar gibbons, hamadryas baboons, and Hanuman langurs, M3 emergence may not be coupled to body mass growth in siamangs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendy Dirks
- Department of Anthropology, Division of History and Social Science, Oxford College of Emory University, Oxford, Georgia 30054, USA.
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Rafferty KL, Teaford MF, Jungers WL. Molar microwear of subfossil lemurs: improving the resolution of dietary inferences. J Hum Evol 2002; 43:645-57. [PMID: 12457853 DOI: 10.1006/jhev.2002.0592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
In this study we use molar microwear analyses to examine the trophic distinctions among various taxa of Malagasy subfossil lemurs. High resolution casts of the teeth of Megaladapis, Archaeolemur, Palaeopropithecus, Babakotia, and Hadropithecus were examined under a scanning electron microscope. Megaladapis was undoubtedly a browsing folivore, but there are significant differences between species of this genus. However, dietary specialists appear to be the exception; for example, Palaeopropithecus and Babakotia probably supplemented their leaf-eating with substantial amounts of seed-predation, much like modern indrids. Hadropithecus was decidedly not like the modern gelada baboon, but probably did feed on hard objects. Evidence from microwear and coprolites suggests that Archaeolemur probably had an eclectic diet that differed regionally and perhaps seasonally. Substantial trophic diversity within Madgascar's primate community was diminished by the late Quaternary extinctions of the large-bodied species (>9 kg).
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Affiliation(s)
- K L Rafferty
- Department of Orthodontics, Box 357446, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA.
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