1
|
Huijsmans TERG, Courtiol A, Van Soom A, Smits K, Rousset F, Wauters J, Hildebrandt TB. Quantifying maternal investment in mammals using allometry. Commun Biol 2024; 7:475. [PMID: 38637653 PMCID: PMC11026411 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06165-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Maternal investment influences the survival and reproduction of both mothers and their progeny and plays a crucial role in understanding individuals' life-history and population ecology. To reveal the complex mechanisms associated with reproduction and investment, it is necessary to examine variations in maternal investment across species. Comparisons across species call for a standardised method to quantify maternal investment, which remained to be developed. This paper addresses this limitation by introducing the maternal investment metric - MI - for mammalian species, established through the allometric scaling of the litter mass at weaning age by the adult mass and investment duration (i.e. gestation + lactation duration) of a species. Using a database encompassing hundreds of mammalian species, we show that the metric is not highly sensitive to the regression method used to fit the allometric relationship or to the proxy used for adult body mass. The comparison of the maternal investment metric between mammalian subclasses and orders reveals strong differences across taxa. For example, our metric confirms that Eutheria have a higher maternal investment than Metatheria. We discuss how further research could use the maternal investment metric as a valuable tool to understand variation in reproductive strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tim E R G Huijsmans
- Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium.
| | - Alexandre Courtiol
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Leibniz Institute for Zoo & Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Str. 17, 10315, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ann Van Soom
- Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Katrien Smits
- Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - François Rousset
- Institute of Evolutionary Science of Montpellier, University of Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, campus Triolet, 34095, Montpellier cedex 05, France
| | - Jella Wauters
- Department of Reproduction Biology, Leibniz Institute for Zoo & Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Str. 17, 10315, Berlin, Germany
- Laboratory of Integrative Metabolomics, Department of Translational Physiology, Infectiology and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Thomas B Hildebrandt
- Department of Reproduction Management, Leibniz Institute for Zoo & Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Str. 17, 10315, Berlin, Germany
- Freie Universität Berlin, Kaiserswerther Str. 16-18, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Grabowski M, Kopperud BT, Tsuboi M, Hansen TF. Both Diet and Sociality Affect Primate Brain-Size Evolution. Syst Biol 2023; 72:404-418. [PMID: 36454664 PMCID: PMC10275546 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syac075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2020] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Increased brain size in humans and other primates is hypothesized to confer cognitive benefits but brings costs associated with growing and maintaining energetically expensive neural tissue. Previous studies have argued that changes in either diet or levels of sociality led to shifts in brain size, but results were equivocal. Here we test these hypotheses using phylogenetic comparative methods designed to jointly account for and estimate the effects of adaptation and phylogeny. Using the largest current sample of primate brain and body sizes with observation error, complemented by newly compiled diet and sociality data, we show that both diet and sociality have influenced the evolution of brain size. Shifting from simple to more complex levels of sociality resulted in relatively larger brains, while shifting to a more folivorous diet led to relatively smaller brains. While our results support the role of sociality, they modify a range of ecological hypotheses centered on the importance of frugivory, and instead indicate that digestive costs associated with increased folivory may have resulted in relatively smaller brains. [adaptation; allometry; bayou; evolutionary trend; energetic constraints; phylogenetic comparative methods; primate brain size; Slouch; social-brain hypothesis.].
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mark Grabowski
- Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology, Liverpool John Moores University, 3 Byrom Street, Liverpool L3 3AF, UK
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Blindernveien 31, 0371 Oslo, Norway
| | - Bjørn T Kopperud
- GeoBio-Center LMU, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Richard-Wagner Straße 10, 80333 Munich, Germany
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Paleontology and Geobiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Richard-Wagner Straße 10, 80333 Munich, Germany
| | - Masahito Tsuboi
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Blindernveien 31, 0371 Oslo, Norway
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Ekologihuset, Sölvegatan 37, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - Thomas F Hansen
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Blindernveien 31, 0371 Oslo, Norway
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Amici F, Ersson-Lembeck M, Holodynski M, Liebal K. Face to face interactions in chimpanzee ( Pan troglodytes) and human ( Homo sapiens) mother-infant dyads. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20210478. [PMID: 36871581 PMCID: PMC9985962 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 03/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Human mothers interact with their infants in different ways. In Western, educated, industrialized, rich and democratic (WEIRD) societies, face-to-face interactions and mutual gazes are especially frequent, yet little is known about their developmental trajectories and if they differ from those of other primates. Using a cross-species developmental approach, we compared mother-infant interactions in 10 dyads of urban humans from a WEIRD society (Homo sapiens) and 10 dyads of captive zoo-based chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), when infants were one, six and 12 months old. Results showed that face-to-face interactions with mutual gaze events were common in both groups throughout the infant's first year of life. The developmental trajectories of maternal and infants' looks partially differed between species, but mutual gaze events were overall longer in humans than in chimpanzees. Mutual gazes were also more frequent in humans, peaking at six months in humans, while increasing with age in chimpanzees. The duration and frequency of mutual gazes varied across contexts in both groups, with mutual gazes being longer during caring/grooming and feeding contexts. These findings confirm that some aspects of early socio-cognitive development are shared by humans and other primates, and highlight the importance of combining developmental and cross-species approaches to better understand the evolutionary roots of parenting behaviour. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Face2face: advancing the science of social interaction'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Federica Amici
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Institute of Biology, Human Biology and Primate Cognition, Leipzig University, Talstrasse 33, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Comparative Cultural Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Manuela Ersson-Lembeck
- Department of Education and Psychology, Comparative Developmental Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, Habelschwerdter Allee 45, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Manfred Holodynski
- Faculty of Psychology, Institute of Psychology in Education, University of Münster, Fliednerstrasse 21, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Katja Liebal
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Institute of Biology, Human Biology and Primate Cognition, Leipzig University, Talstrasse 33, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Comparative Cultural Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Education and Psychology, Comparative Developmental Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, Habelschwerdter Allee 45, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Correia I, Gomes BDF, Villalobos F, Ferrari SF, Gouveia SF. Lessons from comparative primatology for understanding trait covariation and diversity in evolutionary ecology. Mamm Rev 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/mam.12307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Isadora Correia
- Graduate Program in Ecology and Conservation Universidade Federal de Sergipe 49100‐000 São Cristóvão Sergipe Brazil
| | | | - Fabricio Villalobos
- Evolutionary Biology Network Instituto de Ecología A.C. ‐ INECOL, Xalapa Veracruz Mexico
| | - Stephen F. Ferrari
- Department of Ecology Universidade Federal de Sergipe São Cristóvão Sergipe Brazil
| | - Sidney F. Gouveia
- Department of Ecology Universidade Federal de Sergipe São Cristóvão Sergipe Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Smeele SQ, Conde DA, Baudisch A, Bruslund S, Iwaniuk A, Staerk J, Wright TF, Young AM, McElreath MB, Aplin L. Coevolution of relative brain size and life expectancy in parrots. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20212397. [PMID: 35317667 PMCID: PMC8941425 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have demonstrated a correlation between longevity and brain size in a variety of taxa. Little research has been devoted to understanding this link in parrots; yet parrots are well-known for both their exceptionally long lives and cognitive complexity. We employed a large-scale comparative analysis that investigated the influence of brain size and life-history variables on longevity in parrots. Specifically, we addressed two hypotheses for evolutionary drivers of longevity: the cognitivebuffer hypothesis, which proposes that increased cognitive abilities enable longer lifespans, and the expensive brain hypothesis, which holds that increases in lifespan are caused by prolonged developmental time of, and increased parental investment in, large-brained offspring. We estimated life expectancy from detailed zoo records for 133 818 individuals across 244 parrot species. Using a principled Bayesian approach that addresses data uncertainty and imputation of missing values, we found a consistent correlation between relative brain size and life expectancy in parrots. This correlation was best explained by a direct effect of relative brain size. Notably, we found no effects of developmental time, clutch size or age at first reproduction. Our results suggest that selection for enhanced cognitive abilities in parrots has in turn promoted longer lifespans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Simeon Q Smeele
- Cognitive and Cultural Ecology Research Group, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany.,Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.,Interdisciplinary Centre on Population Dynamics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Dalia A Conde
- Interdisciplinary Centre on Population Dynamics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.,Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.,Species360 Conservation Science Alliance, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Annette Baudisch
- Interdisciplinary Centre on Population Dynamics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Simon Bruslund
- Vogelpark Marlow gGmbH, Marlow, Germany.,Parrot Taxon Advisory Group, European Association of Zoos and Aquaria, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Andrew Iwaniuk
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Canada
| | - Johanna Staerk
- Interdisciplinary Centre on Population Dynamics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.,Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.,Species360 Conservation Science Alliance, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Timothy F Wright
- Biology Department, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA
| | - Anna M Young
- The Living Desert Zoo and GardensPalm Desert, Palm Desert, CA, USA
| | - Mary Brooke McElreath
- Cognitive and Cultural Ecology Research Group, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany.,Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Lucy Aplin
- Cognitive and Cultural Ecology Research Group, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany.,Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.,Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
DeCasien AR, Barton RA, Higham JP. Understanding the human brain: insights from comparative biology. Trends Cogn Sci 2022; 26:432-445. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2022.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
|
7
|
Barrett L, Henzi SP, Barton RA. Experts in action: why we need an embodied social brain hypothesis. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20200533. [PMID: 34957849 PMCID: PMC8710874 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The anthropoid primates are known for their intense sociality and large brain size. The idea that these might be causally related has given rise to a large body of work testing the 'social brain hypothesis'. Here, the emphasis has been placed on the political demands of social life, and the cognitive skills that would enable animals to track the machinations of other minds in metarepresentational ways. It seems to us that this position risks losing touch with the fact that brains primarily evolved to enable the control of action, which in turn leads us to downplay or neglect the importance of the physical body in a material world full of bodies and other objects. As an alternative, we offer a view of primate brain and social evolution that is grounded in the body and action, rather than minds and metarepresentation. This article is part of the theme issue 'Systems neuroscience through the lens of evolutionary theory'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Louise Barrett
- Department of Psychology, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Canada
| | - S. Peter Henzi
- Department of Psychology, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Canada
| | | |
Collapse
|
8
|
Chambers HR, Heldstab SA, O’Hara SJ. Why big brains? A comparison of models for both primate and carnivore brain size evolution. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0261185. [PMID: 34932586 PMCID: PMC8691615 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0261185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite decades of research, much uncertainty remains regarding the selection pressures responsible for brain size variation. Whilst the influential social brain hypothesis once garnered extensive support, more recent studies have failed to find support for a link between brain size and sociality. Instead, it appears there is now substantial evidence suggesting ecology better predicts brain size in both primates and carnivores. Here, different models of brain evolution were tested, and the relative importance of social, ecological, and life-history traits were assessed on both overall encephalisation and specific brain regions. In primates, evidence is found for consistent associations between brain size and ecological factors, particularly diet; however, evidence was also found advocating sociality as a selection pressure driving brain size. In carnivores, evidence suggests ecological variables, most notably home range size, are influencing brain size; whereas, no support is found for the social brain hypothesis, perhaps reflecting the fact sociality appears to be limited to a select few taxa. Life-history associations reveal complex selection mechanisms to be counterbalancing the costs associated with expensive brain tissue through extended developmental periods, reduced fertility, and extended maximum lifespan. Future studies should give careful consideration of the methods chosen for measuring brain size, investigate both whole brain and specific brain regions where possible, and look to integrate multiple variables, thus fully capturing all of the potential factors influencing brain size.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Helen Rebecca Chambers
- School of Science, Engineering & Environment, University of Salford, Salford, Greater Manchester, United Kingdom
| | | | - Sean J. O’Hara
- School of Science, Engineering & Environment, University of Salford, Salford, Greater Manchester, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Avin S, Currie A, Montgomery SH. An agent-based model clarifies the importance of functional and developmental integration in shaping brain evolution. BMC Biol 2021; 19:97. [PMID: 33971877 PMCID: PMC8111752 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-021-01024-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Vertebrate brain structure is characterised not only by relative consistency in scaling between components, but also by many examples of divergence from these general trends.. Alternative hypotheses explain these patterns by emphasising either ‘external’ processes, such as coordinated or divergent selection, or ‘internal’ processes, like developmental coupling among brain regions. Although these hypotheses are not mutually exclusive, there is little agreement over their relative importance across time or how that importance may vary across evolutionary contexts. Results We introduce an agent-based model to simulate brain evolution in a ‘bare-bones’ system and examine dependencies between variables shaping brain evolution. We show that ‘concerted’ patterns of brain evolution do not, in themselves, provide evidence for developmental coupling, despite these terms often being treated as synonymous in the literature. Instead, concerted evolution can reflect either functional or developmental integration. Our model further allows us to clarify conditions under which such developmental coupling, or uncoupling, is potentially adaptive, revealing support for the maintenance of both mechanisms in neural evolution. Critically, we illustrate how the probability of deviation from concerted evolution depends on the cost/benefit ratio of neural tissue, which increases when overall brain size is itself under constraint. Conclusions We conclude that both developmentally coupled and uncoupled brain architectures can provide adaptive mechanisms, depending on the distribution of selection across brain structures, life history and costs of neural tissue. However, when constraints also act on overall brain size, heterogeneity in selection across brain structures will favour region specific, or mosaic, evolution. Regardless, the respective advantages of developmentally coupled and uncoupled brain architectures mean that both may persist in fluctuating environments. This implies that developmental coupling is unlikely to be a persistent constraint, but could evolve as an adaptive outcome to selection to maintain functional integration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shahar Avin
- Centre for the Study of Existential Risk, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Adrian Currie
- Department of Sociology, Philosophy and Anthropology, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | | |
Collapse
|
10
|
Bründl AC, Tkaczynski PJ, Nohon Kohou G, Boesch C, Wittig RM, Crockford C. Systematic mapping of developmental milestones in wild chimpanzees. Dev Sci 2020; 24:e12988. [DOI: 10.1111/desc.12988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2019] [Revised: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Aisha C. Bründl
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology Leipzig Germany
- Department of Neuropsychology Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences Leipzig Germany
- Taï Chimpanzee Project Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques Abidjan Côte d’Ivoire
| | - Patrick J. Tkaczynski
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology Leipzig Germany
- Taï Chimpanzee Project Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques Abidjan Côte d’Ivoire
| | - Grégoire Nohon Kohou
- Taï Chimpanzee Project Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques Abidjan Côte d’Ivoire
| | - Christophe Boesch
- Taï Chimpanzee Project Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques Abidjan Côte d’Ivoire
- Department of Primatology Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology Leipzig Germany
| | - Roman M. Wittig
- Taï Chimpanzee Project Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques Abidjan Côte d’Ivoire
- Department of Primatology Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology Leipzig Germany
| | - Catherine Crockford
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology Leipzig Germany
- Taï Chimpanzee Project Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques Abidjan Côte d’Ivoire
| |
Collapse
|