Allometry of facial mobility in anthropoid primates: implications for the evolution of facial expression

American Journal of Physical Anthropology
Seth D Dobson

Abstract

Body size may be an important factor influencing the evolution of facial expression in anthropoid primates due to allometric constraints on the perception of facial movements. Given this hypothesis, I tested the prediction that observed facial mobility is positively correlated with body size in a comparative sample of nonhuman anthropoids. Facial mobility, or the variety of facial movements a species can produce, was estimated using a novel application of the Facial Action Coding System (FACS). I used FACS to estimate facial mobility in 12 nonhuman anthropoid species, based on video recordings of facial activity in zoo animals. Body mass data were taken from the literature. I used phylogenetic generalized least squares (PGLS) to perform a multiple regression analysis with facial mobility as the dependent variable and two independent variables: log body mass and dummy-coded infraorder. Together, body mass and infraorder explain 92% of the variance in facial mobility. However, the partial effect of body mass is much stronger than for infraorder. The results of my study suggest that allometry is an important constraint on the evolution of facial mobility, which may limit the complexity of facial expression in smaller species. More...Continue Reading

References

Jan 1, 1974·Behaviour·J Altmann
Nov 1, 1966·Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society·S J Gould
Jul 1, 1981·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·R J Smith
Jun 1, 1997·Journal of Human Evolution·R J Smith, W L Jungers
Mar 20, 1999·Science·S Partan, P Marler
Aug 15, 2000·Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews·N J Emery
Sep 26, 2000·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·R F Kay, E C Kirk
Jan 12, 2002·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·K L Schmidt, J F Cohn
Jan 17, 2002·Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution·F J Rohlf
Mar 27, 2002·Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution·Emília P MartinsElizabeth A Housworth
Jul 18, 2002·American Journal of Physiology. Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology·Scott Medler
Jul 23, 2003·American Journal of Primatology·Simone PikaMichael Tomasello
Aug 19, 2003·The Anatomical Record. Part A, Discoveries in Molecular, Cellular, and Evolutionary Biology·Anne M Burrows, Timothy D Smith
Aug 29, 2003·Journal of Experimental Child Psychology·Catherine J MondlochRichard Le Grand
Nov 22, 1963·Science·R J ANDREW
Dec 5, 2003·Primates; Journal of Primatology·Katja LiebalMichael Tomasello
Oct 8, 2004·The Anatomical Record. Part A, Discoveries in Molecular, Cellular, and Evolutionary Biology·E Christopher Kirk
Jul 21, 2005·The American Naturalist·Sarah R Partan, Peter Marler
Oct 4, 2005·The Anatomical Record. Part A, Discoveries in Molecular, Cellular, and Evolutionary Biology·Chet C Sherwood
Dec 13, 2006·Journal of Human Evolution·Callum F Ross, E Christopher Kirk
Jan 25, 2007·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Jessica C Flack, Frans de Waal
Mar 14, 2007·Emotion·Lisa A ParrKim A Bard
Aug 25, 2007·Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience Reviews·Ralph Adolphs
Oct 13, 2007·Journal of Human Evolution·Matthew C O'Neill, Seth D Dobson
Feb 23, 2008·BioEssays : News and Reviews in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology·Anne M Burrows
Jun 11, 2008·Emotion·Bridget M WallerAnne M Burrows

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Aug 11, 2010·Journal of Comparative Psychology·David A Leopold, Gillian Rhodes
May 30, 2012·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·Seth Dobson
May 4, 2012·The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience·Stephen V ShepherdAsif A Ghazanfar
Feb 25, 2009·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·Seth D Dobson
Sep 28, 2010·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·L A ParrS J Vick
Apr 28, 2012·The Anatomical Record : Advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology·Amber N Heard-Booth, E Christopher Kirk
Mar 31, 2015·Animal Cognition·Jérôme MichelettaBridget M Waller
Jul 3, 2016·Integrative and Comparative Biology·Sharlene E Santana, Kimberly E Miller
Oct 30, 2013·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Quan Van LeHisao Nishijo
Dec 21, 2016·Scientific Reports·J WathanK McComb
Jun 7, 2018·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·Brittany FlorkiewiczUlrich H Reichard
Jan 14, 2018·The Anatomical Record : Advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology·Anne M Burrows
Feb 27, 2020·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·Stefanie P Lazow, Thore J Bergman
Sep 25, 2020·The Anatomical Record : Advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology·Anne M BurrowsBryan Mendelson
Apr 17, 2019·Nature Ecology & Evolution·Rodrigo S LacruzJuan-Luis Arsuaga
Nov 22, 2016·The Anatomical Record : Advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology·Anne M BurrowsBryan Mendelson
Jan 29, 2020·Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews·Mariska E KretZanna Clay
Feb 28, 2020·Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews·B M WallerJ Micheletta
May 22, 2021·Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution·Paola Cerrito, Alex R DeCasien
Aug 3, 2021·Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews·Milica Nikolić, Tom Roth
Oct 5, 2021·The Anatomical Record : Advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology·Victoria M WilliamsPaul R Manger

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.