TY - JOUR
T1 - Evolutionary Insights from Dental Diversity in Afro-Asian Primates
AU - Pan, Hao
AU - Zhang, He
AU - Youlatos, Dionisios
AU - Wang, Jing
AU - He, Gang
AU - Guo, Songtao
AU - Huang, Kang
AU - Hou, Rong
AU - Pan, Ruliang
AU - Fang, Gu
AU - Li, Yuli
AU - Zhang, Pei
AU - Li, Baoguo
PY - 2024/9
Y1 - 2024/9
N2 - The evolutionary development and phylogenetic division between Asian and African cercopithecoids (Cercopithecidae) have attracted significant attention in genetics, molecular biology, behavior, and morphology. However, less emphasis has been placed on how they have evolved morphologically after divergence, approximately 10 million years ago (mya) for Colobinae and 5–7 mya for Cercopithecinae, corresponding to the significant variation and diversity in landscape, climate, habitat, and ecologies between the two continents. This study examines whether such variation and diversity have been reflected in dental morphology. Our findings reveal substantial differences between Hylobatidae and Cercopithecidae, as well as between Colobinae and Cercopithecinae, indicating that size-adjusted dental variation mainly reveals the diversity associated with evolution and phylogenetic inertia. Interestingly, despite the earlier divergence of Afro-Asian colobines, their Euclidean Distance is comparable to that of Afro-Asian cercopithecines. This implies that latecomers (macaques) demonstrate equivalent diversity to colobines due to their extensive dispersion and broader adaptative radiation on the same continent. Colobinae exhibit more developed premolar and molar regions. However, when post-canine teeth are considered alone, Colobinae present a significantly larger molar size than Asian Cercopithecinae but not with the African Cercopihecinae. This contradicts the hypothesis that folivorous primates (Colobinae) have larger post-canine molars than frugivorous ones (Cercopithecinae). The considerable molar size in African Cercopithecinae must be associated with their more protrusive and larger facial structure rather than a specific dietary preference, being less diverse than their Asian counterparts—a trait that has evolved phylogenetically. This study also paves the way for further exploration of facial and cranial differences between the continental groups of Cercopithecinae and Colobinae, delving deeply into diversity variation due to geographical and climatic adaptations.
AB - The evolutionary development and phylogenetic division between Asian and African cercopithecoids (Cercopithecidae) have attracted significant attention in genetics, molecular biology, behavior, and morphology. However, less emphasis has been placed on how they have evolved morphologically after divergence, approximately 10 million years ago (mya) for Colobinae and 5–7 mya for Cercopithecinae, corresponding to the significant variation and diversity in landscape, climate, habitat, and ecologies between the two continents. This study examines whether such variation and diversity have been reflected in dental morphology. Our findings reveal substantial differences between Hylobatidae and Cercopithecidae, as well as between Colobinae and Cercopithecinae, indicating that size-adjusted dental variation mainly reveals the diversity associated with evolution and phylogenetic inertia. Interestingly, despite the earlier divergence of Afro-Asian colobines, their Euclidean Distance is comparable to that of Afro-Asian cercopithecines. This implies that latecomers (macaques) demonstrate equivalent diversity to colobines due to their extensive dispersion and broader adaptative radiation on the same continent. Colobinae exhibit more developed premolar and molar regions. However, when post-canine teeth are considered alone, Colobinae present a significantly larger molar size than Asian Cercopithecinae but not with the African Cercopihecinae. This contradicts the hypothesis that folivorous primates (Colobinae) have larger post-canine molars than frugivorous ones (Cercopithecinae). The considerable molar size in African Cercopithecinae must be associated with their more protrusive and larger facial structure rather than a specific dietary preference, being less diverse than their Asian counterparts—a trait that has evolved phylogenetically. This study also paves the way for further exploration of facial and cranial differences between the continental groups of Cercopithecinae and Colobinae, delving deeply into diversity variation due to geographical and climatic adaptations.
KW - Africa and Asia primates
KW - Cercopithecidae
KW - dental allometry analysis
KW - environmental and climate changes
KW - natural selection and environmental adaptation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85205089449&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/d16090565
DO - 10.3390/d16090565
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85205089449
SN - 1424-2818
VL - 16
JO - Diversity
JF - Diversity
IS - 9
M1 - 565
ER -