A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF MORPHOLOGICAL VARIATION PATTERNS IN THE PAPIONINS

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Abstract
Comparative studies of intraspecific variation patterns are important in attempts to reconstruct the differential selection pressures experienced by related species and in assessing the resultant observed interspecific variation. Reconstruction of past selection depends on an assumption of relatively stable patterns of genetic variance and covariance through time and across related species. Models by Lande (1979) and Turelli (1988a, 1988b) lead to contrasting expectations of stability versus lability of variation patterns, respectively, at least for closely related species. I report on a comparative study of phenotypic variance and correlation patterns in seven species of papionins, including macaques, baboons, and mangabeys, in order to determine the stability of variation patterns in this group. The three-dimensional coordinates of 12 bony landmarks on the face were used in a finite-element scaling analysis in order to measure local size variation at each landmark. Variances and correlations for these local size metrics were calculated using pooled sex-specific values. Variation patterns were compared across species using vector and matrix correlations in combination with various randomization-based significance tests. Patterns of variation and correlation were generally quite similar across the seven species, although some differences were also apparent. The overall magnitude of correlation is also similar among species, as only a few interspecific comparisons showed significant differences. Thus, it is concluded that patterns of variation and correlation in facial morphology have tended to remain stable in this group of primates. This result should allow for reconstruction of past differential selection pressures in the clade. The pattern of similarity among correlation structures for these species showed no association with their phylogenetic relationships.
Funding Information
  • Whitaker Foundation