The Developmental Basis of Evolutionary Trends in Primate Encephalization

Bibliographic Collection: 
CARTA-Inspired Publication
Publication Type: Book Chapter
Authors: Halley, AC; Deacon, TW
Editors: Kaas, JH
Year of Publication: 2017
Book Title: Evolution of Nervous Systems
Edition: 2nd Edition
Pagination: 149 - 162
Date Published: 2017///
Publisher: Academic Press
City: Oxford, UK
Publication Language: eng
ISBN Number: 978-0-12-804096-6
Keywords: Brain growth, Brain/body allometry, Fetal Development, Life history, Primate encephalization, Taxon-level effect
Abstract:

Encephalization is one of the defining features of the primate Order, but patterns of brain/body scaling in different primate radiations are caused by different developmental mechanisms. All primates share a novel pattern of fetal encephalization that is linked to exceptionally slow rates of postcranial body growth during every stage of ontogeny. By contrast, additional grade shifts in relative brain size within anthropoid radiations and humans are caused by brain size increases, including both neocortical expansion and coordinated increases in all brain structures according to allometric principles.

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