کد مقاله کد نشریه سال انتشار مقاله انگلیسی نسخه تمام متن
4557209 1329534 2006 12 صفحه PDF دانلود رایگان
عنوان انگلیسی مقاله ISI
Effects of activity pattern on eye size and orbital aperture size in primates
موضوعات مرتبط
علوم زیستی و بیوفناوری علوم کشاورزی و بیولوژیک بوم شناسی، تکامل، رفتار و سامانه شناسی
پیش نمایش صفحه اول مقاله
Effects of activity pattern on eye size and orbital aperture size in primates
چکیده انگلیسی

Among primates, nocturnal species exhibit relatively larger orbital apertures than diurnal species. Most researchers have considered this disparity in orbital aperture size to reflect differences in eye size, with nocturnal primates having relatively large eyes in order to maximize visual sensitivity. Presumed changes in eye size due to shifts in activity pattern are an integral part of theoretical explanations for many derived features of anthropoids, including highly convergent orbits and a postorbital septum. Here I show that despite clear differences in relative orbital aperture size, many diurnal and nocturnal primates do not differ in relative eye size. Among nocturnal primates, relative eye size is influenced by diet. Nocturnal visual predators (e.g., Tarsius, Loris, and Galago moholi) tend to have larger relative eye sizes than diurnal primates. By contrast, nocturnal frugivores (e.g., Perodicticus, Nycticebus, and Cheirogaleus) have relative eye sizes that are comparable to those of diurnal primates. Although some variation in orbital aperture size can be attributed to variation in eye size, both cornea size and orbit orientation also exert a strong influence on orbital aperture size. These findings argue for caution in the use of relative orbital aperture size as an indicator of activity pattern in fossil primates. These findings further suggest that existing scenarios for the evolution of unique orbital morphologies in anthropoids must be modified to reflect the importance of ecological variables other than activity pattern.

ناشر
Database: Elsevier - ScienceDirect (ساینس دایرکت)
Journal: Journal of Human Evolution - Volume 51, Issue 2, August 2006, Pages 159–170
نویسندگان
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