Rapid evolution of the primate larynx?

Tissue vibrations in the larynx produce most sounds that comprise vocal communication in mammals. Larynx morphology is thus predicted to be a key target for selection, particularly in species with highly developed vocal communication systems. Here, we present a novel database of digitally modeled sc...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PLoS biology 2020-08, Vol.18 (8), p.e3000764-e3000764
Main Authors: Bowling, Daniel L, Dunn, Jacob C, Smaers, Jeroen B, Garcia, Maxime, Sato, Asha, Hantke, Georg, Handschuh, Stephan, Dengg, Sabine, Kerney, Max, Kitchener, Andrew C, Gumpenberger, Michaela, Fitch, W Tecumseh
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acoustics
Allometry
Animal cognition
Animals
Biological Evolution
Biology
Biology and Life Sciences
Body Size
Canidae - anatomy & histology
Canidae - classification
Canidae - physiology
Cartilage
Communication
Communications systems
Computer and Information Sciences
Evolution
Felidae - anatomy & histology
Felidae - classification
Felidae - physiology
Female
Funding
Herpestidae - anatomy & histology
Herpestidae - classification
Herpestidae - physiology
Larynx
Larynx - anatomy & histology
Larynx - physiology
Male
Mammals
Medicine and Health Sciences
Monkeys & apes
Morphology
Museums
Organ Size
Phylogenetics
Phylogeny
Primates
Primates - anatomy & histology
Primates - classification
Primates - physiology
Principal components analysis
Sex Characteristics
Sex Factors
Social Sciences
Sound
Supervision
Thyroid gland
Veterinary medicine
Vibrations
Vocalization, Animal - physiology
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Summary:Tissue vibrations in the larynx produce most sounds that comprise vocal communication in mammals. Larynx morphology is thus predicted to be a key target for selection, particularly in species with highly developed vocal communication systems. Here, we present a novel database of digitally modeled scanned larynges from 55 different mammalian species, representing a wide range of body sizes in the primate and carnivoran orders. Using phylogenetic comparative methods, we demonstrate that the primate larynx has evolved more rapidly than the carnivoran larynx, resulting in a pattern of larger size and increased deviation from expected allometry with body size. These results imply fundamental differences between primates and carnivorans in the balance of selective forces that constrain larynx size and highlight an evolutionary flexibility in primates that may help explain why we have developed complex and diverse uses of the vocal organ for communication.
ISSN:1545-7885
1544-9173
1545-7885
DOI:10.1371/journal.pbio.3000764