Soft-tissue Characters in Higher Primate Phylogenetics

Overview

Journal Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

Specialty Science

Date 2000 Sep 20

PMID 10995466

Citations 15

Authors

S Gibbs

M Collard

B Wood

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Recent research has cast doubt on the reliability of bones and teeth for reconstructing phylogenetic relationships among higher primate species and genera. Herein, we investigate whether this problem is confined to hard tissues by examining the utility of higher primate soft-tissue characters for reconstructing phylogenetic relationships at low taxonomic levels. We use cladistic methods to analyze 197 soft-tissue characters for the extant hominoids and then compare the resulting phylogenetic hypotheses with the group's consensus molecular phylogeny, which is widely considered to be accurate. We show that the soft-tissue characters yield robust phylogenetic hypotheses that are compatible with the molecular phylogeny. Given the strength of the evidence for molecular phylogeny, these results indicate that, unlike craniodental hard-tissue characters, soft tissues are reliable for reconstructing phylogenetic relationships among higher primate species and genera. Thus, in higher primates at least, some types of morphological data are more useful than others for phylogeny reconstruction.

Citing Articles

Differences between hard and soft phylogenetic data.

Sansom R, Wills M Proc Biol Sci. 2017; 284(1869).

PMID: 29237859 PMC: 5745416. DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.2150.

Bayesian analysis of a morphological supermatrix sheds light on controversial fossil hominin relationships.

Dembo M, Matzke N, Mooers A, Collard M Proc Biol Sci. 2015; 282(1812):20150943.

PMID: 26202999 PMC: 4528516. DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.0943.

Shared human-chimpanzee pattern of perinatal femoral shaft morphology and its implications for the evolution of hominin locomotor adaptations.

Morimoto N, Zollikofer C, Ponce de Leon M PLoS One. 2012; 7(7):e41980.

PMID: 22848680 PMC: 3405051. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0041980.

Soft-tissue anatomy of the primates: phylogenetic analyses based on the muscles of the head, neck, pectoral region and upper limb, with notes on the evolution of these muscles.

Diogo R, Wood B J Anat. 2011; 219(3):273-359.

PMID: 21689100 PMC: 3171772. DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7580.2011.01403.x.

Genetic and environmental contributions to variation in baboon cranial morphology.

Roseman C, Willmore K, Rogers J, Hildebolt C, Sadler B, Richtsmeier J Am J Phys Anthropol. 2010; 143(1):1-12.

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