| Records |
Author  |
Joffe, T.H.; Dunbar, R.I. |
| Title |
Visual and socio-cognitive information processing in primate brain evolution |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
1997 |
Publication |
Proceedings. Biological Sciences / The Royal Society |
Abbreviated Journal |
Proc Biol Sci |
| Volume |
264 |
Issue |
1386 |
Pages |
1303-1307 |
| Keywords |
Animals; Brain/anatomy & histology/*physiology; Cognition/physiology; *Evolution; Geniculate Bodies/anatomy & histology/physiology; Humans; Mental Processes/physiology; Neocortex/physiology; Primates/anatomy & histology/*physiology/*psychology; *Social Behavior; Visual Cortex/anatomy & histology/physiology |
| Abstract |
Social group size has been shown to correlate with neocortex size in primates. Here we use comparative analyses to show that social group size is independently correlated with the size of non-V1 neocortical areas, but not with other more proximate components of the visual system or with brain systems associated with emotional cueing (e.g. the amygdala). We argue that visual brain components serve as a social information 'input device' for socio-visual stimuli such as facial expressions, bodily gestures and visual status markers, while the non-visual neocortex serves as a 'processing device' whereby these social cues are encoded, interpreted and associated with stored information. However, the second appears to have greater overall importance because the size of the V1 visual area appears to reach an asymptotic size beyond which visual acuity and pattern recognition may not improve significantly. This is especially true of the great ape clade (including humans), that is known to use more sophisticated social cognitive strategies. |
| Address |
School of Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, UK |
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| Language |
English |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
0962-8452 |
ISBN |
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Expedition |
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Conference |
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| Notes |
PMID:9332015 |
Approved |
no |
| Call Number |
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Serial |
2095 |
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| Author |
Jansen, T.; Forster, P.; Levine, M.A.; Oelke, H.; Hurles, M.; Renfrew, C.; Weber, J.; Olek, K. |
| Title |
Mitochondrial DNA and the origins of the domestic horse |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2002 |
Publication |
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |
Abbreviated Journal |
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. |
| Volume |
99 |
Issue |
16 |
Pages |
10905-10910 |
| Keywords |
Animals; Animals, Domestic/classification/*genetics; Base Sequence; DNA, Complementary; *DNA, Mitochondrial; *Evolution, Molecular; Horses/classification/*genetics; Molecular Sequence Data; Phylogeny |
| Abstract |
The place and date of the domestication of the horse has long been a matter for debate among archaeologists. To determine whether horses were domesticated from one or several ancestral horse populations, we sequenced the mitochondrial D-loop for 318 horses from 25 oriental and European breeds, including American mustangs. Adding these sequences to previously published data, the total comes to 652, the largest currently available database. From these sequences, a phylogenetic network was constructed that showed that most of the 93 different mitochondrial (mt)DNA types grouped into 17 distinct phylogenetic clusters. Several of the clusters correspond to breeds and/or geographic areas, notably cluster A2, which is specific to Przewalski's horses, cluster C1, which is distinctive for northern European ponies, and cluster D1, which is well represented in Iberian and northwest African breeds. A consideration of the horse mtDNA mutation rate together with the archaeological timeframe for domestication requires at least 77 successfully breeding mares recruited from the wild. The extensive genetic diversity of these 77 ancestral mares leads us to conclude that several distinct horse populations were involved in the domestication of the horse. |
| Address |
Biopsytec Analytik GmbH, Marie-Curie-Strasse 1, 53359 Rheinbach, Germany. jansen@biopsytec.com |
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English |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
0027-8424 |
ISBN |
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Conference |
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| Notes |
PMID:12130666 |
Approved |
no |
| Call Number |
refbase @ user @ |
Serial |
772 |
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| Author |
Hare, B.; Tomasello, M. |
| Title |
Human-like social skills in dogs? |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2005 |
Publication |
Trends in Cognitive Sciences |
Abbreviated Journal |
Trends. Cognit. Sci. |
| Volume |
9 |
Issue |
9 |
Pages |
439-444 |
| Keywords |
*Animal Communication; Animals; *Behavior, Animal; Cognition/*physiology; Dogs; *Evolution; Humans; *Social Behavior |
| Abstract |
Domestic dogs are unusually skilled at reading human social and communicative behavior--even more so than our nearest primate relatives. For example, they use human social and communicative behavior (e.g. a pointing gesture) to find hidden food, and they know what the human can and cannot see in various situations. Recent comparisons between canid species suggest that these unusual social skills have a heritable component and initially evolved during domestication as a result of selection on systems mediating fear and aggression towards humans. Differences in chimpanzee and human temperament suggest that a similar process may have been an important catalyst leading to the evolution of unusual social skills in our own species. The study of convergent evolution provides an exciting opportunity to gain further insights into the evolutionary processes leading to human-like forms of cooperation and communication. |
| Address |
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, Leipzig, Germany. hare@eva.mpg.de |
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English |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
1364-6613 |
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Conference |
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| Notes |
PMID:16061417 |
Approved |
no |
| Call Number |
refbase @ user @ |
Serial |
546 |
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| Author |
Hare, B.; Plyusnina, I.; Ignacio, N.; Schepina, O.; Stepika, A.; Wrangham, R.; Trut, L. |
| Title |
Social cognitive evolution in captive foxes is a correlated by-product of experimental domestication |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2005 |
Publication |
Current biology : CB |
Abbreviated Journal |
Curr Biol |
| Volume |
15 |
Issue |
3 |
Pages |
226-230 |
| Keywords |
Animals; *Animals, Domestic; Cognition/*physiology; *Cues; *Evolution; Foxes/*physiology; *Selection (Genetics); Social Behavior; Species Specificity |
| Abstract |
Dogs have an unusual ability for reading human communicative gestures (e.g., pointing) in comparison to either nonhuman primates (including chimpanzees) or wolves . Although this unusual communicative ability seems to have evolved during domestication , it is unclear whether this evolution occurred as a result of direct selection for this ability, as previously hypothesized , or as a correlated by-product of selection against fear and aggression toward humans--as is the case with a number of morphological and physiological changes associated with domestication . We show here that fox kits from an experimental population selectively bred over 45 years to approach humans fearlessly and nonaggressively (i.e., experimentally domesticated) are not only as skillful as dog puppies in using human gestures but are also more skilled than fox kits from a second, control population not bred for tame behavior (critically, neither population of foxes was ever bred or tested for their ability to use human gestures) . These results suggest that sociocognitive evolution has occurred in the experimental foxes, and possibly domestic dogs, as a correlated by-product of selection on systems mediating fear and aggression, and it is likely the observed social cognitive evolution did not require direct selection for improved social cognitive ability. |
| Address |
Department of Anthropology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. hare@eva.mpg.de |
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English |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
0960-9822 |
ISBN |
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Medium |
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Expedition |
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Conference |
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| Notes |
PMID:15694305 |
Approved |
no |
| Call Number |
refbase @ user @ |
Serial |
594 |
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| Author |
Fenton, B.; Ratcliffe, J. |
| Title |
Animal behaviour: eavesdropping on bats |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2004 |
Publication |
Nature |
Abbreviated Journal |
Nature |
| Volume |
429 |
Issue |
6992 |
Pages |
612-613 |
| Keywords |
Acoustics; Animals; Chiroptera/anatomy & histology/classification/genetics/*physiology; Echolocation/*physiology; *Evolution; Phylogeny; Predatory Behavior/physiology; Species Specificity |
| Abstract |
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English |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
1476-4687 |
ISBN |
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Conference |
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| Notes |
PMID:15190335 |
Approved |
no |
| Call Number |
refbase @ user @ |
Serial |
500 |
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| Author |
Dunbar, R.I.M. |
| Title |
Male and female brain evolution is subject to contrasting selection pressures in primates |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2007 |
Publication |
BMC Biology |
Abbreviated Journal |
BMC Biol |
| Volume |
5 |
Issue |
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Pages |
21 |
| Keywords |
Animals; *Brain/physiology; *Evolution; Female; Humans; Male; *Selection (Genetics); *Sex Characteristics |
| Abstract |
The claim that differences in brain size across primate species has mainly been driven by the demands of sociality (the “social brain” hypothesis) is now widely accepted. Some of the evidence to support this comes from the fact that species that live in large social groups have larger brains, and in particular larger neocortices. Lindenfors and colleagues (BMC Biology 5:20) add significantly to our appreciation of this process by showing that there are striking differences between the two sexes in the social mechanisms and brain units involved. Female sociality (which is more affiliative) is related most closely to neocortex volume, but male sociality (which is more competitive and combative) is more closely related to subcortical units (notably those associated with emotional responses). Thus different brain units have responded to different selection pressures. |
| Address |
British Academy Centenary Research Project, School of Biological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK. rimd@liv.ac.uk |
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English |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
1741-7007 |
ISBN |
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Medium |
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Conference |
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| Notes |
PMID:17493267 |
Approved |
no |
| Call Number |
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Serial |
2100 |
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| Author |
Dunbar, R. |
| Title |
Evolution of the social brain |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2003 |
Publication |
Science |
Abbreviated Journal |
Science |
| Volume |
302 |
Issue |
5648 |
Pages |
1160-1161 |
| Keywords |
Animals; Animals, Wild; *Cognition; Endorphins/physiology; *Evolution; Female; Grooming; Hierarchy, Social; Language; Neocortex/anatomy & histology/physiology; Papio/physiology/*psychology; *Reproduction; *Social Behavior; Social Dominance; Social Support; Vocalization, Animal |
| Abstract |
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| Address |
School of Biological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK. rimd@liv.ac.uk |
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English |
Summary Language |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
1095-9203 |
ISBN |
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Conference |
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| Notes |
PMID:14615522 |
Approved |
no |
| Call Number |
refbase @ user @ |
Serial |
548 |
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| Author |
de Waal, F.B.M. |
| Title |
Darwin's legacy and the study of primate visual communication |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2003 |
Publication |
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences |
Abbreviated Journal |
Ann N Y Acad Sci |
| Volume |
1000 |
Issue |
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Pages |
7-31 |
| Keywords |
Affect; Aggression/psychology; Animals; Culture; *Evolution; *Facial Expression; Gestures; Grooming; Humans; Laughter; *Nonverbal Communication; Primates/*physiology; Smiling; *Visual Perception |
| Abstract |
After Charles Darwin's The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals, published in 1872, we had to wait 60 years before the theme of animal expressions was picked up by another astute observer. In 1935, Nadezhda Ladygina-Kohts published a detailed comparison of the expressive behavior of a juvenile chimpanzee and of her own child. After Kohts, we had to wait until the 1960s for modern ethological analyses of primate facial and gestural communication. Again, the focus was on the chimpanzee, but ethograms on other primates appeared as well. Our understanding of the range of expressions in other primates is at present far more advanced than that in Darwin's time. A strong social component has been added: instead of focusing on the expressions per se, they are now often classified according to the social situations in which they typically occur. Initially, quantitative analyses were sequential (i.e., concerned with temporal associations between behavior patterns), and they avoided the language of emotions. I will discuss some of this early work, including my own on the communicative repertoire of the bonobo, a close relative of the chimpanzee (and ourselves). I will provide concrete examples to make the point that there is a much richer matrix of contexts possible than the common behavioral categories of aggression, sex, fear, play, and so on. Primate signaling is a form of negotiation, and previous classifications have ignored the specifics of what animals try to achieve with their exchanges. There is also increasing evidence for signal conventionalization in primates, especially the apes, in both captivity and the field. This process results in group-specific or “cultural” communication patterns. |
| Address |
Yerkes Primate Center, and Psychology Department, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA. dewaal@emory.edu |
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English |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
0077-8923 |
ISBN |
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Conference |
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| Notes |
PMID:14766618 |
Approved |
no |
| Call Number |
refbase @ user @ |
Serial |
177 |
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| Author |
Cilnis, M.J.; Kang, W.; Weaver, S.C. |
| Title |
Genetic conservation of Highlands J viruses |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
1996 |
Publication |
Virology |
Abbreviated Journal |
Virology |
| Volume |
218 |
Issue |
2 |
Pages |
343-351 |
| Keywords |
Alphavirus/*genetics; Alphavirus Infections/transmission/veterinary/virology; Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Base Sequence; Conserved Sequence; Disease Outbreaks; Encephalitis, Viral/veterinary/virology; *Evolution, Molecular; Horses; Molecular Sequence Data; Phylogeny; RNA, Viral/genetics; Sequence Alignment; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; Turkeys; Variation (Genetics)/*genetics |
| Abstract |
We studied molecular evolution of the mosquito-borne alphavirus Highlands J (HJ) virus by sequencing PCR products generated from 19 strains isolated between 1952 and 1994. Sequences of 1200 nucleotides including portions of the E1 gene and the 3' untranslated region revealed a relatively slow evolutionary rate estimated at 0.9-1.6 x 10(-4) substitutions per nucleotide per year. Phylogenetic trees indicated that all HJ viruses descended from a common ancestor and suggested the presence of one dominant lineage in North America. However, two or more minor lineages probably circulated simultaneously for periods of years to a few decades. Strains isolated from a horse suffering encephalitis, and implicated in a recent turkey outbreak, were not phylogenetically distinct from strains isolated in other locations during the same time periods. Our findings are remarkably similar to those we obtained previously for another North American alphavirus, eastern equine encephalomyelitis virus, with which Highlands J shares primary mosquito and avian hosts, geographical distribution, and ecology. These results support the hypotheses that the duration of the transmission season affects arboviral evolutionary rates and vertebrate host mobility influences genetic diversity. |
| Address |
Department of Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92093-0116, USA |
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English |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
0042-6822 |
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| Notes |
PMID:8610461 |
Approved |
no |
| Call Number |
Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
Serial |
2657 |
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| Author |
Cameron, E.Z. |
| Title |
Facultative adjustment of mammalian sex ratios in support of the Trivers-Willard hypothesis: evidence for a mechanism |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2004 |
Publication |
Proceedings. Biological sciences / The Royal Society |
Abbreviated Journal |
Proc Biol Sci |
| Volume |
271 |
Issue |
1549 |
Pages |
1723-1728 |
| Keywords |
Age Factors; Animals; Body Constitution; *Evolution; Female; Glucose/metabolism/physiology; Litter Size; Male; Mammals/*physiology; *Models, Biological; Reproduction/physiology; Seasons; Sex Factors; *Sex Ratio; Time Factors |
| Abstract |
Evolutionary theory predicts that mothers of different condition should adjust the birth sex ratio of their offspring in relation to future reproductive benefits. Published studies addressing variation in mammalian sex ratios have produced surprisingly contradictory results. Explaining the source of such variation has been a challenge for sex-ratio theory, not least because no mechanism for sex-ratio adjustment is known. I conducted a meta-analysis of previous mammalian sex-ratio studies to determine if there are any overall patterns in sex-ratio variation. The contradictory nature of previous results was confirmed. However, studies that investigated indices of condition around conception show almost unanimous support for the prediction that mothers in good condition bias their litters towards sons. Recent research on the role of glucose in reproductive functioning have shown that excess glucose favours the development of male blastocysts, providing a potential mechanism for sex-ratio variation in relation to maternal condition around conception. Furthermore, many of the conflicting results from studies on sex-ratio adjustment would be explained if glucose levels in utero during early cell division contributed to the determination of offspring sex ratios. |
| Address |
Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa. ezcameron@zoology.up.ac.za |
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English |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
0962-8452 |
ISBN |
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Expedition |
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Conference |
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| Notes |
PMID:15306293 |
Approved |
no |
| Call Number |
refbase @ user @ |
Serial |
413 |
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