The Narrow Niche hypothesis
Gray squirrels shed new light on primate origins
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 8317307 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Joseph D Orkin (0000-0001-6922-2072, Washington University in St. Louis, corresponding author), H Pontzer (0000-0003-2397-6543, Washington University in St. Louis) |
| Year | 2011 |
| Volume | 144 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 617-624 |
| Publication date | 2011-04-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | American Journal of Physical Anthropology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0002-9483 • E-ISSN: 1096-8644 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1002/ajpa.21450 |
| PMID | 21404237 |
| OpenAlex | W2155942408 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 17 |
| References cited | 37 |
Current hypotheses for primate origins propose that nails and primate‐like grasping hands and feet were important early adaptations for feeding in fine branches. Comparative research in this area has focused on instances of convergence in extant animals, showing that species with primate‐like morphology feed predominantly from terminal branches. Little has been done to test whether animals without primate‐like morphology engage in similar behavior. We tested the fine‐branch niche hypothesis for primate origins by observing branch use in Eastern gray squirrels, Sciurus carolinensis , a species lacking primate grasping adaptations that has been understudied in the context of primate origins. We hypothesized that because gray squirrels lack primate‐like grasping adaptations, they would avoid feeding and foraging in terminal branches. Instantaneous focal animal sampling was used to examine the locomotor and postural behaviors used while feeding and foraging. Our results demonstrate habitual and effective usage of terminal branches by gray squirrels while feeding and foraging, primarily on tree seeds (e.g., oak, maple, and elm). Discriminant function analysis indicates that gray squirrels feed and forage like primates, unlike some other tree squirrel species. Given the absence of primate‐like features in gray squirrels, we suggest that although selection for fine‐branch foraging may be a necessary condition for primate origins, it is not sufficient. We propose an alternative model of primate origins. The Narrow Niche hypothesis suggests that the primate morphological suite evolved not only from selection pressure for fine branch use, but also from a lack of engagement in other activities. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc
Biology · Evolutionary biology · Foraging · Niche · Primate · Sciurus carolinensis · Bat Biology and Ecology Studies · Ecology · Evolution and Paleontology Studies · Primate Behavior and Ecology
Energy Expenditure in Humans and Other Primates
The Visual‐Predation Theory
Fallback foods, preferred foods, adaptive zones, and primate origins
The befuddling nature of mouse lemur hands and feet at Bezà Mahafaly, SW Madagascar
Substrate Diameter and Orientation in the Context of Food Type in the Gray Mouse Lemur, Microcebus murinus
Angular momentum and arboreal stability in common marmosets ( C allithrix jacchus )
Years of Primate Paleontology
Single‐limb force data for two lemur species while vertically clinging
The first major primate extinction
Positional behavior and substrate use of Micromys minutus (Rodentia)
Locomotion, postures, substrate use, and foot grasping in the marsupial feathertail glider Acrobates pygmaeus (Diprotodontia)
Increased terrestriality in a Neotropical primate living on islands with reduced predation risk
Not all fine-branch locomotion is equal
Postcrania of the most primitive euprimate and implications for primate origins
Jumping performance in tree squirrels
Effect of binocular visual cue availability on fruit and insect grasping performance in two cheirogaleids
Primate origins, human origins, and the end of higher taxa
Differential habitat use byCebus apella andSaimiri sciureus in central surinam
Walker's Mammals of the World
Pads and Claws in Arboreal Locomotion
Rethinking Primate Origins
Exaptation—a Missing Term in the Science of Form
Observational Study of Behavior
Posture and support use of old world monkeys (Cercopithecidae)
Primate origins and the evolution of angiosperms
Primate origins
Functional and adaptive significance of primate pads and claws
Evolutionary history of the primates
Primate adaptation and evolution
Understanding hind limb weight support in chimpanzees with implications for the evolution of primate locomotion
Ecological distinctions between sympatric species of Saguinus and Sciurus
Evolutionary implications of the unusual walking mechanics of the common marmoset ( C. jacchus )
A shrew-sized origin for primates
Evolution of pedal grasping in Primates
Primate Adaptation and Evolution
| Unique citing works | 17 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1,21 |
| Citation span | 2012 - 2026 (15) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 15 |