Problems of allometric scaling analysis: examples from mammalian reproductive biology

Martín, Robert D.; Genoud, Michel; Hemelrijk, Charlotte K.

doi:10.1242/jeb.01566

Cited by 131 publications

(117 citation statements)

References 54 publications

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“…4) Using the ECV compilation and new and revised data on the basal metabolic rate of primates, we add support to the maternal energy hypothesis (Martin, 1996(Martin, , 1998Martin et al, 2005) by showing that both BMR and gestation length are positively correlated with brain size, controlling for body mass, even after the application of the method of independent contrasts.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 68%

“…Using different parts of our sample, we are able to compare the effects of data quality or quantity on the various methods of analysis. Fifth, we provide an example of an application of these data to a current problem in which data quality is an important issue by testing the maternal energy hypothesis for primate brain evolution (Martin, 1996(Martin, , 1998Martin et al, 2005). This hypothesis posits that the brain size of the offspring is constrained by the energy that its mother can provide during early ontogeny (i.e., maternal investment primarily in the form of gestation and lactation).…”

Section: Primate Endocranial Volumesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The maternal energy hypothesis (Martin, 1996(Martin, , 1998Martin et al, 2005) predicts that neonatal brain mass should be positively correlated with both maternal basal metabolic rate and gestation length. Basal metabolic rate (BMR) is defined as the metabolic rate of inactive, post-absorptive, adult, non-reproductive animals in a thermoneutral setting.…”

Section: Statistical Analysesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Whereas the slope of the species means regressions remain stable when data subsets of varying quality are analysed, the slope of the independent contrasts regression is seriously affected by both data quality and quantity as predicted by Martin et al (2005) (Table 4). The complete dataset of 176 species shows a greater reduction in slope following contrast analysis than either the high-quality or the low-quality dataset (50 species each).…”

Section: C) Allometric Relationship Between Ecv and Body Massmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It has been claimed that these methods "remove" grade shift effects (following Harvey and Pagel, 1991), but there is a major drawback in their built-in tendency to magnify the effects of "error" variation (e.g. Ricklefs and Starck, 1996;Martin et al, 2005). In a large sample, calculating contrasts between closely related species may yield a bias towards a lower slope of the best-fit line, because contrasts within genera or within subfamilies predominate.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Endocranial volumes of primate species: scaling analyses using a comprehensive and reliable data set

Isler

Kirk

Miller

et al. 2008

Journal of Human Evolution

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We present a compilation of endocranial volumes (ECV) for 176 non-human primate species, based on individual data collected from 3813 museum specimens, at least 88% being wild-caught. In combination with body mass data from wild individuals, strong correlations between endocranial volume and body mass within taxonomic groups were found. Errors attributable to different techniques for measuring cranial capacity were negligible and unbiased. The overall slopes for regressions of log ECV on log body mass in primates are 0.773 for least-squares regression and 0.793 for reduced major axis regression. The leastsquares slope is reduced to 0.565 when independent contrasts are substituted for species means (branch lengths from molecular studies). A common slope of 0.646 is obtained with logged species means when grade shifts between major groups are taken into account using ANCOVA. In addition to providing a comprehensive and reliable database for comparative analyses of primate brain size, we show that the scaling relationship between brain mass and ECV does not differ significantly from isometry in primates. We also demonstrate that ECV does not differ substantially between captive and wild samples of the same species. ECV may be a more reliable indicator of brain size than brain mass, because considerably larger samples can be collected to better represent the full range of intraspecific variation. We also provide support for the maternal energy hypothesis by showing that BMR and gestation period are both positively correlated with brain size in primates, after controlling for the influence of body mass and potential effects of phylogenetic relatedness.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 68%

Section: Primate Endocranial Volumesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Statistical Analysesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: C) Allometric Relationship Between Ecv and Body Massmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Endocranial volumes of primate species: scaling analyses using a comprehensive and reliable data set

Isler

Kirk

Miller

et al. 2008

Journal of Human Evolution

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272

289

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Perinatal size and maturation of the olfactory and vomeronasal neuroepithelia in lorisoids and lemuroids

Smith

Alport

Burrows

et al. 2006

American J Primatol

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Explanations for the chemosensory abilities of newborn mammals focus primarily on food (milk) acquisition and communication (e.g., maternal-infant bonding). However, the relative importance of the main and accessory (vomeronasal) olfactory systems is hypothesized to differ at birth between altricial and precocial mammals. Strepsirrhines (lemurs and lorises) possess main and accessory olfactory systems, and vary in life-history traits related to infant dependency and maturation. Accordingly, this study examines the size and maturational characteristics of vomeronasal (VNNE) and olfactory (OE) neuroepithelia in strepsirrhines. Serially sectioned heads of 18 infant cadavers were examined microscopically for neuroepithelial distribution. Measurements were taken on the length of the nasal fossa on one side that was occupied by VNNE and OE. The data were corrected for body size using the cranial length or body mass, and were then examined for correlation with several life-history variables, as well as activity pattern. In addition, immunohistochemistry was used to identify cells in the VNNE and OE that express olfactory marker protein (OMP), a marker of mature olfactory neurons. Relative OE extent was not significantly correlated with any of the life-history variables. Relative VNNE length was negatively correlated with relative gestation length and relative neonatal mass (P<0.05). However, when we corrected for phylogenetic relationships, we found no significant correlations between either of the neuroepithelial measurements and life-history variables. Immunohistochemical findings suggest that OE has more OMP-reactive cells than VNNE in all species. OMP-reactive cells appear to be less numerous in diurnal species compared to most nocturnal species. These results indicate that the VNNE may be relatively longer at birth in altricial species. However, it remains uncertain how phylogeny and/or ontogeny may explain these findings.

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The evolution of human reproduction: A primatological perspective

Martín

2007

Am. J. Phys. Anthropol.

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206

143

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Successful reconstruction of any aspect of human evolution ideally requires broad-based comparisons with other primates, as recognition of general principles provides a more reliable foundation for inference. Indeed, in many cases it is necessary to conduct comparisons with other placental mammals to test interpretations. This review considers comparative evidence with respect to the following topics relating to human reproduction: (1) size of the testes, sperm, and baculum; (2) ovarian processes and mating cyclicity; (3) placentation and embryonic membranes; (4) gestation period and neonatal condition; (5) brain development in relation to reproduction; and (6) suckling and age at weaning. Relative testis size, the size of the sperm midpiece, and perhaps the absence of a baculum indicate that humans are adapted for a mating system in which sperm competition was not a major factor. Because sizes of mammalian gametes do not increase with body size, they are increasingly dwarfed by the size of the female reproductive tract as body size increases. The implications of this have yet to be explored. Primates have long ovarian cycles and humans show an average pattern. Menstruation is completely lacking in strepsirrhine primates, possibly weakly present in tarsiers and variably expressed in simians. The only other mammals reliably reported to show menstruation are bats. Three hypotheses have been proposed to explain the evolution of menstruation (eliminating sperm-borne pathogens; reducing the metabolic cost of a prepared uterine lining; occurrence as a side-effect of physiological changes), but no consensus has emerged. Copulation at times other than the periovulatory period is not unique to humans, and its occurrence during pregnancy is widespread among mammals. Although the human condition is extreme, extended copulation during the ovarian cycle is the norm among simian primates, in stark contrast to prosimians, in which mating is typically restricted to a few days when the female is in oestrus. The model of regular mid-cycle ovulation in simians is questionable. Gestation periods calculated on that basis show greater variability than in other mammals, and evidence from laboratory breeding colonies indicates that an extended mating period is matched by an extended period in which conception can occur. New evidence indicates that the noninvasive placentation found in strepsirrhine primates is not primitive after all. Furthermore, comparative studies reveal that such noninvasive placentation is not ''inefficient''. Evolution of highly invasive placentation in haplorhine primates is probably linked instead to immunological factors. Primates have relatively long gestation periods, and humans are average in this respect. However, there is evidence that humans show greater maternal investment during pregnancy in comparison with apes. Although the human neonate matches the typical precocial pattern of primates in most respects, a fetal pattern of brain growth continues for a year after birth, such that the human inf...

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Problems of allometric scaling analysis: examples from mammalian reproductive biology

Abstract: Calculation of contrast values for closely related species of similar body size is, in fact, highly questionable, particularly when there are major deviations from the best-fit line for the scaling relationship under scrutiny.

Cited by 131 publications

References 54 publications

Endocranial volumes of primate species: scaling analyses using a comprehensive and reliable data set

Endocranial volumes of primate species: scaling analyses using a comprehensive and reliable data set

Perinatal size and maturation of the olfactory and vomeronasal neuroepithelia in lorisoids and lemuroids

The evolution of human reproduction: A primatological perspective

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