A hypothesis-based approach to species identification in the fossil record: a papionin case study
Modern papionin monkeys are a diverse group that encompasses a broad range of morphologies, behaviors, and ecologies. A fossil genus known from African Plio-Pleistocene deposits, Parapapio, is widely regarded as a candidate ancestor to later African papionins. However, despite general agreement that...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2024.1481903/full |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1841561044644790272 |
|---|---|
| author | Marianne F. Brasil Marianne F. Brasil Tesla A. Monson Dominic J. Stratford Dominic J. Stratford Leslea J. Hlusko Leslea J. Hlusko |
| author_facet | Marianne F. Brasil Marianne F. Brasil Tesla A. Monson Dominic J. Stratford Dominic J. Stratford Leslea J. Hlusko Leslea J. Hlusko |
| author_sort | Marianne F. Brasil |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Modern papionin monkeys are a diverse group that encompasses a broad range of morphologies, behaviors, and ecologies. A fossil genus known from African Plio-Pleistocene deposits, Parapapio, is widely regarded as a candidate ancestor to later African papionins. However, despite general agreement that this genus sits at or near the base of the African papionin clade, the taxonomy within Parapapio remains highly contentious. This project evaluates the species-level taxonomy of Parapapio with an explicit hypothesis-based approach to interpreting morphological variation in this sample of fossils. We tested two hypotheses: (H1) the craniodental variation within Parapapio does not cluster into three groups that reflect the three known species, and (H2) all the Parapapio fossils can be accommodated within the craniodental shape and size variation observed for a single extant species of papionin. To test the first hypothesis, we assessed a subset of relatively complete and well-preserved Parapapio crania (n=16), intentionally without reference to previous taxonomic identifications. Specimens were sorted by similarity in cranial features and results were then compared with published taxonomic classifications. Our results demonstrate that morphological traits do not cluster consistently according to the current species categories within Parapapio, failing to reject our first hypothesis. To test our second hypothesis, we examined variation in cranial and dental metrics within Parapapio (n=64) relative to three extant papionin samples (n=310). Our results fail to reject the hypothesis that all Parapapio specimens could belong to a single species and suggest that the three-species paradigm does not reflect the anatomical variation of this genus. We recommend subsuming all Parapapio specimens within Parapapio broomi, the species name with taxonomic priority. The results of this hypothesis-testing approach to taxonomy carry substantial implications for the taxonomy of Parapapio, as well as for biochronological and paleoecological studies more generally, including the taxonomy and paleobiology of hominids recovered from these same deposits. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-868c19cf2ab94648a8f373bda70e29bf |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2296-701X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj-art-868c19cf2ab94648a8f373bda70e29bf2025-01-03T06:47:15ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution2296-701X2025-01-011210.3389/fevo.2024.14819031481903A hypothesis-based approach to species identification in the fossil record: a papionin case studyMarianne F. Brasil0Marianne F. Brasil1Tesla A. Monson2Dominic J. Stratford3Dominic J. Stratford4Leslea J. Hlusko5Leslea J. Hlusko6Department of Anthropology, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, United StatesHuman Evolution Research Center, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United StatesDepartment of Anthropology, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, United StatesDepartment of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South AfricaDepartment of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United StatesHuman Evolution Research Center, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United StatesCentro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), Burgos, SpainModern papionin monkeys are a diverse group that encompasses a broad range of morphologies, behaviors, and ecologies. A fossil genus known from African Plio-Pleistocene deposits, Parapapio, is widely regarded as a candidate ancestor to later African papionins. However, despite general agreement that this genus sits at or near the base of the African papionin clade, the taxonomy within Parapapio remains highly contentious. This project evaluates the species-level taxonomy of Parapapio with an explicit hypothesis-based approach to interpreting morphological variation in this sample of fossils. We tested two hypotheses: (H1) the craniodental variation within Parapapio does not cluster into three groups that reflect the three known species, and (H2) all the Parapapio fossils can be accommodated within the craniodental shape and size variation observed for a single extant species of papionin. To test the first hypothesis, we assessed a subset of relatively complete and well-preserved Parapapio crania (n=16), intentionally without reference to previous taxonomic identifications. Specimens were sorted by similarity in cranial features and results were then compared with published taxonomic classifications. Our results demonstrate that morphological traits do not cluster consistently according to the current species categories within Parapapio, failing to reject our first hypothesis. To test our second hypothesis, we examined variation in cranial and dental metrics within Parapapio (n=64) relative to three extant papionin samples (n=310). Our results fail to reject the hypothesis that all Parapapio specimens could belong to a single species and suggest that the three-species paradigm does not reflect the anatomical variation of this genus. We recommend subsuming all Parapapio specimens within Parapapio broomi, the species name with taxonomic priority. The results of this hypothesis-testing approach to taxonomy carry substantial implications for the taxonomy of Parapapio, as well as for biochronological and paleoecological studies more generally, including the taxonomy and paleobiology of hominids recovered from these same deposits.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2024.1481903/fullCercopithecidaetaxonomyprimate evolutionsexual dimorphismvariationParapapio |
| spellingShingle | Marianne F. Brasil Marianne F. Brasil Tesla A. Monson Dominic J. Stratford Dominic J. Stratford Leslea J. Hlusko Leslea J. Hlusko A hypothesis-based approach to species identification in the fossil record: a papionin case study Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution Cercopithecidae taxonomy primate evolution sexual dimorphism variation Parapapio |
| title | A hypothesis-based approach to species identification in the fossil record: a papionin case study |
| title_full | A hypothesis-based approach to species identification in the fossil record: a papionin case study |
| title_fullStr | A hypothesis-based approach to species identification in the fossil record: a papionin case study |
| title_full_unstemmed | A hypothesis-based approach to species identification in the fossil record: a papionin case study |
| title_short | A hypothesis-based approach to species identification in the fossil record: a papionin case study |
| title_sort | hypothesis based approach to species identification in the fossil record a papionin case study |
| topic | Cercopithecidae taxonomy primate evolution sexual dimorphism variation Parapapio |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2024.1481903/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mariannefbrasil ahypothesisbasedapproachtospeciesidentificationinthefossilrecordapapionincasestudy AT mariannefbrasil ahypothesisbasedapproachtospeciesidentificationinthefossilrecordapapionincasestudy AT teslaamonson ahypothesisbasedapproachtospeciesidentificationinthefossilrecordapapionincasestudy AT dominicjstratford ahypothesisbasedapproachtospeciesidentificationinthefossilrecordapapionincasestudy AT dominicjstratford ahypothesisbasedapproachtospeciesidentificationinthefossilrecordapapionincasestudy AT lesleajhlusko ahypothesisbasedapproachtospeciesidentificationinthefossilrecordapapionincasestudy AT lesleajhlusko ahypothesisbasedapproachtospeciesidentificationinthefossilrecordapapionincasestudy AT mariannefbrasil hypothesisbasedapproachtospeciesidentificationinthefossilrecordapapionincasestudy AT mariannefbrasil hypothesisbasedapproachtospeciesidentificationinthefossilrecordapapionincasestudy AT teslaamonson hypothesisbasedapproachtospeciesidentificationinthefossilrecordapapionincasestudy AT dominicjstratford hypothesisbasedapproachtospeciesidentificationinthefossilrecordapapionincasestudy AT dominicjstratford hypothesisbasedapproachtospeciesidentificationinthefossilrecordapapionincasestudy AT lesleajhlusko hypothesisbasedapproachtospeciesidentificationinthefossilrecordapapionincasestudy AT lesleajhlusko hypothesisbasedapproachtospeciesidentificationinthefossilrecordapapionincasestudy |