Edited by
J. Michael Plavcan
Department of Anthropology
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Richard F. Kay
Department of Biological Anthropology and
Anatomy Duke University Medical Center
Durham, North Carolina
William L. Jungers
Department of Anatomical Sciences
State University of New York at Stony Brook
Stony Brook, New York
and
Carel P. van Schaik
Department of Biological Anthropology and Anatomy
Duke University Medical Center
Durham, North Carolina
Kluwer 2002
FROM THE BACK COVER
This volume brings together a series of papers that address the topic of reconstructing
behavior in the primate fossil record.
Offered here are reviews of broad issues related to reconstructing various aspects of
behavior-from diet to social systems-from different types of evidence including
comparative analysis and models of adaptation, ontogenetic evidence, paleo-
environmental and paleo-community analysis, experimental functional analysis, and
comparative socioecology. Authors review not only the types of evidence that can be
used to reconstruct behavior, but also the limitations of the evidence, pointing to
directions for future research.
Hopefully, the reader will gain a perspective on the various types of evidence that can be
brought to bear on reconstructing behavior, the strengths and weaknesses of different
approaches, and new approaches to the topic.
CONTENTS
1. Adaptation and Behavior in the Primate Fossil Record 1
Callum F. Ross, Charles A. Lockwood,
John G. Fleagle, and William L. Jungers
Introduction 1
Defining Adaptation 2
Identifying Adaptations 4
How Can Fossil Taxa Be Used to Study Adaptation? 32
Summary and Conclusions 34
References 35
2. Functional Morphology and In Vivo Bone Strain
Patterns in the Craniofacial Region of Primates:
Beware of Biomechnical Stories about Fossil Bones 43
William L. Hylander and Kirk R. Johnson
Introduction 43
In Vivo Bone Strain Patterns 47
Discussion 53
Conclusions 67
References 68
3. On the Interface between Ontogeny and Function 73
Matthew J. Ravosa and Christopher J. Vinyard
Introduction 73
Ontogeny as a Criterion of Subtraction 74
Biomechanical Scaling and Functional Equivalence 87
Heterochrony 97
Conclusions 104
References 105
4. Dental Ontogeny and Life-History Strategies:
The Case of the Giant Extinct Indroids of Madagascar 113
Laurie R. Godfrey, Andrew J. Petto,
and Michael R. Sutherland
Introduction 113
Development and the Reconstruction of the Behavior and
Life Histories of Extinct Primates: Approaches and Methodologies
114
Development and the Reconstruction of
Behavior in Extinct Primates: An Example 122
Conclusions 148
Appendix 150
References 153
5. A Comparative Approach to Reconstructing
the Socioecology of Extinct Primates 159
Charles L. Nunn and Carel P. van Schaik
Introduction 159
Methods 163
Results 166
Worked Examples 184
Discussion 190
Conclusions 198
Appendix 200
References 211
6. The Use of Paleocommunity and Taphonomic
Studies in Reconstructing Primate Behavior 217
Kaye E. Reed
Introduction 217
The Comparative Method and
Actualistic Studies in Paleoecology 220
Fossil Assemblages 222
Community Comparisons 234
Behavioral Ecology of Primates in
Extant and Makapansgat Communities 242
Primate Interactions and Behavior
Based on Accumulating Agents 247
Integration of Community Comparisons 249
Evolution, Taphonomy, and Community Paleoecology 254
References 255
7. Reconstructing the Diets of Fossil Primates 261
Peter Ungar
Introduction 261
Adaptive Signals for Diet in Primates 262
Nonadaptive Signals for Diet in Primates 276
Discussion 283
Summary and Conclusions 286
References 288
8. Reconstructing Social Behavior from
Dimorphism in the Fossil Record 297
J. Michael Plavcan
Introduction 297
Data 301
Behavioral Variables 302
Relations between Dimorphism
and Behavioral Estimates 306
Relations between Relative Canine
Size and Competition Classifications 317
Relations between Dimorphism and Other Variables 321
Summary and Conclusions 332
References 333
9. The Adaptations of Branisella boliviana,
the Earliest South American Monkey 339
Richard F. Kay, Blythe A. Williams,
and Federico Anaya
Introduction 339
Branisella boliviana, the Earliest-Known Platyrrhine Primate 345
Summary and Conclusions 362
Appendix 364
References 366
10. Ecomorphology and Behavior of
Giant Extinct Lemurs from Madagascar 371
William L. Jungers, Laurie R. Godfrey,
Elwyn L. Simons, Roshna E. Wunderlich,
Brian G. Richmond, and Prithijit S. Chatrath
Introduction 371
Body Size and Sexual Dimorphism 374
Activity Cycles 376
Oral Behaviors 381
Positional Behavior 390
Summary 401
References 404
11. Conclusions: Reconstructing Behavior in the Fossil Record 413
J. Michael Plavcan, Richard F. Kay,
William L. Jungers, and Carel P. van Schaik
Introduction 413
The Comparative Approach 414
Phylogeny 417
Standard Error from Comparative Analyses 418
Body Mass and Allometry 419
Incomplete Extant Models 421
Problems with Defining Behavior 422
Multiple Lines of Evidence 424
Conclusions 425
References 426
Subject Index 429
PREFACE
This volume brings together a series of papers that address the topic of reconstructing
behavior in the primate fossil record. The literature devoted to reconstructing behavior in
extinct species is overwhelming and very diverse. Sometimes, it seems as though
behavioral reconstruction is done as an afterthought in the discussion section of papers,
relegated to the status of informed speculation. But recent years have seen an explosion
in studies of adaptation, functional anatomy, comparative sociobiology, and
development. Powerful new comparative methods are now available on the internet. At
the same time, we face a rapidly growing fossil record that offers more and more
information on the morphology and paleoenvironments of extinct species. Consequently,
inferences of behavior in extinct species have become better grounded in comparative
studies of living species and are becoming increasingly rigorous.
We offer here a series of papers that review broad issues related to reconstructing various
aspects of behavior from very different types of evidence. We hope that in so doing, the
reader will gain a perspective on the various types of evidence that can be brought to bear
on reconstructing behavior, the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches, and,
perhaps, new approaches to the topic. We define behavior as broadly as we can-
including life-history traits, locomotion, diet, and social behavior, giving the authors
considerable freedom in choosing what, exactly, they wish to explore. Notably, we
deliberately exclude issues related to later human evolution and behavior, especially with
regard to archeological evidence. There are several extensive works from the
archeological literature that deal well with the unique problems and opportunities
available to students of the human fossil record.
We asked authors to address topics with a broad approach. We especially encouraged
authors to review not only the types of evidence that can be used to reconstruct behavior,
but also the limitations of the evidence. We feel that it is important to understand both
what can, and cannot, be said about the behavior of extinct species. Our intent is not to
cast behavioral reconstruction in a cynical light, but to emphasize the weaknesses of
behavioral reconstruction as a basis for further research. We hope that by understanding
both the strengths and weaknesses of behavioral reconstructions, future research will
create a much more rigorous framework for understanding the adaptations and behaviors
of extinct animals.
We present first a series of chapters that systematically address basic issues and types of
evidence that can be used to infer behavior. These include comparative analysis and
adaptation, ontogenetic evidence, paleoenvironmental and paleocommunity analysis,
experimental functional analysis, and comparative socioecology. This is followed by two
broad reviews of evidence for diet and social systems in primates-two of the most
commonly inferred behaviors for extinct species. We end with reviews of behavioral
reconstructions for extinct femurs and Branisella boliviana, each of which illustrates how
widely different types of evidence converge to paint a picture of the behavior and
adaptations of extinct species.
We hope that students and professionals find this book interesting and useful for thinking
about how to reconstruct behavior in the fossil record. We thank the authors for their
thoughtful contributions and especially their patience in producing this volume. The
difficulty of reviewing such a broad topic in an accessible fashion offers a real challenge,
which all of the authors successfully met. This volume was initially inspired by a
conference at Duke University sponsored by the Leakey Foundation, whom we thank for
their generous support. John Fleagle and Ross MacPhee helped greatly in formulating the
structure of the volume. Finally, we thank the many external reviewers of the papers, who
provided thoughtful and insightful comments on the manuscripts, and greatly improved
the quality of the volume.
J. Michael Plavcan
Richard F. Kay
William L. Jungers
Carel P. van Schaik
Old Westbury, New York
Durham, North Carolina
Stony Brook, New York
Durham, North Carolina
CONTRIBUTORS
Federico Anaya
Museo Nacional de Historia Naturale
La Paz, Bolivia
Prithijit S. Chatrath
Duke University Primate Center
Durham, North Carolina 27705
John G. Fleagle
Department of Anatomical Sciences
Health Sciences Center
State University of New York at Stony Brook
Stony Brook, New York 11794-8081
Laurie R. Godfrey
Department of Anthropology
University of Massachusetts
Amherst, Massachusetts 01003-9278
William L. Hylander
Department of Biological Anthropology and Anatomy
Duke University Medical Center
Durham, North Carolina 27710
Kirk R. Johnson
Department of Biological Anthropology and Anatomy
Duke University Medical Center
Durham, North Carolina 27710
William L. Jungers
Department of Anatomical Sciences
Health Sciences Center
State University of New York at Stony Brook
Stony Brook, New York 11794-8081
Richard F. Kay
Department of Biological Anthropology and Anatomy
Duke University Medical Center
Durham, North Carolina 27710
Charles A. Lockwood
Institute of Human Origins
Arizona State University
Tempe, Arizona 85287-4101
Charles L. Nunn
Department of Biological Anthropology and Anatomy
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina 27708-0383
Present address:
Section of Evolution and Ecology
University of California
Davis, California 95616
Andrew J. Petto
Division of Liberal Arts
University of the Arts
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19102-4994
WHERE TO ORDER
Kluwer Academic Publishers
Order Department
P.O. Box 358, Accord Station
Hingham, MA 02018-0358, USA
Tel: (781) 871-6600
Fax: (781) 871-6528
E-mail: kluwer@wkap.com
http://www.wkap.com
Price: $125.00 ISBN: 0-306-46604-X (hardbound)
Book received: 6-17-02
Posted date: 9-12-02
URL: http://www.primate.wisc.edu/pin/review/reconbehavior.html
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September 12, 2002
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