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Brain weight and life-span in primate species.

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  • 1. Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena 91125.
      Authors
    • Allman J 1
    (1 author)

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 01 Jan 1993, 90(1):118-122
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.90.1.118 PMID: 8419913 PMCID: PMC45611

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Abstract 

In haplorhine primates (tarsiers, monkeys, apes, and humans), there is a significant correlation between brain weight and maximum life-span when the effect of body size is removed. There is also a significant correlation in haplorhine primates between brain weight and female age at first reproduction. For strepsirhine primates (lorises and lemurs), there are no significant correlations between brain weight and either life-span or female reproductive age when the effect of body size is removed. This lack of correlation in strepsirhine primates may be related to the fact that these primates are nocturnal and/or natives of the island of Madagascar, both of which conditions may reduce competition for resources and predation pressure. These findings suggest that in haplorhine primates the genetic systems controlling brain growth are linked to the systems governing the life cycle so that species with longer cycles have larger brains. When the effect of body weight is removed, leaf-eating haplorhines have significantly smaller brains and shorter lives than haplorhines with other diets. Harem-living haplorhines also have significantly smaller brains and shorter life-spans than troop-living haplorhines when the effect of body weight is removed. We also sought to test the rate-of-living hypothesis by determining whether primates with basal metabolic rates that are higher than would be expected for their body size have shorter maximum life-spans than would be expected for their body size. Metabolic rate is not correlated with life-span or female age at first reproduction when the effect of body size is removed.

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Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1993 Jan 1; 90(1): 118–122.
PMCID: PMC45611
PMID: 8419913

Brain weight and life-span in primate species.

J Allman, T McLaughlin, and A Hakeem
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Abstract

In haplorhine primates (tarsiers, monkeys, apes, and humans), there is a significant correlation between brain weight and maximum life-span when the effect of body size is removed. There is also a significant correlation in haplorhine primates between brain weight and female age at first reproduction. For strepsirhine primates (lorises and lemurs), there are no significant correlations between brain weight and either life-span or female reproductive age when the effect of body size is removed. This lack of correlation in strepsirhine primates may be related to the fact that these primates are nocturnal and/or natives of the island of Madagascar, both of which conditions may reduce competition for resources and predation pressure. These findings suggest that in haplorhine primates the genetic systems controlling brain growth are linked to the systems governing the life cycle so that species with longer cycles have larger brains. When the effect of body weight is removed, leaf-eating haplorhines have significantly smaller brains and shorter lives than haplorhines with other diets. Harem-living haplorhines also have significantly smaller brains and shorter life-spans than troop-living haplorhines when the effect of body weight is removed. We also sought to test the rate-of-living hypothesis by determining whether primates with basal metabolic rates that are higher than would be expected for their body size have shorter maximum life-spans than would be expected for their body size. Metabolic rate is not correlated with life-span or female age at first reproduction when the effect of body size is removed.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
  • Sacher GA. 1976 Robert W. Kleemeier Award Lecture: Longevity, aging, and death: an evolutionary perspective. Gerontologist. 1978 Apr;18(2):112–119. [Abstract] [Google Scholar]
  • Economos AC. Brain-life span conjecture: a reevaluation of the evidence. Gerontology. 1980;26(2):82–89. [Abstract] [Google Scholar]
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  • Economos AC. Taxonomic differences in the mammalian life span-body weight relationship and the problem of brain weight. Gerontology. 1980;26(2):90–98. [Abstract] [Google Scholar]
  • Stephan H, Frahm H, Baron G. New and revised data on volumes of brain structures in insectivores and primates. Folia Primatol (Basel) 1981;35(1):1–29. [Abstract] [Google Scholar]
  • Frahm HD, Stephan H, Stephan M. Comparison of brain structure volumes in Insectivora and Primates. I. Neocortex. J Hirnforsch. 1982;23(4):375–389. [Abstract] [Google Scholar]
  • Martin RD, Barbour AD. Aspects of line-fitting in bivariate allometric analyses. Folia Primatol (Basel) 1989;53(1-4):65–81. [Abstract] [Google Scholar]
Articles from Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America are provided here courtesy of National Academy of Sciences

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