Ontogeny, Phylogeny, and Heterochrony in Old World Monkeys

灵长类动物的生长和发育模式（个体发育）相对于其他哺乳动物似乎非常不寻常。 不幸的是，对这些模式的指导原则仍然知之甚少。 因此，本研究项目对一组密切相关的非洲和亚洲猴种（狒狒、山鸡、白眉猴和猕猴）的生长和发育进行了综合研究。 该项目旨在拓宽，完善和澄清我们对人类个体发育的观点。 这项研究将有助于揭示大脑发育和进化之间的联系，这些联系似乎在人类进化过程中发挥了关键作用。 此外，人类和非人类灵长类动物个体发育之间的详细比较将完成。 因此，有可能确定人类是否是唯一表现出青春期骨骼生长突增的人，解决人类进化理论中长期存在的争论。 为了实现这些目标，本研究对化石材料、活体圈养标本和野生标本的个体发育进行了比较分析。 这项研究的很大一部分集中在头骨和骨骼系统的生长和发育上。 此外，该项目利用圈养狒狒和白眉猴群体的数据对生长激素进行创新性分析。 激素分析能够评估生长控制的进化变化。 还将探索其他几个研究领域。 例如，该研究评估发育数据与分类问题的相关性，并对生长和发育进行定量遗传分析。 最后，这项研究具有直接的生物医学应用，因为狒狒和白眉猴是人类疾病的重要动物模型。

Patterns of primate growth and development (ontogeny) appear to be highly unusual relative to other mammals. Unfortunately, the principles that govern these patterns remain poorly understood. Therefore, this research project conducts an integrated study of growth and development in a group of closely-related African and Asian monkey species (baboons, mandrills, mangabeys, and macaques). The project is designed to broaden, refine, and clarify our perspective on human ontogeny. This research will help reveal connections between brain development and evolution that appear to have played a pivotal role over the course of human evolution. In addition, detailed comparisons between human and nonhuman primate ontogeny will be accomplished. Consequently, it will be possible to establish whether or not humans are unique in exhibiting an adolescent skeletal growth spurt, resolving a long standing debate in theories of human evolution. In order to attain these goals, the research conducts comparative analyses of ontogeny in fossil materials, living captive specimens, and wild-shot specimens. A substantial portion of the study focuses on growth and development of the skull and skeletal system. In addition, the project undertakes innovative analyses of growth hormones using data from captive colonies of baboons and mangabeys. Hormonal analyses enable assessments of evolutionary changes in growth control. Several other areas of research also will be explored. For example, the study evaluates the relevance of developmental data to taxonomic questions, and conducts quantitative genetic analyses of growth and development. Finally, the study has direct biomedical applications because baboons and mangabeys are important animal models of human diseases.