Body Size and Skeletal Allometry in African Apes

摘要: The African apes represent a group of closely related primate taxa that differ substantially in adult body size. close phylogenetic affinity pygmy chimpanzees (Pan paniscus), common troglodytes), and gorillas (Gorilla gorilla) is affirmed by both molecular morphological data. Most biomolecular studies to date, however, have been unable resolve the chimpanzee-gorilla-human trichotomy into definitive chimpanzee-gorilla clade would humans as sister (e.g., Sarich, 1968, this volume; Zihlman et al., 1978; Bruce Ayala, 1979; Goodman, 1982). evolutionary tree for pongids based on cleavage maps mitochondrial DNA (Ferris 1981; Templeton, 1983) notable exception regard; these data first phyletic unit linked next gorillas. Humans are then joined ape before orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus). A variety shared, unique features karyotypes lend strong credence phylogeny (Mai, 1983). Morphological analyses teeth locomotor skeletons [summarized Ciochon (1983)] also corroborate Ferris al. branching sequence.