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Biogeographic Origins of Primate Higher Taxa

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Primate Biogeography

Part of the book series: Developments in Primatology: Progress and Prospects ((DIPR))

Abstract

Cladistic character reconstruction has become an increasingly popular method used to infer areas of origin in biogeographic studies. However, no study to date has assessed the role that fossils play in center-of-origin reconstructions for the order Primates. Fossils preserve more information about the ‘where’ and the ‘when’ key extinct groups were present than would be apparent in analyses that focused solely on extant taxa. This paper examines the sensitivity of cladistic character reconstruction to ingroup and outgroup tree topologies when critical fossil taxa are included in the cladistic analysis of Primates. Specifically, reconstruction sensitivity is examined at the basal primate, strepsirrhine, haplorhine and anthropoid nodes to outgroup choice. Results demonstrate that biogeographic reconstructions are extremely sensitive to outgroup choice and internal tree topology and suggest caution in interpretations of areas of origin from phylogenies that do not include fossil taxa.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy New York College of Osteopathic Medicine, New York Institute of Technology, Old Westbury, New York, 11568

    Christopher P. Heesy

  2. Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Ohio University, 228 Irvine Hall, Athens, OH, 45701

    Nancy J. Stevens

  3. Doctoral Program in Anatomical Sciences, Department of Anatomical Sciences, Health Sciences Center, T-8, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, 11794-8081

    Karen E. Samonds

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Heesy, C.P., Stevens, N.J., Samonds, K.E. (2006). Biogeographic Origins of Primate Higher Taxa. In: Primate Biogeography. Developments in Primatology: Progress and Prospects. Springer, Boston, MA . https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-31710-4_14

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