Premium
Primates, brains and ecology
Author(s) -
CluttonBrock T. H.,
Harvey Paul H.
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
journal of zoology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.915
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1469-7998
pISSN - 0952-8369
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-7998.1980.tb01430.x
Subject(s) - biology , frugivore , brain size , ecology , home range , range (aeronautics) , variation (astronomy) , zoology , evolutionary biology , habitat , medicine , materials science , physics , radiology , astrophysics , magnetic resonance imaging , composite material
The paper examines systematic relationships among primates between brain size (relative to body size) and differences in ecology and social system. Marked differences in relative brain size exist between families. These are correlated with inter‐family differences in body size and home range size. Variation in comparative brain size within families is related to diet (folivores have comparatively smaller brains than frugivores), home range size and possibly also to breeding system. The adaptive significance of these relationships is discussed.