The correlated evolution of antipredator defences and brain size in mammals.

ABSTRACT: Mammals that possess elaborate antipredator defences such as body armour, spines and quills are usually well protected, intermediate in size, primarily insectivorous and live in simple open environments. The benefits of such defences seem clear and may relax selection on maintaining cognitive abilities that aid in vigilance and predator recognition, and their bearers may accrue extensive production and maintenance costs. Here, in this comparative phylogenetic analysis of measurements of encephalization quotient and morphological defence scores of 647 mammal species representing nearly every order, we found that as lineages evolve stronger defences, they suffer a correlated reduction in encephalization. The only exceptions were those that live in trees-a complex three-dimensional world prob

SUBMITTER: Stankowich T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5247489 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature