The effect of body size evolution and ecology on encephalization in cave bears and extant relatives.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The evolution of larger brain volumes relative to body size in Mammalia is the subject of an extensive amount of research. Early on palaeontologists were interested in the brain of cave bears, Ursus spelaeus, and described its morphology and size. However, until now, it was not possible to compare the absolute or relative brain size in a phylogenetic context due to the lack of an established phylogeny, comparative material, and phylogenetic comparative methods. In recent years, many tools for comparing traits within phylogenies were developed and the phylogenetic position of cave bears was resolved based on nuclear as well as mtDNA.

Results

Cave bears exhibit significantly lower encephalization compared to their contemporary relatives and intraspecific brain mass

SUBMITTER: Veitschegger K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5460516 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature