bioRxiv - Zoology最新文献

{"title":"Physiological and transcriptional changes associated with obligate aestivation in the cabbage stem flea beetle (Psylliodes chrysocephala)","authors":"Gözde Güney, Doga Cedden, Johannes Körnig, Bernd Ulber, Franziska Beran, Stefan Scholten, Michael Rostás","doi":"10.1101/2024.04.08.588545","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.04.08.588545","url":null,"abstract":"Aestivation is a form of seasonal dormancy observed in various insect species, usually coinciding with the summer season. <em>Psylliodes chrysocephala</em> (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), the cabbage stem flea beetle, is a key pest of oilseed rape and obligatorily aestivates as adult in late summer. At present, our understanding of the physiological and transcriptional changes linked to aestivation in <em>P. chrysocephala</em> is still limited. In this study, physiological parameters and RNA-seq analyses were performed with laboratory-reared beetles at pre-aestivation, aestivation, and post-aestivation stages. Measurements of CO₂ production supported the notion that aestivating beetles dramatically reduce their metabolic rate and, together with assessments of reproductive maturation, allowed precise discrimination between the three adult stages. Aestivating beetles showed a reduction in carbohydrate reserves and an increase in lipid reserves compared to pre-aestivating beetles, indicating that aestivation is associated with drastic changes in energy metabolism. In agreement with these findings, we found that genes involved in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, digestion, and mitochondrial activity are differentially expressed between the three stages. Furthermore, RNA-seq analysis suggested the regulation of transcription factors associated with aestivation maintenance and the involvement of cytochrome P450s in conferring a summer-resistant phenotype during the aestivation period. In conclusion, this study represents the first exploration of the transcriptomic and physiological aspects of the aestivation response in <em>P. chrysocephala</em>.","PeriodicalId":501575,"journal":{"name":"bioRxiv - Zoology","volume":"96 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140599620","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Otolith shape variability of labrid fish from Rapa Nui (Easter Island), southeastern Pacific","authors":"Andrés Castro-García, Erwan Delrieu-Trottin, Pablo Saenz-Agudelo, Cristian Rapu-Edmunds, Guido Plaza, Federico Márquez, Mauricio F. Landaeta","doi":"10.1101/2024.04.05.588230","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.04.05.588230","url":null,"abstract":"Fish otolith shape provides valuable insights into the taxonomic, phylogenetic, and ecological traits of fish species. This study aimed to assess and compare the phenotypic variation in otolith shape among four labrid species (<em>Anampses femininus, Coris debueni, Pseudolabrus fuentesi</em> and <em>Thalassoma lutescens</em>) inhabiting Rapa Nui (Easter Island) in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, utilizing geometric morphometrics and aging methods. Age estimation based on otolith structure indicated that collected specimens were adults, ranging between 1 and 3 years old. Allometric analysis revealed low but significant variation (5.40%), primarily driven by changes in otolith width, resulting in distinct morphologies. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of sagittal otoliths elucidated significant morphospace variation among species, with the first two PCs explaining 60.3% of the total variance. PC1 distinguished between elongated sagittal shapes (e.g., <em>P. fuentesi</em>) and robust sagittae (e.g., <em>T. lutescens</em>), while PC2 correlated with otolith roundness, delineating variations within species. Canonical variate analysis further highlighted differences in otolith shape, with significant variations detected among all species. The Discriminant function analysis showed high levels of discrimination accuracy for most of species’ pairs. Except for <em>C. debueni-P. fuentesi</em> (89%) and <em>C. debueni-T. lutescens</em> (96%), all other species pairs achieved 100% discrimination, highlighting the reliability of otolith shape as a distinguishing characteristic for the studied species. Overall, our findings emphasize the value of otolith shape analysis for characterizing and distinguishing Rapa Nui labrid species. This offers potential applications such as identifying prey within the digestive systems of large fish or bird predators in the vicinity of this isolated island in the South Pacific Ocean or archaeofauna studies.","PeriodicalId":501575,"journal":{"name":"bioRxiv - Zoology","volume":"80 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140599622","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Influence of Incorporating Full-Fat Black Soldier Fly Larvae Meal (BSFLM) in Meat Type Chicken Diets on the Lower Gut Short Chain Fatty Acids profile, Gut Morphology and Intestinal Lesion Score","authors":"Jayanta Bhattacharyya, Jayanta Kumar Chatterjee, Paresh Nath Chatterjee, Aruna Pal","doi":"10.1101/2024.04.04.588065","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.04.04.588065","url":null,"abstract":"Though protein demand is increasing day by day but the animal protein industry on a global scale is facing the biggest challenge of replacing antibiotic growth promoters (AGP) to raise broiler chickens. Using AGP is a long-standing practice to include in poultry diets for improving the intestinal health and subsequent performance of the broiler chicken. Due to increased restrictions and bans on the usage of antibiotics, the poultry-producing community is in search of a suitable and sustainable alternative to AGPs. The present study was aimed at to evaluate and analyte the potential impacts and consequences associated with the inclusion of black soldier fly larvae meal (BSFLM) in a commercially available meat type chicken when compared to diets that either contained or lacked the presence of antibiotic growth promoters, specifically enramycin at a concentration of 8% and chlortetracycline at a concentration of 15%. Our study also assessed the influence of inclusion of BSFLM on cecal short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and the gut health. 180 male day-old Vencobb430Y chicks (mean BW 42.52 g) (P &gt; 0.05) were randomly allocated into isonitrogenous and isoenergetic dietary treatments in three equal groups. BSFLM group has exhibited significant higher concentration of short chain fatty acids in cecum like acetate, isobutyrate, butyrate, and total SCFAs compared to both the AGP and CONTROL groups (P&lt;0.05). The villi height of duodenum and jejunum remained significantly higher in BSFLM supplemented birds as compared to the AGP group (P&lt;0.05). From the analysis of frequency plots depicting the severity of intestinal lesions, it was observed that the presence of serosa and mucosa congestion in the anterior sections of the gastrointestinal tract was within the expected range for both the CONTROL and AGP groups, thus indicating that this particular physiological condition can be considered as normal in these experimental groups. In the duodenal part, incorporating BSFL meal showed significantly higher villi height and crypt depth compared with CONTROL and AGP (P&lt;0.05). Inclusion of full-fat BSF has improved overall intestinal health and lower lesion scores compared to the CONTROL and AGP groups. The present investigation explored the potential of incorporating full-fat black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) meal into the dietary regimens of broilers for significantly bolstering the health and functionality of their gastrointestinal tract, particularly in instances where the inclusion of antimicrobial growth promoters (AGP) is deliberately omitted from said diets.","PeriodicalId":501575,"journal":{"name":"bioRxiv - Zoology","volume":"57 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140599600","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Morphological Study of Left–right Head Asymmetry in Doubledaya bucculenta (Coleoptera: Erotylidae: Languriinae)","authors":"Hiroki Oda, Taro Nakamura, Wataru Toki, Teruyuki Niimi","doi":"10.1101/2024.04.05.587748","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.04.05.587748","url":null,"abstract":"Left-right asymmetry in paired organs is well-documented across various species, including the claws of fiddler crabs and snail-eating snakes' dentition. However, the mechanisms underlying these asymmetries remain largely elusive. This study investigates <em>Doubledaya bucculenta</em> (Coleoptera: Erotylidae), a lizard beetle species known for pronounced left-sided asymmetry in adult female mandible and gena. Given that insect mouthparts comprise multiple functionally significant appendages, we aimed to clarify the degree of asymmetry extending beyond the mandibles and genae. Phenotypic morphology was assessed through trait measurement and asymmetry index calculations. Our detailed morphometric analyses revealed left-longer asymmetry not only in mandibles and genae but also in maxillae and labium. Notably, the degree of asymmetry in other mouthparts was generally less pronounced compared to outer mandibles, suggesting a potential influence of left mandible development on other mouthparts. Additionally, male mandibles exhibited region-specific asymmetry, potentially indicative of constrained evolutionary adaptations. This study enhances a comprehensive understanding of adult phenotype morphology and offers insights into the developmental basis of asymmetrical mouthparts.","PeriodicalId":501575,"journal":{"name":"bioRxiv - Zoology","volume":"72 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140599744","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Opposites attract: Multiple evidence of sexual antagonistic coevolution driving extreme male-biased sexual size dimorphism in Panopeus meridionalis","authors":"Nahuel Emiliano Farias, Pablo Damian Ribeiro, Juan Pablo Lancia, Tomas Atilio Luppi","doi":"10.1101/2024.04.03.588019","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.04.03.588019","url":null,"abstract":"Explanations for the evolution of male-biased size dimorphism (MBSSD) traditionally focus on male competition and female choice, overlooking the alternative that larger males may be better at coercing females into mating. While displaying considerable diversity, 'true crabs' (Eubrachyura) share common traits that theoretically should promote the evolution of coercive mating strategies. Despite this, there is a conspicuous lack of studies investigating this aspect. We investigated several reproductive and life history traits of Panopeus meridionalis (a mud crab that exhibits extreme MBSSD) to assess whether the specific set of characters is consistent with the hypothesis of sexual antagonistic coevolution at place. We found that the high MBSSD is likely driven by sexual conflict, where males use their size to coerce females into mating. Experimental matings involved male aggression towards females. Females first resist male attempts, but are ultimately subdued. Mating is relatively brief and there is no evident pre or post copulatory guarding. The female reproductive tract lacks complex structures for long-term sperm storage or manipulation, and given the small size of seminal receptacles related to male sperm load capacity, it is unlikely for females to store sperm from multiple partners. All considered, the evidence suggests that females have limited control over paternity and support the existence of an intrinsically coercive mating system in P. meridionalis. We propose this species as an interesting model for studying the resolution of sexual conflict through antagonistic coevolution and selection in the highly diverse group of true crabs.","PeriodicalId":501575,"journal":{"name":"bioRxiv - Zoology","volume":"8 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140599604","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Some new Haliclona species (Demospongiae, Haplosclerida) from British Columbia Shallow Waters and a Re-Description of Haliclona mollis (Lambe, 1893)","authors":"Bruce Ott, Neil McDaniel, Rick Harbo, Hugh MacIntosh","doi":"10.1101/2024.04.03.587985","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.04.03.587985","url":null,"abstract":"Background. A numer of Haliclona species (Demospongiae, Haplosclerida) in the Austin and McDaniel collections at the Royal British Columbia Museum (RBCM) are identified only to genus or genus and species. The collections are representative of over 40 years of sampling principally by the late Dr. William C. Austin and one of us (Neil McDaniel) through SCUBA diving on the west coast of British Columbia and specimens provided by others to Dr. Austin. We have selected representative Haliclona species in the collections for detailed examination and placement in subgenera and species (where species were not identified). Haliclona is recognized to have several subgenera, thus identification of specimens to genus and species is incomplete. Our study updates this status for the species examined.\u0000Methods. Methods of collection included intertidal scrapings or removal of non-encrusting specimens usually accompanied by in-situ photos, similar methods at SCUBA diving depths (subtidal to 35 m) and from other dredging, trawling and biological sampling activities. Results. We describe eleven new Haliclona (Demospongeae Haplosclerida Chalinadae) species and a range extension for Haliclona (Flagellia) edaphus de Laubenfels, 1930 for shallow waters of Southwestern British Columbia, Canada. New species include Haliclona (Gellius) hartmani n. sp., Haliclona (Gellius) shishalhensis n. sp., Haliclona (Reniera) gesteta n. sp., Haliclona (Rhizoniera) aborescens n. sp., Haliclona (Rhizoniera) blanca n. sp., Haliclona (Rhizoniera) boothensis n. sp., Haliclona (Rhizoniera) filix n. sp., Haliclona (Rhizoniera) kunechina n.sp., Haliclona (Rhizoniera) meandrina n. sp., Haliclona (Rhizoniera) penelakuta n. sp., and Haliclona (Rhizoniera) vulcana n. sp. We also redescribe Haliclona mollis (Lambe, 1893 [1894]) and propose placing it in the subgenus Haliclona. Except for Lambe syntype slides of Haliclona mollis which are deposited at the Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, Canada, all holotypes and voucher specimens of species described are deposited at RBCM.","PeriodicalId":501575,"journal":{"name":"bioRxiv - Zoology","volume":"61 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140600031","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Taxonomic Revision and Identification Keys for the Giant Honey Bees","authors":"Nyaton Kitnya, Axel Brockmann, Gard W Otis","doi":"10.1101/2024.04.03.587895","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.04.03.587895","url":null,"abstract":"The taxonomy and phylogeny of the giant honey bees (Apis; subgenus Megapis) are still controversial and unresolved. The species boundaries within the subgenus are unclear and some species that are recognized on the basis of genetic differences lack supporting morphological characters. Two species are now well accepted: Apis dorsata F. of tropical regions of Asia and Apis laboriosa Smith that inhabits the foothills of Himalaya and neighboring mountain ranges. In addition, researchers have suggested that the two allopatric populations of giant honey bees that inhabit Sulawesi, Indonesia (A. binghami Cockerell) and the oceanic Philippine islands (A. breviligula Maa) as well as the South Indian form also deserve species status. We conducted a taxonomic study based on morphological characters of Megapis from throughout Asia. Our study confirms that Apis laboriosa is a distinct species based on numerous morphological characters. Moreover, A. dorsata of mainland Asia differs from the two island taxa based on coloration, ocellus size, and the spacing of compound eyes and ocelli. We found no evidence that breviligula of the Philippines has a distinctively short tongue, and report only one minor character (the shape of sternum 5) that differed statistically between bees from Sulawesi and the Philippines. We conclude that the bees from these islands represent a single morphological species, A. binghami, with two subspecies, A. b. binghami and A. b. breviligula. Apis dorsata from the Andaman Islands are smaller than but conspecific with those of mainland Asia. We found no morphological autapomorphies in the giant honey bees of southern India known to differ in mtDNA from A. dorsata from elsewhere in mainland Asia. We provide a taxonomic keys to workers and drones within the subgenus Megapis.","PeriodicalId":501575,"journal":{"name":"bioRxiv - Zoology","volume":"300 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140599603","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dispersal syndromes allow understanding but not predicting dispersal ability across the tree of life","authors":"Guillermo Fandos, Robert A. Robinson, Damaris Zurell","doi":"10.1101/2024.04.01.587575","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.04.01.587575","url":null,"abstract":"Dispersal is fundamental to many ecological and evolutionary processes, yet understanding the determinants and predictability of dispersal remains a crucial challenge. Dispersal syndromes, which describe patterns in the covariation of traits associated with dispersal, can help to gain a deeper understanding of the evolutionary dynamics of dispersal and its implications for range dynamics and ecosystem functioning in the face of global change. However, the extent to which such dispersal syndromes are generalizable across a large taxonomic scale has been hampered by low availability of standardized dispersal data across species. In this study, we used the most comprehensive and up-to-date empirical dispersal dataset for European birds to investigate the formation of dispersal syndromes and their effectiveness in predicting dispersal across species. We found body mass, feeding guild, and life-history traits shape dispersal syndromes in birds. Yet, only body mass and life history accurately predicted dispersal for unassessed species, while even multi-trait dispersal syndromes poorly predicted dispersal for phylogenetically distant species. These results shed light on the complex nature of bird dispersal and emphasize the need for refined approaches in elucidating the mechanisms and constraints underlying dispersal evolution. Our study highlights the importance of considering multiple factors and expanding empirical datasets to enhance our understanding of dispersal in avian populations.","PeriodicalId":501575,"journal":{"name":"bioRxiv - Zoology","volume":"53 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140599625","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Anatomy of the mandibular corpus of extant cercopithecids : taxonomy and variation","authors":"Laurent Pallas, Masato Nakatsukasa, Yutaka Kunimatsu","doi":"10.1101/2024.03.31.587458","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.03.31.587458","url":null,"abstract":"This study aims to discriminate cercopithecid taxa of higher taxonomic levels (subfamily, tribe, subtribe, and genus) on the basis of corpus shape in transverse cross-section at the M₁-M₂ junction and to assess its variation using 2D geometric morphometrics. Specifically, we evaluated the effect of allometry and sexual dimorphism on differences in corpus shape at interspecific and intraspecific levels, respectively. We also investigated whether corpus variation among cercopithecids was following Brownian motion using Pagel’s λ. Taxonomic discrimination and sexual dimorphism were established using Analysis of Variance on Principal Component scores. Allometry was studied using phylogenetic least-squares regressions and partial least-squares regressions. We demonstrated that, using corpus shape, extant cercopithecids can be significantly discriminated at the subfamilial, tribal, and subtribal levels. In addition, the main axis of variation of the Principal Component Analysis follows a distribution expected under Brownian motion, validating the presence of a phylogenetic signal in corpus shape. Colobines exhibit a robust corpus (superoinferiorly short and transversely broad) with large lateral prominences while cercopithecines have a gracile corpus (superoinferiorly long and transversely thin in its distal portion) with marked corpus fossae in African papionins. Exception to the typical subfamilial or tribal shape pattern exist, with the best examples being <em>Trachypithecus</em>, <em>Presbytis</em> and <em>Pygathrix</em> within colobines, <em>Allenopithecus</em> within Cercopithecini, and <em>Macaca</em>, <em>Theropithecus</em> and <em>Cercocebus</em> within Papionini. Sexual dimorphism is a confounding factor in shape discrimination, as there are significant differences between sexes, notably in <em>Papio anubis</em>, <em>Nasalis larvatus</em> and <em>Procolobus verus</em> . Intriguingly, sexual dimorphism in corpus shape does not seem to follow the dimorphism deduced in canine and molar crown dimensions. This discrepancy is illustrated by the low degree of dimorphism in corpus shape in <em>Piliocolobus badius</em>, despite dimorphic canine and molar dimensions. Overall, our findings concerning corpus shape variation in cercopithecids will greatly benefit to paleontological studies that seek to identify taxa in the fossil record, and to neontological studies aiming to explore the ecomorphological value of the cercopithecid mandible.","PeriodicalId":501575,"journal":{"name":"bioRxiv - Zoology","volume":"53 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140599743","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Anatomy of the mandibular symphysis of extant cercopithecids: taxonomy and variation","authors":"Laurent Pallas, Masato Nakatsukasa, Yutaka Kunimatsu","doi":"10.1101/2024.03.31.587451","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.03.31.587451","url":null,"abstract":"The symphyseal anatomy of extant and fossil cercopithecids has not yet been demonstrated as a useful tool for taxonomic discrimination, and the source of variation in cercopithecid symphysis has not been addressed on a broad taxonomic scale. Here, we used linear and angular dimensions to quantify symphysis shape. Using univariate, multivariate data and allometric regressions (partial least squares and phylogenetic generalized least square regressions), we addressed the hypothesis that extant cercopithecids can be distinguished by symphysis shape. Significant differences in univariate and multivariate data and allometric regressions permitted to distinguish cercopithecids at the subfamilial, tribal, and genus levels. We showed that multivariate data followed the distribution expected under Brownian Motion and significantly discriminates taxa at different taxonomic levels. Colobine symphysis are characterized by developed inferior transverse tori, short planum alveolare, and short symphysis, whereas cercopithecine symphysis are characterized by developed superior transverse tori, long planum alveolare, and long symphysis. Exceptions to this pattern exist within each subfamily, and this study underlines the particular anatomy of <em>Colobus</em> and <em>Presbytis</em> among the colobines, <em>Allenopithecus</em> among the Cercopithecini, and <em>Theropithecus</em> and <em>Lophocebus</em> among the Papionini. We also demonstrate that the relative development of the transverse tori, the relative length of the planum alveolare and symphyseal inclination are dimorphic traits. Specifically, we show that the symphysis of <em>Procolobus verus</em>, <em>Nasalis larvatus</em>, and <em>Papio anubis</em> is strongly dimorphic.","PeriodicalId":501575,"journal":{"name":"bioRxiv - Zoology","volume":"11 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140599605","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}