A Macaque Model for the Effects of Hybridization on Body Size

Objectives

Genomics research has uncovered recurrent hybridization between hominin species, yet its morphological impact remains understudied. Non-human primate research has suggested a morphological signature of hybrid ancestry, which could be used to identify hybrids in the hominin fossil record. This pattern may include extreme size, heightened variation, and markers of developmental instability, but factors affecting these characteristics are poorly understood. Studies of non-mammalian taxa suggest that extreme morphology is more likely in early-generation hybrids and with a greater parental distance. To understand hybridization in hominins, therefore, we must use appropriate proxy taxa.

Materials and Methods

Here, we use Chinese × Indian Macaca mulatta hybrids with a comparable divergence time in generations to Homo sapiens/Neanderthals and wide variation in admixture. Measuring limb lengths, body length, and weight, we investigate the relationship between admixture and size/variation.

Results

Compared to previous work with more phylogenetically distant primate taxa and a focus on early generation hybrids, we found no evidence of a relationship between admixture and extreme large size, nor with increased size variation. Hybrids in our sample are relatively small but within the range of variation of the smaller parental taxon.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that hybridization between closely related taxa, such as Neanderthals and H. sapiens, may lead to more subtle morphological patterns than previously anticipated. It will be necessary, however, to better understand the factors governing primate hybrid morphology before we can produce robust inferences on how hybridization has affected hominin evolution.