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Query: UNIPROT:Q3V6T2 (ape)
 2,133 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The functional role of the paranasal sinuses in man has long been in dispute and as yet no satisfactory explanation has been offered for these 'unwanted' spaces. An answer may be found by study of the comparative evolutionary development of the sinuses in man and other higher primates. Several unique physical characteristics of man not seen elsewhere in the ape family, or indeed in other terrestrial mammals, including some relating to the upper aerodigestive tract, are not satisfactorily explained by the traditionally held theory of evolutionary development of early man directly from the arboreal ape. It is argued that these developmental differences are much more logically explained by a period of aquatic adaptation at a crucial period in the evolution of pre-hominid man. A new theory is proposed which might explain the importance of the sinus air cavities as buoyancy aids for protection of the upper airway tract in such an aquatic environment. Further evidence is offered relating to a pathological condition of the external ear canal which supports this theory that man at some stage in his early development acquired an affinity for an aquatic environment. Explanation of these unique hominid characteristics in terms of an aquatic evolutionary theory may help to resolve some of the enigmatic inconsistencies between man and other higher primates, and may account for man's eventual emergence as the dominant extant species, and perhaps an explanation for the 'missing link'.
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PMID:The paranasal sinuses and other enigmas: an aquatic evolutionary theory. 156 78

Mammals use their faces in social interactions more so than any other vertebrates. Primates are an extreme among most mammals in their complex, direct, lifelong social interactions and their frequent use of facial displays is a means of proximate visual communication with conspecifics. The available repertoire of facial displays is primarily controlled by mimetic musculature, the muscles that move the face. The form of these muscles is, in turn, limited by and influenced by phylogenetic inertia but here we use examples, both morphological and physiological, to illustrate the influence that social variables may exert on the evolution and form of mimetic musculature among primates. Ecomorphology is concerned with the adaptive responses of morphology to various ecological variables such as diet, foliage density, predation pressures, and time of day activity. We present evidence that social variables also exert selective pressures on morphology, specifically using mimetic muscles among primates as an example. Social variables include group size, dominance 'style', and mating systems. We present two case studies to illustrate the potential influence of social behavior on adaptive morphology of mimetic musculature in primates: (1) gross morphology of the mimetic muscles around the external ear in closely related species of macaque (Macaca mulatta and Macaca nigra) characterized by varying dominance styles and (2) comparative physiology of the orbicularis oris muscle among select ape species. This muscle is used in both facial displays/expressions and in vocalizations/human speech. We present qualitative observations of myosin fiber-type distribution in this muscle of siamang (Symphalangus syndactylus), chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes), and human to demonstrate the potential influence of visual and auditory communication on muscle physiology. In sum, ecomorphologists should be aware of social selective pressures as well as ecological ones, and that observed morphology might reflect a compromise between the demands of the physical and the social environments.
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PMID:Social variables exert selective pressures in the evolution and form of primate mimetic musculature. 2675 Jun 37