Birds, behavior, and anatomical evolution.
Open accessAbstract
Study of more than 200 species suggests that the anatomical differences among birds are as big as those among other vertebrates of comparable taxonomic rank. The result is notable because, for more than 100 years, many biologists have believed that birds are more uniform anatomically than other classes of vertebrates. Furthermore, assessment of biochemical and geological evidence suggests that the time scale for bird evolution could be quite short. Hence, birds may share with placental mammals the distinction of having had a high rate of anatomical evolution, compared to that in lower vertebrates. The rate appears to have been very high in songbirds and higher primates and extremely high in the genus Homo. In an attempt to explain such contrasts in rates of anatomical evolution, we advance the hypothesis that in higher vertebrates, behavior, rather than environmental change, is the major driving force for evolution at the organismal level. This hypothesis predicts accelerated anatomical evolution in species composed of numerous mobile individuals with the dual capacity for behavioral innovation and social propagation of new habits. Consistent with this hypothesis, we demonstrate a correlation between relative brain size and rate of anatomical evolution in land vertebrates.
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Given the lack of a relationship between phenotypic evolution and molecular rates, it seems unlikely that the observed faster rate of molecular evolution in more rapidly diversifying lineages is a result of species adapting to new niches.
“Given the lack of a relationship between phenotypic evolution and molecular rates 19-21 , it seems unlikely that the observed faster rate of molecular evolution in more rapidly diversifying lineages is a result of species adapting to new niches.”
From The modern molecular clock (2003) · cites this paper as [21]
So far there has been little evidence to support the proposition that the overall rate of adaptation or morphological change of a species might influence the molecular clock.
“Although it is possible that the overall rate of adaptation or morphological change of a species might influence the molecular clock, so far there has been little evidence to support this proposition from either experimental studies 19 or comparative analyses 20,21 .”
From The modern molecular clock (2003) · cites this paper as [21]
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- Authors
- Wyles, J. S., Kunkel, J. G., & Wilson, A. C.
- Affiliations
- University of Massachusetts Amherst (US)
- Venue
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
- Publisher
- National Academy of Sciences
- Published
- 1983-07
- Volume
- 80
- Issue
- 14
- Pages
- 4394-4397
- ISSN
- 0027-8424 (ISSN-L)
- 1091-6490
- PMC
- PMC384044
- OpenAlex
- W1986229614
- Cited by
- 413
- References
- 13
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 22 · 2020: 20 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 13 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 10 · 2013: 11 · 2012: 5
- FWCI
- 27.32
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- europepmc.org
- Locations
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- ScholarWorks@UMassAmherst (University of Massachusetts Amherst) (submittedVersion)
- University of Massachusetts (UMass) Amherst
- Funders
- National Science Foundation
- National Institutes of Health
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Evolution and Paleontology Studies
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Physical Sciences › Mathematics › Geometry and Topology › Morphological variations and asymmetry
- Keywords
- birds, anatomical evolution, behavioral innovation, brain size, songbirds, primates, Homo, placental mammals, vertebrate evolution
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Behavior, Animal, Birds, Biological Evolution, Humans, Mutation, Selection, Genetic, Species Specificity
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