Many authors have hypothesized an association between rates of morphological evolution and rates of species diversification, however, this association has yet to be empirically tested in the primate cranium. In this investigation, we used phylogeny-based approaches to examine the relationship between rates of species diversification, rates of cranial size and shape evolution, and observed cranial morphological disparity of extant catarrhines (Order: Primates). We used 34 3D landmarks digitized from 2038 crania representing 42 catarrhine species and a time-calibrated molecular phylogeny to determine the rates of evolution of cranial size and shape, rates of lineage diversification, and levels of morphological disparity by clade. The only significant relationship among these variables was for evolutionary rates of size and shape change. We discuss these results in the context of primate and mammalian macroevolution, and in light of the proposed hypothesis that size is a “line of least evolutionary resistance” in cranial evolution.

中文翻译：

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卡塔尼亚克兰尼亚人的眼线多样化率与大小和形状演变率的比较

许多作者都假设形态演化速率与物种多样化速率之间存在关联，但是，这种关联尚待在灵长类颅骨中进行实证检验。在这项调查中，我们使用了基于系统进化论的方法来检查物种多样化速率，颅骨大小与形状演变速率之间的关系，并观察现存卡他汀的颅骨形态差异（顺序：灵长类动物）。我们使用了从2038年的颅骨数字化的34个3D地标，代表42种卡他汀物种和经过时间校准的分子系统发育，来确定颅骨大小和形状的进化速率，谱系多样化的速率以及进化枝的形态差异水平。这些变量之间唯一重要的关系是尺寸和形状变化的进化速率。