Doctoral Dissertation Research: Investigating the relationship between diet and evolvability in the dentition of non-human primates

Dental morphology has provided valuable information about primate evolution, and the degree of similarity in dental morphology is considered to be a signal of evolutionary relatedness. However, dental variability and evolvability (ability to respond to selective pressures) are poorly understood, and it is unknown whether certain dental traits vary together or not.

Additionally, it has yet to be established whether a relationship between diet and dental evolvability exists. This study investigates the relationship between diet and dental morphology evolvability in non-human primates. The study generates new insights into: (1) the role of diet in primate evolution and, (2) how diet influences the adaptive potential of living primates to respond to current and future selective forces.

This project promotes innovative low-cost methods to create a large dataset of freely accessible high-quality 3D digital specimens, provides paid scientific research and training opportunities to undergraduate students, and introduces K-12 students to STEM research through public outreach activities.

This study aims to: (1) assess the relationship between evolvability and diet (e.g., leaf-eating versus fruit-eating), and (2) determine whether patterns of evolvability are more similar across species who are closely related or those who have similar diets. The study investigates these relationships by comparing thirty-seven non-human primate species with diverse diets.

Dietary data derives from established knowledge, databases, and previous population-based field ecology studies. Morphological data is obtained from 3D models generated with multispectral photogrammetry. Results are assessed to determine the degree of integration or modularity, and the data is analyzed to calculate several measures of evolvability.

The results of these analyses reveal whether a relationship between diet and dental morphological evolvability exists on large evolutionary scales. The study reveals how the future of non-human primate species is shaped by ecological forces and evolutionary history.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.