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Larger mammals have longer faces because of size-related constraints on skull form

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  • Andrea Cardini

    (Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia
    Centre for Anatomical and Human Sciences, University of Hull
    Center for Anatomical and Human Sciences, University of York
    Centre for Forensic Science, The University of Western Australia)

  • P. David Polly

    (Indiana University)

Abstract

Facial length is one of the best known examples of heterochrony. Changes in the timing of facial growth have been invoked as a mechanism for the origin of our short human face from our long-faced extinct relatives. Such heterochronic changes arguably permit great evolutionary flexibility, allowing the mammalian face to be remodelled simply by modifying postnatal growth. Here we present new data that show that this mechanism is significantly constrained by adult size. Small mammals are more brachycephalic (short faced) than large ones, despite the putative independence between adult size and facial length. This pattern holds across four phenotypic lineages: antelopes, fruit bats, tree squirrels and mongooses. Despite the apparent flexibility of facial heterochrony, growth of the face is linked to absolute size and introduces what seems to be a loose but clade-wide mammalian constraint on head shape.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrea Cardini & P. David Polly, 2013. "Larger mammals have longer faces because of size-related constraints on skull form," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 4(1), pages 1-7, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:4:y:2013:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms3458
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms3458
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    Cited by:

    1. J Y Wong & K Y Karen Chan & Benny K K Chan, 2018. "Phylogenetic, ecological and biomechanical constraints on larval form: A comparative morphological analysis of barnacle nauplii," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(11), pages 1-16, November.
    2. Laura A. B. Wilson & Susanne R. K. Zajitschek & Malgorzata Lagisz & Jeremy Mason & Hamed Haselimashhadi & Shinichi Nakagawa, 2022. "Sex differences in allometry for phenotypic traits in mice indicate that females are not scaled males," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-12, December.

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