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Character displacement of Cercopithecini primate visual signals

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  • William L. Allen

    (New York University
    Present address: School of Biological, Biomedical and Environmental Sciences, University of Hull, Hull HU6 7RX, UK)

  • Martin Stevens

    (Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus)

  • James P. Higham

    (New York University)

Abstract

Animal visual signals have the potential to act as an isolating barrier to prevent interbreeding of populations through a role in species recognition. Within communities of competing species, species recognition signals are predicted to undergo character displacement, becoming more visually distinctive from each other; however, this pattern has rarely been identified. Using computational face recognition algorithms to model primate face processing, we demonstrate that the face patterns of guenons (tribe: Cercopithecini) have evolved under selection to become more visually distinctive from those of other guenon species with whom they are sympatric. The relationship between the appearances of sympatric species suggests that distinguishing conspecifics from other guenon species has been a major driver of diversification in guenon face appearance. Visual signals that have undergone character displacement may have had an important role in the tribe’s radiation, keeping populations that became geographically separated reproductively isolated on secondary contact.

Suggested Citation

  • William L. Allen & Martin Stevens & James P. Higham, 2014. "Character displacement of Cercopithecini primate visual signals," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 5(1), pages 1-10, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:5:y:2014:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms5266
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms5266
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