Researchers report that, across 12 species of living hominoids, including apes and humans, variation of cranial shape within a species reflects the amount of genetic diversity within that species and that the processes underlying the genetic diversity are likely factors such as genetic drift and mutation rather than selection or developmental constraints.
###
Article #18-02651: "Hominoid intraspecific cranial variation mirrors neutral genetic diversity," by Julia M. Zichello, Karen L. Baab, Kieran P. McNulty, Christopher J. Raxworthy, and Michael E. Steiper.
MEDIA CONTACT : Julia M. Zichello, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY; tel: 212-769-5138; e-mail: jzichello@amnh.org
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences