Recent research study reveals that teen development spurts in body length and weight happen in numerous primate types, not simply people, and recommends that previous misconceptions was because of methodological mistakes. Above is a bonobo mom with a baby. Credit: Verena Behringer
Growth spurts throughout adolescence are not distinct in evolutionary terms.
Up to this point, it has actually been extensively concurred that the development spurt in body length throughout human teenage years is a distinct evolutionary function not present in other primates. However, a current research study released in the journal eLife shows that numerous primate < period class ="glossaryLink" aria-describedby ="tt" data-cmtooltip ="<div class=glossaryItemTitle>species</div><div class=glossaryItemBody>A species is a group of living organisms that share a set of common characteristics and are able to breed and produce fertile offspring. The concept of a species is important in biology as it is used to classify and organize the diversity of life. There are different ways to define a species, but the most widely accepted one is the biological species concept, which defines a species as a group of organisms that can interbreed and produce viable offspring in nature. This definition is widely used in evolutionary biology and ecology to identify and classify living organisms.</div>" data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]" > types, consisting of people, in fact experience a development spurt in body weight throughout teenage years.The research study recommends that the inconsistency might develop from methodological concerns.
Mind the scale …
In their clinical work, the scientists utilized 3 techniques:They very first described how scaling issues and inaccurate contrasts in between development rates of body length (linear) and weight (volume) can result in deceptive analyses, successfully comparing apples to oranges.
Bonobos’ body development was identified by determining lower arm lengths in a Plexiglas tube. Credit: Jeroen MG Stevens
… causes fix outcomes
Subsequently, the research study group used a scale-corrected method to a comprehensive dataset of 258 zoo-living bonobos. These information consisted of weight and length development, along with numerous physiological markers associated with development and adolescence. “We discovered noticable development spurts in body weight and body length in both sexes.
An teen female bonobo. Credit: Verena Behringer
Weight and length development curves referred each other and with patterns of testosterone and IGFBP-3 levels that look like teen hormonal agent rises in people,” states initially author Andreas Bergh änel from the Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology (KLIVV) at the University of Veterinary Medicine about the outcomes.
Re- analysis of research studies offers various insights
In a 3rd action, information released in other research studies on non-human primates were reinterpreted. The results revealed that teen development spurt in weight and length happens not just in bonobos however highly likely likewise in other monkeys.
Silhouette of a bonobo. The location marked in red on the lower arm was determined. Credit: Verena Behringer
“Our results underline the importance of taking scaling laws into account when interpreting growth curves in general,” sums up Verena Behringer, a researcher in the Endocrinology Laboratory at the German Primate Center and senior author of the publication. “Furthermore, our data show that pronounced, human-like adolescent growth spurts in body weight and body length exist not only in bonobos but probably also in many other non-human primates.”
Reference: “Adolescent length growth spurts in bonobos and other primates: Mind the scale” by Andreas Bergh änel, Jeroen M.G. Stevens, Gottfried Hohmann, Tobias Deschner and Verena Behringer, 29 June 2023, eLife
DOI: 10.7554/ eLife.866351
The research study was carried out in cooperation with scientists from Odisee University of Applied Sciences, Antwerp Zoo Centre for Research and Conservation, the Antwerp University, the Max Planck Institutes for Evolutionary Anthropology and for Animal Behaviour, and the Institute of Cognitive Science at the University of Osnabr ück. In addition, 19 zoos offered their information and contributed substantially to the success of the research study.
