Geographic Variation in Primates

Abstract

Knowledge of geographic variation is fundamental to recognizing the kinds and numbers of both living and extinct primate species. This review focuses on geographic variation in the craniodental anatomy of living primates. We limit our attention to multivariate studies that used craniometric and/or odonto-metric data to investigate differences among demes, subspecies, and closely related species. Our intent is to document the nature of geographic variation in the skulls and teeth of living primates and, then, to discuss the problems and prospects of dealing with such variation among fossils. We begin with some general background observations about geographic variation and speciation in primates.