Achievement

Bernstein and colleagues from New York University and Washington University, St. Louis, generated evidence of the physiological bases of growth differences between two baboon taxa and their hybrids, and those among captive and wild baboons. They utilized immunoassay techniques to measure six growth- and maturation-related hormones from over 900 serum samples, and in combination with detailed growth measurements, have demonstrated that these hormones provide a powerful proximate mechanism by which growth, and body size, is modified in closely-related primate groups. This offers insight into the processes by which these factors may have been modified during human evolution. Results will be reported at the 80th annual conference of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists, and manuscripts detailing these results are in preparation for submission to high-impact journals.