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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
The Role of Sexual Selection in the Evolution of Facial
Displays in Male Non-human Primates and Men
Rachel M. Petersen
1,2
&James P. Higham
1,2
Received: 22 January 2020 /Revised: 1 May 2020 / Accepted: 18 May 2020
#Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
Abstract
Objective Sexual selection theory provides a framework through which some facial dis-
plays of male non-human primates can be investigated and understood. Here, we explore
how both intra- and inter-sexual selection may influence facial morphology, physiology, and
the behavior of male primates inhabiting diverse social and ecological environments.
Methods First, we will review how elements of the ecological environment, such as the
spatio-temporal distribution of food, interacting with the diet of different species,
shapes the social and mating systems of primates. In turn, these dynamics then
influence how facial expressions, colors, and shapes are utilized in both the competition
for and attraction of mates. We will focus on sexually dimorphic facial features that
exhibit variation in their expression among males and that can be linked to differences
in proxies of reproductive success.
Results Facial displays can generally be divided into four types, each commonly
associated with certain mating systems, social systems, and sexually selective pressures.
Facial expressions, skin color, pelage, and variation in facial shape, can be involved in
either mediating intra-sexual competition, mate choice, or a combination of both.
Conclusions Certain aspects of male non-human primate facial displays are likely to be
shaped by processes of both intra- and inter-sexual selection. Accordingly, homologies
and analogies between human and non-human primate facial displays can inform us of the
processes of sexual selection that may have been operating throughout human evolution.
Keywords Sexual selection .Male-male competition .Female mate choice .Facial
expressions .Badges of status .Facial masculinity .Facial symmetry
Adaptive Human Behavior and Physiology
https://doi.org/10.1007/s40750-020-00139-z
*Rachel M. Petersen
rachel.petersen@nyu.edu
1
Department of Anthropology, New York University, 25 Waverly Place, New York,
NY 10003, USA
2
New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, USA
Published online: 31 March 2020
(2020) 6:249–276
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