What aspect of evolution is suggested to outpace anatomical evolution in capuchins?
Answer
Evolution in behavior
The evolutionary success of the white-faced capuchin is significantly characterized by the speed at which behavioral adaptations can occur relative to changes in their physical form. Because learned behaviors, such as novel foraging techniques or tool use traditions, can spread rapidly through a population via social learning, the group's ability to adapt to shifting local resources can occur much faster than changes mediated purely by genetic evolution. This means that cultural inheritance can grant immediate survival advantages, effectively allowing behavioral evolution to run ahead of slower, genetically driven anatomical evolution in specific ecological contexts.
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