{
  "id": 6651594,
  "title": "Conserved covariance structure underlies 60 million years of morphological diversification in primates",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/10/conserved-covariance-structure-underlies-60-million-years-of",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-10T00:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "bioRxiv",
    "slug": "biorxiv",
    "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.09.748908v1?rss=1"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Evolvability, the ability of populations to react to selection, is influenced by the arrangement and quantity of variation passed down through generations. The stability or rapid evolution of the heritable covariance structure remains an open question in phenotypic evolution. Some theories propose that trait covariance may be restricted by developmental and genetic architectures, while others suggest it may be altered by consistent directional selection. This study investigates whether covariance structure and evolvability remain consistent over vast evolutionary periods using a comparative evolutionary quantitative genetics approach on primates. By measuring cranial variation using over ten thousand specimens representing 309 species, the researchers compared phenotypic covariance matrices for 57 genera within a Bayesian framework. The study's findings demonstrate that despite significant morphological variation, primates exhibit consistent patterns of variation, modular organization, and ability to respond to selection. Analysis of selection gradients across the primate lineage indicates that selection was highly structured, with preferences aligned with major axes of cranial variation. The results suggest that the stability of evolvability does not indicate evolutionary stagnation, but rather arises from the alignment between conserved developmental architecture and selection. The study provides a mechanistic framework for understanding how developmental systems influence the courses of major evolutionary radiations.",
  "summary": "Evolvability, the capacity of populations to respond to selection, is shaped by the structure and amount of variation transmitted from generation to generation. Whether the heritable covariance structure itself remains stable or evolves rapidly is a central, yet unresolved, question in phenotypic evolution. Competing hypotheses suggest that trait covariation may be constrained by developmental…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}