Behavioral Heterochrony
Development
Evolutionary Bases of Development
Abstract
Behavioral heterochrony is the study of the timing and speed of development of behavior from an evolutionary perspective. Key to studies of behavioral heterochrony is the comparison of development across different species. Such studies can illuminate whether a trait thought to be unique to a given species might in fact have its precursors in the early development of a closely related species. They can inform our understanding of how behavioral development is constrained by elements of somatic or reproductive maturation. Studies of behavioral heterochrony can also elucidate mechanisms by which behavior evolves, by targeting evolutionary shifts in developmental pathways. Finally, such studies can enrich our knowledge of human evolution, in contextualizing the vast shifts in human life history patterns relative to other primates in terms of corresponding changes in behavioral and cognitive development. On the whole then, research in behavioral heterochrony can advance our understanding of behavior through forging interdisciplinary links between anthropology, biology, and psychology.
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