Banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO: Jéssica Mendes de Souza

Uma banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO de DOUTORADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : Jéssica Mendes de Souza
DATE: 25/05/2023
TIME: 09:00
LOCAL: Microsoft Teams
TITLE:

"Behavioral Application of Facial Action System in Capuchin Monkeys (Sapajus sp.) Captive."

KEY WORDS:

Facial expression.; Facial behaviour; Facial musculature; Communication; Primates; FACS

PAGES: 47
BIG AREA: Ciências Biológicas
AREA: Biologia Geral
SUMMARY:

Facial expressions, the primary non-verbal communication among primates, occur due to a complex mimetic musculature that presents a highly preserved behavioral and structural pattern. The Facial Action Coding System (FACS) is a standardized and objective system used in humans and non-human primates that allows the identification and detailed description of facial movements based on this musculature. These movements are described as Action Units (AUs) and correspond to how the contraction or relaxation of individual muscles changes the corresponding facial surface. The adaptation of the FACS for use in different species permits interspecific comparisons of facial muscles and their AUs, mainly in representatives of the parvorder Catarrhini. Although capuchin monkeys (Sapajus sp.) present an elaborate repertoire of facial expressions like those reported for Old World primates, little is known about their mimetic musculature. In the present study, we sought to map the facial muscles and the variety of facial movements of capuchin monkeys, using FACS, to establish a comparative and phylogenetic context between the non-human primate species investigated so far. Initially, three specimens of capuchin monkeys had the facial region dissected to allow identification of the facial muscles present in the species. In a second moment, the AUs will be identified through photographic and video recordings of the animals' facial movements in different contexts (e.g., feeding, grooming, playing, interactions with humans, etc.) to associate the repertoire of facial expressions with the respective musculature. Preliminary results indicated the presence of approximately 20 muscles verified by anatomical analysis or through reports in the literature. The origin and insertion of the muscles were not delimited in these specimens, which made comparisons with other species at the time impossible. When we overcome these limitations, the identified structures will allow us to understand the specific taxonomic characteristics of capuchin monkeys. Thus, it will be possible to raise hypotheses, based on the socio-ecological and behavioral factors of these animals, to seek to understand which adaptive aspects were crucial to the evolutionary process of facial behavior in the order of Primates.

BANKING MEMBERS:
Externo à Instituição - ALCIDES PISSINATTI - CEPERJ
Externa ao Programa - 3084975 - ANGELE DOS REIS MARTINS
Presidente - 1122557 - MARIA CLOTILDE HENRIQUES TAVARES
Externa à Instituição - TAINA DE ABREU - UFT