Near the junction between a single ancestral species branching off into two distinctive species, there will undoubtedly be large similarities between the two species. These similarities are expected to diminish over many generations as the two species become reproductively incompatible. However, If we consider the "grey area" that is the time between two strains of a species becoming reproductively distinct, we can why it is so advantageous for distinguishable facial features to arise; distinct facial features serve as a form of genetic authentication that allows identification of individuals with certain genes. These are the exact genotypic traits that must be propagated in a subset of the ancestral species for a budding new species to adapt to a new environment and/or escape the competition for resources from the original ancestral species by developing a niche. Hence, two characterizing features of primates with distinguishable facial features are genetic diversity and capacity for adaptive radiation.
Distinguishable facial features in primates can also be explained in terms of its role in driving the evolution of social complexity. As discussed in lecture, social interactions are a major driving factor behind primate intelligence. A social group that can correctly identify and
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The reliability is a consequence of being able to visualize the other member's physical identifiers besides their face as well as indicate the exact location of the other individual. Hence, it is clear to see that distinguishing facial features not only facilitate social growth and complexity; they also facilitate the evolution of the visual faculties. Since visual processing comprises one of the most brain-intensive biological functions1, distinguishable facial features should characterize primates with larger