Table 2.
PGLS models selected by BIC comparison that best predict the evolution of encephalization for (A) the order Carnivora, (B) the suborders Caniformia and Feliformia, and for (C) the Canidae, Felidae and Mustelidae families.
| A- “Group size” & “Social complexity” analyses (same results) | |||
| Carnivora (N = 124) | |||
| Predictor | SE | t | p |
| Intercept | 0.19 | 3.31 | 0.001** |
| Geographic range | 0.01 | −3.95 | <0.001*** |
| Home range | 0.01 | 2.52 | 0.013* |
| Model summary: λ = 0.73, R² = 0.118, p < 0.001*** | |||
| B- “Group size” & “Social complexity” analyses (same results) | |||
| Caniformia suborder (N = 71) | |||
| Predictor | SE | t | p |
| Intercept | 0.23 | 2.15 | 0.035* |
| Geographic range | 0.01 | −2.81 | 0.006** |
| Home range | 0.01 | 3.43 | 0.001** |
| Hibernation (no) | 0.07 | 3.64 | <0.001*** |
| Model summary: λ = 0, R² = 0.28, p < 0.001*** | |||
| B-“Group size” & “Social complexity” analyses (same results) | |||
| Feliformia suborder (N = 53) | |||
| Predictor | SE | t | p |
| Intercept | 1 | 2.16 | 0.035* |
| Temperature | 0.003 | −2.30 | 0.026* |
| Model summary: λ = 0.85, R² = 0.07, p = 0.03* | |||
| C-“Group size” & “Social complexity” analyses (same results) | |||
| Canidae family (N = 23) | |||
| Predictor | SE | t | p |
| Intercept | 0.25 | 3.78 | 0.001** |
| Geographic range | 0.02 | −3.21 | 0.004** |
| Home range | 0.02 | 2.49 | 0.021* |
| Model summary: λ = 0, R² = 0.32, p = 0.008** | |||
| C-“Group size” & “Social complexity” analyses (same results) | |||
| Felidae family (N = 24) | |||
| Predictor | SE | t | p |
| Intercept | 0.52 | 2.83 | 0.0097** |
| Geographic range | 0.03 | −2.69 | 0.013* |
| Model summary: λ = 0.94, R² = 0.21, p = 0.01** | |||
| C-“Group size” analysis | |||
| Mustelidae family (N = 27) | |||
| Predictor | SE | t | p |
| Intercept | 0.78 | −2.55 | 0.018* |
| Litter size | 0.01 | −4.13 | <0.001*** |
| Temperature | 0.003 | 3.13 | 0.005** |
| Group size | 0.007 | −1.75 | 0.0936536. |
| Model summary: λ = 1, R² = 0.49, p < 0.001*** | |||
| C-“Social complexity” analysis | |||
| Mustelidae family (N = 27) | |||
| Predictor | SE | t | p |
| Intercept | 0.79 | −2.97 | 0.007** |
| Litter size | 0.02 | −3.72 | 0.001** |
| Temperature | 0.003 | 3.48 | 0.002** |
| Model summary: λ = 1, R² = 0.45, p < 0.001*** | |||
For each taxonomic group, we conducted two separated analyses with either the “Social complexity” or the “Group size” as social predictors. Asterisks indicate the level of significance of p-values (*<0.05; **<0.01 and ***<0.001 respectively).