Who proposed the visual predation hypothesis in the 1970s?

The visual predation hypothesis was proposed by Matt Cartmill in the 1970s. This hypothesis suggests that primates evolved their unique visual and anatomical traits primarily due to adaptations for hunting small, fast-moving prey in a visually complex environment. According to this hypothesis, the reliance on vision for hunting, rather than smell, allowed early primates to thrive in their habitats. This adaptation is thought to have influenced features such as forward-facing eyes, which provide better depth perception, as well as color vision to detect ripe fruits and young leaves. Cartmill's work significantly shaped our understanding of primate evolution and the ecological context in which these adaptations arose.

Other figures, such as Sir Grafton Elliot Smith, Robert Sussman, and Frederic Wood Jones, may have made contributions to various aspects of anthropology or evolutionary theories, but it was Cartmill who specifically articulated the visual predation hypothesis as a critical framework for understanding primate evolution.