The Natural History of Primates

The Natural History of Primates: A Systematic Survey of Ecology and Behavior is not only the first new primatology text available in a decade, but also it is the first reference book covering all primate taxa. Twenty-four chapters combine the latest in-depth findings on ecology, behavior, and conservation from primatologists who have studied primates in the wild.

The interest in primates, from lemurs to gorillas, has never been greater. Primatologists are constantly finding evidence in the behavior and ecology of our closest genetic relatives that sheds light on human origins. So, just who are these 520+ species of complex and intelligent mammals inhabiting the Neotropics, Africa, Madagascar, and Asia? The Natural History of Primates provides the most current information on wild primates from experts who have studied them in their natural environments.

This volume provides up-to-date facts and figures on how groups of social primates interact with each other and the plants and other animal species in their ecosystems: what they eat, which predators might eat them, how males and females seek mates, which sex is dominant, how infants are raised, and a myriad other fascinating details about their size and coloring, their visual and vocal communication, their ability to craft and use tools, and the varieties of locomotion they employ. As human populations continue to expand into the rainforests, savannas, and woodlands where non-human primates dwell, the preservation of these species becomes ever more important. The Natural History of Primates is unique in its emphasis on the conservation status of primate species and its ample discussions on how humans and non-human primates can coexist in the 21st century.