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This volume covers aspects of ecology, behavior, genetics, taxonomy, 'cultural' patterns, hunting by non-human primates, physiology, dietary chemistry, and ecotourism, in several major clades of primates from galagos and pottos, through cercopithecoids, to hominoids.

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Explore the New Frontiers of Nature

Neo-Giants, hairy, upright creatures-the classic Sasquatch-spotted and filmed by two men in Six Rivers National Forest, California...

True Giants, like the "nyalmo" of the Himalayas, the cannibals of folklore, often fifteen feet tall, leave startling two foot long, four-toed tracks in the mud and snow...

Merbeings, known as "chupacabras," spiny-backed primates frequently blamed for the mutilation of sheep, goats, and other animals, sighted last year in Puerto Rico, the United States and Brazil...

Thousands of reports of a wide variety of mysterious primates have intrigued humans since the beginning of recorded history, yet these shy and reclusive beings have eluded the most diligent attempts to verify their existence. Here is the first-ever comprehensive study on an astonishing variety of puzzling apelike and humanlike animals that are still being seen today. This fully referenced volume includes range maps and typical footprints for each type of undiscovered creature sighted around the world, as well as:Actual eyewitness accounts of sightingsDetailed IllustrationsNewest findings in an exciting branch of cryptozoologyLikeliest locales and most common subtypes for sightingAdvice on what to do if a sighting occursAnd much more! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (36)

A good overview
This book's strength is its geographical listings of bizarre creatures that haunt the dark places in our world. From Bigfoot and Yeti to "merbeings," this book covers it all. You'll discover that, even in America, Bigfoot has pseudonyms - such as Skunk Ape and MoMo. The entries, which describe the creatures' suspected habitats, include sightings.

A good read!
Overall I enjoyed this book. The material was presented seriously but with small touches of humor that lightened what could have been an otherwise dry read. After a lifelong interest, I have begun to research the subject seriously to prepare for my first "hunt". This is the first of several books I have ordered to add to my library, and I would recommend it to anyone who is as interested in the subject as I am.
That being said I did have a few problems......
First is the books length. I read it cover to cover in one evening, and I was hoping for something a little more in depth. The illustrations were nice but I don't think that they really added that much, and I would have liked a little more actual information.
Second is the aquatic or "merbeing" treatment in the book. I understand that the authors included these reports in an attempt to cover the subject a thoroughly as possible, but mermaids....I thought that was a bit silly. I realize that most people would consider the subject of Bigfoot itself to be pushing the limits of believability and that some suspension of disbelief is necessary to even consider the possibility seriously. I just felt that by including aquatic primates in the subject matter only damaged the credibility of an already incredible topic.
All that aside I enjoyed the book, and I feel that it would make a fine addition to any collection of the strange and unusual.

Good guide, great drawings, awesome theories
This is an awesome field guide, which has lots of information on the history, the up-to-date cases, and the various types that indicate these are more than hoaxes. The references and material up front and after the case descriptions give a good overview that I guess some reviewers completely missed.

What a great read...

Bigfoot, Bigmistake
Although attempting to be a pack-along "Field Guide" for any encounter with an unknown creature, you suddenly realize that most of the contents of this "Field Guide" is reaching for information that just is not available. If though, you are on a camping trip and wish to wow your younger audience, this could be your guide. It is even illustrated with black and white line drawings with what is described in the descriptions. To be blunt, more a field guide for someone in the past few centuries than any actual case evidence. I had been looking for more theory and evidence than just meer far reaching speculations. I hope to find another book on this subject that will deal with hard factual evidence to scrutinize, rather than just more old conjecture.

great book
if you're fascinated by the field of cryptozoology,or if the field is new to you,or maybe you're into archaeology,or maybe just into folklore from around the world,this is one of the books for you.you might have had a sighting yourself and just can't seem to articulate exactly what it looked like;there's a chance it might be illustrated here. ... Read more

Product Description
The Primate Fossil Record is a profusely illustrated, up-to-date, and comprehensive treatment of primate paleontology that captures the complete history of the discovery and interpretation of primate fossils. Each chapter emphasizes three key components of the record of primate evolution: history of discovery, taxonomy of the fossils, and evolution of the adaptive radiations they represent. The volume objectively summarizes the many intellectual debates surrounding the fossil record and provides a foundation of reference information on the last two decades of astounding discoveries and worldwide field research for physical anthropologists, paleontologists, and evolutionary biologists. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Primates
A definitive work on fossil primates packed with photos and data. Although it is pricey, the book is worth the money. ... Read more

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Covering nearly 300 species, this comprehensive, beautifully illustrated guide takes a close look at every branch of the primate family around the world, from tiny nocturnal mouse lemurs in Madagascar, to graceful langurs in India and majestic gorillas in Africa. It examines the evolutionary links between them and the way in which they live and interact, assesses their prospects for survival and provides intriguing details of their daily lives. Detailed charts, distribution maps and superb colour photographs feature throughout the book. Also covered are the crises in primate populations and ongoing efforts to combat threats posed by climate change, loss of habitat and human intervention. ... Read more

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Feeding Ecology in Apes and Other Primates focuses on evolutionary perspectives of the complex interactions between the environment, food sources, physiology and behaviour in primates. This highly interdisciplinary volume provides a benchmark to assess dietary alterations that affected human evolution by putting the focus on the diet of hominid primates. It also offers a new perspective on the behavioural ecology of the last common ancestor by integrating corresponding information from both human and non-human primates. The potential of innovations of applied biotechnology are also explored to set new standards for future research on feeding ecology,and new information on feeding ecology in humans, apes and other primates is synthesized to help refine or modify current models of socioecology. By taking a comparative view, this book will be interesting to primatologists, anthropologists, behavioural ecologists and evolutionary biologists who want to understand better non-human primates, and the primate that is us. ... Read more

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What parent hasn't wondered "What do I do now?" as a baby cries or a teenager glares? Making babies may come naturally, but knowing how to raise them doesn't. As primatologist-turned-psychologist Harriet J. Smith shows in this lively safari through the world of primates, parenting by primates isn't instinctive, and that's just as true for monkeys and apes as it is for humans.

In this natural history of primate parenting, Smith compares parenting by nonhuman and human primates. In a narrative rich with vivid anecdotes derived from interviews with primatologists, from her own experience breeding cottontop tamarin monkeys for over thirty years, and from her clinical psychology practice, Smith describes the thousand and one ways that primate mothers, fathers, grandparents, siblings, and even babysitters care for their offspring, from infancy through young adulthood.

Smith learned the hard way that hand-raised cottontop tamarins often mature into incompetent parents.Her observation of inadequate parenting by cottontops plus her clinical work with troubled human families sparked her interest in the process of how primates become "good-enough" parents. The story of how she trained her tamarins to become adequate parents lays the foundation for discussions about the crucial role of early experience on parenting in primates, and how certain types of experiences, such as anxiety and social isolation, can trigger neglectful or abusive parenting.

Smith reveals diverse strategies for parenting by primates, but she also identifies parenting behaviors crucial to the survival and development of primate youngsters that have stood the test of time.

Customer Reviews (4)

Learned tons
I bought this book and read it as I was considering adopting my first child.I have a degree in biology and psychology and was fascinated by the authors camparisons of parenting behaviors between human and non human primates.The author also compares human parenting pre and post industrial revolution.I found valuable information about how non-human primates either do or do not parent orphans and that information informed decisions I made about how to handle helping the baby I adopted make the transition into my home.The information about how pre-industrial human societies raised children has been helpful in making many different choices about how to raise my child.This is a well researched book and I'd recommend it to anyone considering having children.

A Pleasure to Read, Pageturner for Parents
As a mother, I am enjoying this book for the author's accounts of raising cottontops and teaching them how to parent, and I must say that although I'm just a few chapters in, I am engrossed in the subject and find primate parenting fascinating! The book is accessible, well-written, and insightful; I've learned so much about the complexity of primate behavior across species and that motherhood woes and foibles aren't just limited to humans. I haven't finished Smith's book yet, but already I find myself wondering how we humans in postindustrial cultures are managing to cope without the social network of care that other primates and preindustrial human societies have.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys non-fiction but especially to any parent who has ever wondered how other animal parents make it look so easy.

A New Parent Loved Reading this Book
As a new parent and a graduate student in psychology, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Parenting for Primates.It was fascinating to read how others (nonhuman primates, parents in preindustrial societies) care for their infants, wean them, and share (or don't share) parenting responsibilities. This book provides a different perspective than any other parenting book I've read (and I've read many).Every time my baby grabs my hair when I pick him up, I think about how if we were nonhuman primates this would help him hold on as I swung through the trees.This book is filled with interesting insights, and I found it hard to put down.

a unique and captivating book
I have read a lot of parenting books but never one as fascinating as this one--which is really part parenting, part primate behavior and part memoir.The author's stories of her attempts to get her tamarins to parent are totally can't-put-the-book-down engrossing, but the connection to her observations of parenting issues in her clinical psychology practice is even more interesting.This would be an especially good read for new parents. ... Read more

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From Nigeria's needle-clawed bush baby to the snub-nosed langur of Tibet, from loris to lemur, from the woolly monkey to the "naked ape," primates are among the world's most diverse -- and distinctive -- groups of mammals. Seventy million years of evolving primate anatomy (much of it significantly influenced by a tree-dwelling lifestyle) has resulted in such defining characteristics as stereoscopic vision, a relatively large brain, grasping hands and feet, and superior levels of dexterity and muscular coordination.

Now Ronald M. Nowak offers a comprehensive guide to this fascinating and varied order of mammals. Walker's Primates of the World includes scientific and common names, the number and distribution of species, measurements and physical traits, habitat, daily and seasonal activity, population dynamics, home range, social life, reproduction, longevity, and status of threatened species. Recently extinct genera, such as the giant lemurs of Madagascar, are covered in full. Textual summaries present accurate, well-documented descriptions of the physical characteristics and living habits of primates in every part of the world.

In a new introduction, noted primate conservationists Russell A. Mittermeier, Anthony B. Rylands, and William R. Konstant discuss the taxonomy and distribution of primates as well as their distinguishing characteristics, special adaptations and particularly striking features, such as sociality. They also report on conservation efforts past and future, and assess the factors, largely human-caused, that are threatening non-human primates with extinction.

Praise for Walker's Mammals of the World:

"Professional naturalists will find [these volumes] invaluable as a handy reference, and amateurs -- at least those citizens alive to their earthly environment -- should delight in finding so much fascinating information made so available and palatable." -- Audubon

"What an amazing lot mammals are, seen here in all of their diversity!... Walker has made available a mine of information, for the specialist as well as for the casually interested... If you want to find out about a mammal, then, here is the place to look." -- New York Times

"Every mammalogist must have [these books], and those who profess a broad interest in the fauna of the world will want them." -- Natural History

Customer Reviews (3)

An excellent resource
All of the books of this series are exceptional resources for biologists (amateur and professional), zoo workers or frequenters, students, teachers, or Discovery Channel watchers. The scope of information includes descriptions of basic biology, like diet, habitat, reproduction, and life cycle, and also has in-depth scientific information for those who would use it as a scholarly resource. I would recommend these books to anyone with an interest in the subject.

Excellent for research, not something to curl up with...
This book is an excellent resource if you're looking to do any type of research, it would also be perfect to use as a ready reference tool for identiying certain species, but it is written in a dictionary type of style so it is not an incredible easy read.

You can enjoy the primates world with this book!
Before I got this book, I didn't know about pramates at all. Because I didn't have much interest to primates. And now I'm interested in primates, and want to know more. On this book, there're many photos and stories about primates. You can enjoy primates world with this book. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

For some work, time doesn't go by. It will be a milestone!
It is not quite easy for a biologist to face Primatology, and it's rather hard (impossible in some Country!) to decide to become a "true" primatologist: too much informations, and too little possibilities to findthem! This work is one of the main friend a primatologist may ask to haveif he wish to take that way, and if he really want to begin study primatebiology. It may be the main help for the student and, at the same time, thebest reference for the researcher. Systematics change, biological conceptsevolve and informations become aged while they born, but every cultureneeds some support to build on it: for Primate Biology, this work is one ofthe best you can find! ... Read more

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Does biology condemn the human species to violence and war? Previous studies of animal behavior incline us to answer yes, but the message of this book is considerably more optimistic. Without denying our heritage of aggressive behavior, Frans de Waal describes powerful checks and balances in the makeup of our closest animal relatives, and in so doing he shows that to humans making peace is as natural as making war.

In this meticulously researched and absorbing account, we learn in detail how different types of simians cope with aggression, and how they make peace after fights. Chimpanzees, for instance, reconcile with a hug and a kiss, whereas rhesus monkeys groom the fur of former adversaries. By objectively examining the dynamics of primate social interactions, de Waal makes a convincing case that confrontation should not be viewed as a barrier to sociality but rather as an unavoidable element upon which social relationships can be built and strengthened through reconciliation.

The author examines five different species--chimpanzees, rhesus monkeys, stump-tailed monkeys, bonobos, and humans--and relates anecdotes, culled from exhaustive observations, that convey the intricacies and refinements of simian behavior. Each species utilizes its own unique peacemaking strategies. The bonobo, for example, is little known to science, and even less to the general public, but this rare ape maintains peace by means of sexual behavior divorced from reproductive functions; sex occurs in all possible combinations and positions whenever social tensions need to be resolved. "Make love, not war" could be the bonobo slogan.

De Waal's demonstration of reconciliation in both monkeys and apes strongly supports his thesis that forgiveness and peacemaking are widespread among nonhuman primates--an aspect of primate societies that should stimulate much needed work on human conflict resolution.

Customer Reviews (3)

A Great Work of our time
Very good book for those interested in primate behavior. Or, for those not yet interested in primate behavior. Or for anybody sentient.

The writing and storytelling are vibrant enough that you can read this for pure fun.

The level of insight, the author's power of questioning, the mix of rigorous observation and inference with boundary-crossing insight, are thrilling and rare.

The offer to improve our understanding of ourselves along with primates makes this a book of great power.

I read this several years ago and still find myself dwelling on the ideas. I find myself viewing the world differently and more hopefully because of it. A pity I lent my copy out one time too many. Maybe I'll buy another.

oh, almost forgot to mention the adorable photos
I've been rereading Franz De Waal's books for the first time since my old Anthro days. I remember why I enjoyed them so much. The stories are mesmerizing and the implications are worth thinking about. But I was annoyed at the endless debate that always had to go hand and hand with this type of research. That was the problem with the social sciences. A handful of tools in every crowd will find a way to turn even the most fascinating topics tedious.

Obviously it's not above criticism. Anytime you have animals observing other animal's behavior, there is inherent subjectivity. Ethology is specifically human animals observing non-humans, so even more room for subjective error. It's interesting, though, the projection that goes into play. We looked up into the skies and created a god in our own narcissistic image, a god of love whose behavior could be quite vengeful and sadistic. Then we looked around at the animal kingdom and project again. Some of us see fluffy teddy bears, some of us see savagery, and some people see a shooting gallery.

The old-school, male-dominated scientific community looked at primate communities and saw a hierarchy of males, based on brute strength and bullying, in competition over the females. A newer generation, influenced by cultural changes, was able to look at the same thing and see the subtle and intricate social machinations that go into resolving conflicts and maintaining the peace in between fights. Turns out the apes who rise to the top of the hierarchy actually maintain their success by establishing good alliances with other males, undermining the alliances of their most serious competitors, and establishing alliances with the females as well (kissing babies). They actually seem to prefer to fight as little as possible. And when battles are inevitable, they are preceded by long periods of escalating bluffing. What do you know?

Critics say that this isn't the whole story. Yeah? No kidding. I wish people didn't feel the need to point that out. Why would any one persons take on anything be the whole story. Can we all agree that nothing is whole story? Stop deconstructing all the time and start a little constructing every now and then. Even when the pendulum swings to far, it cuts a wider swath, and we have more of the story to work with.

The other debate around this type of research is whether or not any level of anthropomorphizing is legitimate. It's an important question to acknowledge but I think if we are starting with the understanding that all of this research is inherently biased, that it is qualitative in nature, that the act of observing alters the observed, blah, blah, blah, it's all old territory now. Keep it in mind, then move on. Every type of research has its own strengths and its own limitations, and what you do with the information should be tempered accordingly. That said, I think it takes just as much of a leap of faith to watch a primate community interacting and deny that there is anything going on in the heads of the animals other than reflexes. They may not have our fat frontal lobes, but they have something, and they have a hippocampus for processing memory, and they have a limbic system for coding their memories with emotional weight. I'll invoke the totem of projection one last time and wonder what can of deficiencies exist in the mind of someone who is adamant that animals can't have any self-awareness, can't worry about dangers, can't love their babies with anything higher than hypothalamic, selfish-gene love.

Anyway, philosophy aside, enjoy some cute animal stories from our troglodytic friends.

Delve into the plotting and complex society of primates.
Very good book for those interested in primate behavior in general. De Waal is an execellent writer and produces books that flow very easily while keeping you interested. ... Read more

Product Description
This volume brings together a series of papers that address the topic of reconstructing behavior in the primate fossil record. Here is offered a review of broad issues related to reconstructing various aspects of behavior -- such as diet and social systems -- from very different types of evidence. For example: comparative analysis and adaptation, ontogenetic evidence, paleoenvironmental and paleo-community analysis, experimental functional analysis, and comparative socioecology. Hopefully, the reader will gain a perspective on the various types of evidence that can be brought to bear on reconstructing behavior, the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches, and, perhaps, new approaches to the topic. Authors review not only the types of evidence that can be used to reconstruct behavior, but also the limitations of the evidence, only emphasizing the weakness of behavioral reconstruction as a basis and inspiration for further research. ... Read more

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The last 20 years of research have been marked by exceptional progress in understanding the organization and functions of the primate visual system. This understanding has been based on the wide application of traditional and newly emerging methods for identifying the functionally significant subdivisions of the system, their interconnections, the response properties of their neurons, and the population responses to stimulus events.While primates vary greatly in morphology and behavioral adaptations, all primates share certain features of the visual system. Although there are several books on vision in the market, until now no book has provided a comprehensive overview of the primate visual system. This book synthesizes the current knowledge on the anatomical and functional organization of the primate visual system and proposes new directions for research. Contributed by a multidisciplinary group of leading researchers, chapters consider a range of topics concerning various primates, including humans, and cover processing from the eye to neural codes for action, and from basic perception to memory. ... Read more

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Ever since Charles Darwin first formulated his theories on evolution, much research has been conducted in primate cognition. In this book, Michael Tomasello andJosep Call review what is already known about the cognitive skills of nonhuman primates, and assess the current state of our knowledge. They integrate empirical findings on the topic from the beginning of the century to the present, placing this work in theoretical perspective. The first part examines the way primates adapt to their physical world, mostly for the purpose of foraging. The second part lokos at primate social knowledhe and focuses on the adaptations of primates to their social world for purposes of competation and cooperation. In the third section, the authors construct a general theory of primate cognition, distinguishing the cognition in primates from that of other mammals (human in particular). Their broad-ranging theory should provide a guide for future research. Primate Cognition is an enlightening exploration of the cognitive capacities of our nearest primate relatives. It is a useful resource for a eide range of researchers and students in psychology, behavioral biology, primatology, and anthropology. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

It is a great reference
Read the other review.Other than telling the world how much I love this book, I don't have much more to add, except that this is a reference I actually use on a weekly basis.

The best reference on (non-human) primate cognition research
This is a very technical work compared to the 'popular' talking apes literature.One the other hand, it is not as detailed as "Chimpanzee Politics : Power and Sex Among Apes" by Frans De Waal.The book comprehensively covers all non-human primate cognition research as of 1996.The authors do a masterful job of keeping their own opinions from dominating the text, allowing the hundreds individual studies to stand more-or-less on their own.

The book is organized along Piaget's outline of cognitive development.It is broken into 3 major sections: (1) knowledge of the physical world, (2) knowledge of the social world and (3) a theory of cognition.I found the first section the best researched and interesting.The last sections is underdeveloped, but represents the state of research.Overall, the book is expertly crafted.

A necessary reference for any serious about primate research. ... Read more

Product Description
The propagation of wild animals in captivity is playing an increasingly important role in the conservation of species.This is particularly true of primates, many of which are threatened or endangered in their natural habitat. Unfortunately, primate mortality during the neonatal period is often high in captivity.However significant improvements in infant survival can be made with a better knowledge of neonatal biology and rearing procedures. The aim of this book is to provide a reference text on the normal growth of 18 primate species commonly held in captivity for propagation or research, and on the housing, feeding, management, and preventive medicine techniques that enable this normal growth.Up-to-date information, scattered widely through the scientific literature, is here gathered together and presented in an easily accessible form for those involved in rearing primates in captivity. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Care of young primates ?
This book is about biology, rearing and care of young primates, at least that's what the title is refering to.But if you are looking for feeding schedules for youngsters (or color pictures) than this is not a book for you.However it's a good book with lots of info in it.Every chapter in this book in divided in the following subtitles : Species, Status, subspecies and distribution, Sex ratio, Social structure, Breeding age, Longevity, Seasonality, Gestation, Pregnancy diagnosis, Birth, Litter Size, Adult weight, Neonate weight, Adult diet, Adult energy requirements, Growth, Milk and milk intake, Lactation and weaning, Feeding, Accomodation, Infant management notes, Physical development, Behavioural development, Disease and mortality, Preventative medicine, Indications for hand-reading, Reintegration and References. ... Read more

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The field of primatology has grown to become very complex and now incorporates information from molecular genetics, physiology, and brain studies. Many of the texts imparting this information are much too advanced for undergraduate students. Pia Nystrom & Pamela Ashmore present to you a comprehensive text written about nonhuman primates built from the ground up written for the undergraduate student.

The Life of Primates, 1/e helps students tackle the complex ideas and issues of primatology by first establishing the context and groundwork from which these studies were conducted.

Customer Reviews (2)

Interesting and Informative
This introduction to the primate world gives the reader an understanding of the social, environmental, and cognative behavior all primates, in gerenal, have. It is a wonderful book for beginners and for the more advanced. I found the summarys at the end of each chapter to be the best summarys I have ever read. They were concise and captured the entire chapter. Unlike many other summary sections I have read, these did not stray from the topic of the chapter and did not add information not talked about within the chapter. I was very impressed by this book. It has interested me in doing further research pertaining to primates.

Easy to read, very engaging & interesting
This is a great intro-level primatology textbook, which gives the reader a concise and readable introduction to everything primate, from taxonomy to evolution to ecology to behavior and social relationships to cognition and communication (+ more!).Even the book's most challenging chapters (Chapter 5: Primate Evolution) are interesting and easy to read.Recommended for anyone interested in primatology who doesn't have much of a background in anthropology or biology. ... Read more

Product Description
Primate Sexuality is a uniquely comprehensive synthesis of our knowledge about the sexual behavior of primates. Alan Dixson reviews and integrates both the evolutionary biology and the physiological basis of sexual behaviour across the whole spectrum of primates, from prosimians to humans. Covering almost every aspect of primate sexuality, the book begins with an analysis of the history of research into primate sexual behaviour. A number of chapters discuss the complex array of mating systems exhibited by primates, and the bewildering range of tactics which influence sexual interactions within mating systems, and, ultimately, reproductive success. Sex selection, sperm competition, and the evolution of sexual dimorphism are explored. The book also reviews our current knowledge of the physiological aspects of sexuality, such as the sexual differentiation of the brain, hormonal mechanisms, and the ovarian cycle. Dixson has been working on primates for almost 30 years, and has put together an outstanding volume, drawingon more than 2000 references. The work is illustrated throughout with hundreds of original drawings and figures. It will be welcomed by zoologists, anthropologists, and psychologists researching the sexual behaviour of primates, as well as by psychiatrists and clinicians with an interest in human sexuality. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Unique primate reference book
As far as I am aware this is the only book of its type. The sexuality of primates, including humans, is covered. From evolution to mating systems, copulatory patterns to genitalic morphology, sperm competition to hormones and behavior. There are plenty of illustrations, photographs and tables.

This is an essential reference book for primatologists, providing information from over 2000 sources and a technical depth that is clear and accessible. Highly recommended.

An excellent text
Dixson's book is a very good collection of the published works of others and makes a very handy reference for students of primate sexuality. The text was thorough and included a review of neuroendocrine systems in nonhuman primates, which is especially useful to anyone considering the molecular basis of sexual behavior.It is a technical, comprehensive text and is especially useful in outlining the gaps in our understanding.All in all, an excellent addition to the library of a primatologist.

Reviw by "Nature".
Alan Dixson has drawn together an impressive body of literature in this landmark volume.The book takes a comparative perspective, seeking a seamless review from prosimians through humans, and viewing this taxonomicdiversity from a Darwinian and phylogenetic perspective. Primate sexualityis an essential starting point in this field and a must for everyprimatologist's library.

Animal Behaviour 1999
"On more than 500 pages, with more than 2000 references, many tables, and hundreds of beautiful illustrations,Dixson provides a fascinating, comprehensive, up-to-date and unparalleled synthesis of our currentknowledge about primate sexuality ." Andreas Paul University ofGottingen, Germany.

Trends in ecology andBehaviour 1998
"It is going to be and extremely important source of information and ideas for many years.There is no other book like it for primates, and I suspect none for any other Order." Professor A.H. Harcourt, UC Davis,USA. ... Read more

Product Description
The mysterious and often unpredictable world of primates is explained by Smithsonian scientists in a Q&A format.

A comprehensive response to the many thousands of calls and letters the Smithsonian receives regarding questions related to monkeys, apes, lemurs, tamarins, and their relatives. What are primates? How closely related are humans to other primates? How strong is a gorilla? Why do primates spend so much time grooming? Why can't apes talk? These and almost 100 other questions are addressed with clear, thorough answers. 99 color photographs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Spurs human thinking about primate thinking!
Be prepared to gain a whole new perspective on our closest relatives. This excellent book introduces a thought-provoking consideration of primate intelligence, exploring tool use, language and cultures of these marvelous animals.

If you are just getting interested in primates, or even if you consider yourself an expert, Robert Shumaker will give you information that will undoubtedly add to your understanding. He certainly added to mine. ... Read more

Product Description
The complete introduction to primatology. Primate Diversity successfully synthesizes a thorough look at current primatology research while providing a careful examination of a variety of species. This well-written, accessible text offers an extensive introduction to the field, its methods, and the animals itself. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Better books are out there
I have been working for a number of years teaching primatology courses, and find this text to be dead last in the list of ones I might choose to assign to my students.If one has little respect for the undergraduate students to whom one is teaching primatology, then it might be OK, but some professors take their jobs seriously.It is a bit light on science, has nice pictures with cutsey captions, and frankly shows an atypical lack of modesty for a scientist in that the author has had herself drawn as the model human in all her cladograms.Whether this book is poor because the author does not believe college students to be capable of comprehending a worthy text (like that of John Fleagle), or because she does not understand theory-driven issues herself is not clear, but in later editions more attention needs to be paid to issues scientific relevance.

More effort needed on this one before it is passable.

wonderful book for introductory primate course
I am using this book for a university level primate survey course.Though some books are now available for upper level primate behaviour and ecology courses, few of these books are accessible to beginning students, many of whom do not yet "know" they have an interest in primatology.This book is up to date, provides pertinent information on the Order Primates in a wonderful easy to read style.This information is accompanied by equally delightful drawings.Furthermore, despite her "accessible" writing style, Falk also introduces the beginning student to many of the important controversies in the study of primate behaviour and evolution. ... Read more