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From the temptation of Eve to the venomous murder of the mighty Thor, the serpent appears throughout time and cultures as a figure of mischief and misery. The worldwide prominence of snakes in religion, myth, and folklore underscores our deep connection to the serpent—but why, when so few of us have firsthand experience? The surprising answer, this book suggests, lies in the singular impact of snakes on primate evolution. Predation pressure from snakes, Lynne Isbell tells us, is ultimately responsible for the superior vision and large brains of primates—and for a critical aspect of human evolution. Drawing on extensive research, Isbell further speculates how snakes could have influenced ...
This game-changing book questions long-accepted rules of primate socioecology and redefines the field from the ground up. In Primate Socioecology, renowned researcher Lynne A. Isbell offers a fresh perspective on primate social organizations that redefines the field from the ground up. Through her innovative Variable Home Range Sharing model, Isbell unravels the mystery of why some primates live alone while others live in pairs or groups—a question that has perplexed scientists for decades. This new approach diverges from the traditional focus on predation pressure as the main determinant of primate social organization to reveal deeper ecological causes of primate behavior. The implication...
Living across Africa and the Caribbean, this widely dispersed primate population must adapt to different environmental challenges. How do members of the genus Chlorocebus live in desert-like conditions and in areas with freezing temperatures and snow in winter? This book examines the ways these primates adapt genetically, hormonally, physically and behaviourally to their changing landscapes. It features summary chapters for major topics such as behavioural ecology, life history, taxonomy, genetics and ethnoprimatology. Shorter essays supplement the work, with experts detailing their particular research on these primates. The combination of scholarship provides both a comprehensive view of this adaptable genus while enabling the reader to gain depth in specific topics. Developed from a symposium, this book combines decades of experience working with savanna monkeys into a tangible resource, for students and researchers in primatology as well as evolutionary and behavioural studies.
Barash and Lipton discuss the theories scientists have advanced to explain evolutionary enigmas--from how women get their curves to why women menstruate--and present hypotheses of their own.
This monograph presents a detailed report on the social behaviour and ecology of a previously little known species, the capped langur (presbytis pileata). The author observed capped langurs at Madhupur National Park in Bangladesh, where they live in small one-male groups. This account of his 15-month field study focuses on the relationships among one-male groups and the influence of ecology and seasonal variation in diet upon social behaviour. patterns and aspects of intra-group and intergroup behaviour, whch are then used to test predictions of traditional ecological models of primate social systems. Features of the capped langur's behaviour and ecology that differ from previously studied colobine monkeys are also described in detail.
This volume presents information and insight into research on a wide range of topics related to guenon biology. Topics include evolution, taxonomy, biogeography, reproductive physiology, social and positional behaviour, ecology, and conservation.
This volume contains forty-seven original essays by seventy leading researchers, offering an overview of all major areas of primatology. Arranged in six sections, the text begins with an introduction to primatology and a review of the natural history of the major taxonomic groups within the order Primates. It goes on to cover methodologies and research design for both field and captive settings; primate reproduction; primate ecology and conservation and their roles in the daily lives of primates; and such aspects of social behavior and intelligence as communication, learning, and cognition. The volume ends with a concluding chapter by the editors that discuss the future of primatological research.
Annotation This book presents a series of review chapters on the various aspects of primate kinship and behavior. The relatively new molecular data allow one to assess directly degrees of genetic relatedness and kinship relations between individuals. A considerable body of data on intergroup variation, based on experimental studies in both free-ranging and captive groups has accumulated. This allows a full and satisfying reconsideration of this broad area of research.
The ominous rattle of the timber rattlesnake is a chilling shorthand for imminent danger, and a reminder of the countless ways that nature can suddenly snuff us out. Though they're found in thirty-one states, and near many major cities, in contemporary America timber rattlesnakes are creatures mostly of imagination and innate fear. Levin takes us from labs where the secrets of the snake's evolutionary history are being unlocked to far-flung habitats to explore the painful struggles involved in protecting and preserving its natural world.