Primate Behavior and Human Origins

This comprehensive introduction demonstrates the theoretical perspectives and concepts that are applied to primate behavior, and explores the relevance of non-human primates to understanding human behavior. Using a streamlined and student-friendly taxonomic framework, King provides a thorough overview of the primate order. The chapters cover common features and diversity, and touch on ecology, sociality, life history, and cognition. Text boxes are included throughout the discussion featuring additional topics and more sophisticated taxonomy. The book contains a wealth of illustrations, and further resources to support teaching and learning are available via a companion website. Written in an engaging and approachable style, this is an invaluable resource for students of primate behavior as well as human evolution.

Introduction 1. The Primates: Meet Your Relatives 2. The Study of Primate Behavior 3. Primate Ecology and Behavior: Common Features 4. The Strepsirrhine Suborder 5. The Lorisiform Infraorder: Strepsirrhines in the Dark 6. Lorisiform Variation: Leapers and Creepers 7. The Lemuriform Infraorder: Island Refuge 8. Lemuriform Variation: The Night Life 9. Lemuriform Variation in the Light of Day 10. The Tarsioid Suborder: Common Features and Variation 11. The Anthropoid Suborder: Monkeys and Apes 12. The Platyrrhine Infraorder: New World Monkeys 13. Platyrrhine Variation: Atelids and Pitheciids 14. Platyrrhine Variation: Cebids 15. Cebines: Squirrel Monkeys and Capuchins 16. The Catarrhine Infraorder: Old World Monkeys and Apes 17. The Cercopithecoid Superfamily: Old World Monkeys 18. Cercopithecoid Variation: Leaf Eaters and Cheek Pouchers 19. A Cercopithecine Tribe: the Guenons 20. A Cercopithecine Tribe: the Papionins 21. Genus Papio: the Real Baboons 22. The Hominoid Superfamily: Apes Small and Large 23. Great Apes of Asia: Orangutans 24. Great Apes of Africa: Gorillas 25. Great Apes of Africa: Common Chimpanzees 26. Bonobos: Lightweight Chimpanzees 27. Human Origins: the Last Common Ancestor 28. Early Hominin Evolution: the Australopiths 29. Our Evolutionary Heritage: The Primate in Us 30. Primate Conservation: Will Any Be Left?

Glenn E. King is Professor Emeritus in the Department of History and Anthropology at Monmouth University, USA.