Bringing together the knowledge of world experts on different aspects of primate auditory function, this book bridges the epistemological gap between primate ethologists and auditory neurobiologists. Leading ethologists, comparative psychologists, and neuroscientists who have developed new experimental approaches apply their methods to a variety of issues dealing with primate vocal behavior and the neurobiology of the primate auditory system. The synthesis of ethological and neurobiological approaches to primate vocal behavior presented in this book will yield a rich understanding of the acoustic and neural bases of primate audition and shed light on the evolutionary precursors to speech.

Presents a comprehensive review of nonhuman primate audition and vocal communication. These are obviously intimately related topics, but are often addressed separately. The hearing abilities of primates have been tested experimentally in a large number of species across the primate order, and these studies have revealed both consistent patterns as well as interesting variation within and between taxonomic groups. Recent studies have shed light on how variation in anatomical structures along the auditory pathway relates to variation in auditory sensitivity. At the same time, ongoing studies of vocal communication in wild primate populations continue to reveal new insights into the social and environmental contexts of many primate calls, and the range of known primate vocalizations has increased dramatically with the development of more sophisticated and accessible auditory equipment and software that enables the recording and analysis of higher-fidelity and broader-band recordings, including documenting very high frequency (i.e. ultrasound) vocalizations. Historically the relative importance of primate calls has been evaluated qualitatively by the perception of the researcher, but new methods and approaches now enable a greater appreciation for how signals are used and perceived by the primates in question. The integration of anatomical and behavioral data on acoustic communication and the environmental correlates thereof has significant potential for reconstructing behavior in the fossil record. This confluence of factors and accumulating evidence for the sophistication and complexity in both the signal and its interpretation indicate that a book synthesizing this information across primates is warranted and represents an important contribution to the literature.

Primate Anatomy synthesizes the taxonomy, anatomy, physiology, and genomics of extant primates, including humans. It takes a holistic approach to describing primate skeletal, muscular, and organ structure and function. This book provides the tools to understanding the fundamentals and state of the science of primatology. Now in its fourth edition, this work introduces its audience to the history and objectives of the field of primatology. It enumerates and profiles extant primates before delving into detailed descriptions of primate skulls, brains, teeth, skeletons, musculature, organs, blood groups, reproduction, and development. The book highlights recent advances in primate genomics, including new genera and species assignments, and concludes with a glance at the future of the field. Written by longtime expert Friderun Ankel-Simons, the fourth edition of Primate Anatomy effectively introduces complex biological concepts in a manner accessible to all readers. This book serves as an excellent reference for technical and non-technical audiences, including primatologists, anatomists, paleontologists, anthropologists, conservationists, and naturalists. - Offers holistic coverage of the anatomy and physiology of extant primates - Highlights taxonomic developments since the publication of the third edition of Primate Anatomy, including new genera and species assignments - Introduces primate genomics and gender issues among primates - Provides instructive and comprehensive review tables - Includes many unique, novel, and easily understandable illustrations

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 implications of this shift are profound, underscoring the critical importance of a behavioral-ecological mechanism in which varying movement strategies affect which females share their home ranges and ultimately pointing to a new functional classification system for primate social organizations. Isbell also discusses: • a supportive test of predicted movement strategies using activity budgets • why thermal constraints explain the dichotomy between small nocturnal primates and large diurnal primates • the role of sensory differences in nocturnal solitary foragers versus diurnal group-living primates Useful as both an introduction to primate socioecology and for those seeking a robust examination of the topic, Primate Socioecology addresses scientific debates about primate social organizations and invites researchers to question long-held assumptions.

This edited volume is the first of its kind to bridge the epistemological gap between primate ethologists and primate neurobiologists. Leading experts in several fields review work ranging from primate foraging behavior to the neurophysiology of motor control, from vocal communication to the functions of the auditory cortex.

Multimodal approach to primate communication with focus on its cognitive foundations and how this relates to theories of language evolution.

This volume details the different ways that nocturnal primates avoid predators. It is a first of its kind within primatology, and is therefore the only work giving a broad overview of predation – nocturnal primate predation theory in particular – in the field Additionally, the book incorporates several chapters on the theoretical advances that researchers studying nocturnal primates need to make.