Primates in Question,9781588341761

Primates in Question

by ; ;
ISBN13: 9781588341761
ISBN10: 1588341763
Format: Paperback
Pub. Date: 2003-11-01
Publisher(s): Smithsonian Inst Pr
List Price: $27.95

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Summary

The mysterious and often unpredictable world of primates is explained by Smithsonian scientists in a question-and-answer format.Primates in Question, part of the Smithsonian's popular "In Question" series, is 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, accompanied by beautiful color photographs.

Author Biography

Robert Shumaker is director of the orangutan “Think Tank” at the Smithsonian's National Zoo. Benjamin B. Beck is a primatologist and former associate director of the Smithsonian's National Zoo. Gerry Ellis is an award-winning photographer whose credits include Natural History, Audubon, and National Geographic magazines.

Table of Contents

Preface ix
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction xiii
Primates in General
What Are Primates?
1(1)
How Are Primates Classified?
1(3)
What Are the Different Types of Primate?
4(32)
What Makes a Primate a Primate?
36(6)
Are Monkeys and Apes the Same Thing?
42(3)
How Do Primates Move?
45(7)
How Closely Are Humans Related to Other Primates?
52(2)
Did Humans Evolve from Apes?
54(2)
Will Chimpanzees Evolve into Humans?
56(1)
What Are the Smallest and Largest Primates?
57(2)
What Do Primates Eat?
59(2)
Do All Primates Have Tails?
61(4)
How Long Do Primates Live?
65(1)
Which Primates Are the Fastest?
66(1)
How Strong Is a Gorilla?
67(4)
Primate Social Behavior
Do All Primates Live in Families?
71(1)
Why Do Primates Live in Different Types of Groups?
72(3)
Are Primates Monogamous?
75(2)
Do All Primates Recognize Their Relatives, and Does This Influence Their Society?
77(2)
How Does Body Size Affect the Lives of Primates?
79(2)
How Long Do Babies Stay with Their Mothers?
81(2)
Do Mothers Have Help in Raising Their Babies?
83(3)
Do Monkeys and Apes Experience Adolescence?
86(2)
Why Do Some Primates Have Swollen Rears?
88(2)
When Do Primates Mate?
90(1)
Do Males or Females Initiate Mating?
91(2)
Will Primates Adopt a Baby?
93(3)
How Have Ideas about Primates Changed?
96(1)
Why Do Primates Spend So Much Time Grooming?
97(3)
Which Primates Hunt for Meat?
100(2)
Do All Primates Have Friends?
102(1)
Do Primates ``Make Up'' after a Fight?
103(2)
Do Primates Make Good Pets?
105(4)
Primate Intelligence
How Smart Are Primates?
109(1)
How Do Scientists Study Primate Intelligence?
109(2)
When Was Primate Intelligence First Studied?
111(3)
What Is the Average IQ for an Ape?
114(2)
Do Primates Have Big Brains?
116(2)
Do Nonhuman Primates Use Tools?
118(2)
Do Nonhuman Primates Make Tools?
120(4)
How Do Primates Communicate?
124(3)
Do All Primates Have Their Own Languages?
127(1)
Can Nonhuman Primates Learn a Language?
128(3)
Why Can't Apes Talk?
131(1)
Can Monkeys and Apes Count?
132(2)
Do Nonhuman Primates Make Up New Ways to Solve Problems?
134(2)
How Do Primates Learn from Each Other?
136(3)
Which Primates Have Culture?
139(3)
Are Humans the Only Deceptive Primate?
142(3)
Are All Primates Sympathetic?
145(1)
Which Primates Have Emotions?
146(5)
Primate Conservation
How Many Species of Primate Are Threatened or Endangered in the Wild?
151(2)
What Are the Main Threats to Primates in the Wild?
153(4)
What Are the Best Ways to Save Primates in the Wild?
157(1)
Who Is Working to Protect Primates?
158(3)
Are Captive Primates in Trouble?
161(2)
How Can I Get Involved?
163(2)
Appendix: Taxonomic Hierarchy of Primates 165(10)
Glossary 175(4)
References 179(12)
Taxonomic Index 191(2)
Subject Index 193

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