Spider Monkeys Behaviour, Ecology and Evolution of the Genus Ateles

About this book

Spider monkeys are one of the most widespread New World primate genera, ranging from southern Mexico to Bolivia. Although they are common in zoos, spider monkeys are traditionally very difficult to study in the wild, because they are fast moving, live high in the canopy and are almost always found in small subgroups that vary in size and composition throughout the day. This book, compiled in 2008, is an assimilation of both published and previously unpublished research. It is a comprehensive source of information for academic researchers and graduate students interested in primatology, evolutionary anthropology and behavioral ecology and covers topics such as taxonomy, diet, sexuality and reproduction, and conservation.

Contents

1. Introduction Christina J. Campbell

Part I. Taxonomy, Phylogeny and Evolution
2. Morphology and evolution of the spider monkey, genus Ateles Alfred Rosenberger, Lauren Halenar, Siobanan B. Cooke and Walter Hartwig
3. The taxonomic status of spider monkeys in the 21st century Andrew Collins

Part II. Ecology
4. Diets of wild spider monkeys Anthony Di Fiore, Andres Link and J. Lawrence Dew
5. Factors influencing spider monkey habitat use and ranging patterns Robert B. Wallace
6. Seed dispersal J. Lawrence Dew

Part III. Behavior and Reproduction
7. Locomotion and positional behavior of spider monkeys Dionisios Youlatos
8. Communication in spider monkeys: the function and mechanisms underlying the use of the whinny Gabriel Ramos-Fernandez
9. Social interactions, social relationships and the social system of spider monkeys Filippo Aureli and Colleen Schaffner
10. Spider monkey reproduction and sexual behavior Christina J. Campbell and K. Nicole Gibson
11. Immaturity in spider monkeys: a risky business Laura Greer Vick
12. Demography and group composition of spider monkeys Yukiko Shimooka, Christina J. Campbell, Anthony Di Fiore, Annika M. Felton, Kosei Izawa, Andres Link, Akisato Nishimura, Gabriel Ramos-Fernandez and Robert B. Wallace

Part IV. Interactions with Humans
13. Spider monkey conservation in the 21st century: recognizing risks and opportunities Gabriel Ramos-Fernandez and Robert B. Wallace
14. The ethnoprimatology of the spider monkeys: from past to present Loretta Cormier and Bernardo Urbani.

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Biography

Christina J. Campbell is a research associate of the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology at the University of California, Los Angeles. She teaches courses in Biological Anthropology at The California Institute of Technology and Santa Monica College. Her research interests include behavioral ecology and reproductive endocrinology and physiology.