Primate Comparative Anatomy

About this book

Why do orangutan arms closely resemble human arms? What is the advantage to primates of having long limbs? Why do primates have forward-facing eyes? Answers to questions such as these are usually revealed by comparative studies of primate anatomy. In this heavily illustrated, up-to-date textbook, primate anatomist Daniel L. Gebo provides straightforward explanations of primate anatomy that move logically through the body plan and across species. Including only what is essential in relation to soft tissues, Primate Comparative Anatomy relies primarily on bony structures to explain the functions and diversity of anatomy among living primates.

Ideal for college and graduate courses, Gebo's book will also appeal to researchers in the fields of mammalogy, primatology, anthropology, and paleontology. Included in Primate Comparative Anatomy are discussions of: Phylogeny; Adaptation; Body size; The wet- and dry-nosed primates; Bone biology; Musculoskeletal mechanics; Strepsirhine and haplorhine heads; Primate teeth and diets; Necks, backs, and tails; The pelvis and reproduction; Locomotion; Forelimbs and hindlimbs; Hands and feet; and Grasping toes.

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Biography

Daniel L. Gebo is a Board of Trustees Professor of anthropology and biological sciences at Northern Illinois University and a research associate at both the Field Museum of Natural History and the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. He is the editor of Postcranial Adaptation in Nonhuman Primates and the coauthor of Human Origins: The Fossil Record.