WALKER'S PRIMATES OF THE WORLD Ronald M. Nowak Introduction by Russell A. Mittermeier, Anthony B. Rylands, and William R. Konstant The Johns Hopkins University Press Baltimore and London 1999 >From the COVER NOTES: From Nigeria's needle-clawed bush baby to the snub- nosed langur of Tibet, from loris to lemur, from the woolly monkey to the "naked ape," primates are among the world's most diverse-and distinctive-groups of mammals. Seventy million years of evolving primate anatomy (much of it significantly influenced be a tree-dwelling lifestyle) has resulted in such defining characteristics as stereoscopic vision, a relatively large brain, grasping hands and feet, and superior levels of dexterity and muscular coordination. A comprehensive guide to the fascinating and varied order of mammals, "Walker's Primates of the World" includes scientific and common names, the number and distribution of species, measurements and physical traits, habitat, daily and seasonal activity, population dynamics, home range, social life, reproduction, longevity, and status of threatened species. Recently extinct genera, such as the giant lemur of Madagascar, are covered in full. Text summaries present well-documented descriptions of the physical characteristics and living habits of primates in every part of the world. In the volume's introduction, noted primate conservationists Russell A. Mittermeier, Anthony B. Rylands, and William R. Kronstant discuss the taxonomy and distribution of primates as well as their distinguishing characteristics, special adaptations, and particularly striking features, such as sociality. They also report on conservation efforts past, present, and future, and they assess the factors, largely human-caused, that are threatening non-human primates with extinction. TABLE OF CONTENTS: PRIMATES OF THE WORLD: AN INTRODUCTION..................1 Russell A. Mittermeier, Anthony B. Rylands, and William R. Konstant Primates................................................53 Lorises, Pottos, and Galagos (Lorisidae)..............53 Dwarf Lemurs and Mouse Lemurs (Cheirogaleidae)........65 Lemurs (Lemuridae)....................................71 Sportive Lemurs, or Weasel Lemurs, and Koala Lemurs...81 (Megaladapidae) Avahi, Sifakas, and Indri (Indriidae).................84 Sloth Lemurs (Palaeopropithecidae)....................89 Baboon Lemurs (Archaeolemuridae)......................91 Aye-ayes (Daubentoniidae).............................92 Tarsiers (Tarsiidae)..................................94 New World Monkeys (Cebidae)...........................97 Marmosets, Tamarins, and Goeldi's Monkey..............117 (Callitrichidae) Old World Monkeys (Cercopithecidae)...................129 Gibbons, or Lesser Apes (Hylobatidae).................168 Great Apes (Pongidae).................................173 People, or Human Beings (Hominidae)...................186 WORLD DISTRIBUTION OF PRIMATES..........................193 APPENDIX................................................197 LITERATURE CITED........................................203 INDEX...................................................223 >From the INTRODUCTION--Mittermeier, Rylands and Konstant For the years ahead, there is a need to sustain conservation activities based on recommendations of the original "Global Strategy for Primate Conservation" and subsequent regional action plans, as well as to increase the focus on those primate taxa most seriously threatened with extinction. With luck, we will come through the twentieth century without having lost a single known, modern primate taxon-an enviable record indeed considering the number of reptiles, birds, and other mammals known to have disappeared already during this period-but we will do so only by the "skin of our teeth" and with several species and subspecies still in jeopardy. A more focused conservation strategy is at present being prepared. Much of the groundwork has been done with the publication of the 1996 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals (Baillie and Groombridge 1996), which provides the starting point for identifying the highest priority taxa. Several more species and subspecies of conservation concern need to he added, and other considerations will include taxonomic uniqueness, population size, and apparent rate of decline in order to establish priority rankings for conservation action. The results of this analysis will be presented in 20OO in the form of a global action plan for the world's most endangered primates. With such a plan in hand, serious work can begin to amass laoth the human and financial resources needed for implementation. Fortunately, several new sources of support for primate conservation have materialized over the last decade. While the World Wildlife Fund-U.S. Primate Program no longer exists, many other traditional nongovernmental sources still offer grants for field, captive, and laboratory programs, and academic institutions continue to provide funds for primate field studies that have significant conservation impact. Government supported efforts such as the Indo-U.S. Primate Project provide excellent models for international cooperation, and a growing number of zoos have joined forces to focus on regional primate faunas, generating funds not only for captive breeding programs, but for support for in situ projects as well. In addition, at least two new significant sources of philanthropic support dedicated to primates were established in the 199Os: Primate Conservation, Inc., and the Margot Marsh Biodiversity Foundation. Together, these organizations and agencies represent the core of funding necessary to move ahead with a global action plan for the world's most endangered primates, and it is hoped that such a plan will help uncover new sources of support as well. WHERE TO ORDER: John Hopkins University Press 2715 N. Charles Street Baltimore, Maryland 21218-4319 Toll Free: 800-537-5487 Fax: 1-410-516-6998 URL: http://muse.jhu.edu Price: $19.95 (Paper) ISBN: 0-8018-6251-5
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