Reproduction In New World Primates

The New World primates are becoming widely used in scientific and medical work in fields from anthropology to zoology, behaviour to urology. They have unique attributes for studies in cancer, infectious diseases, genetics, virology and reproduction. However, it is only now that their reproductive physiology is being clarified in any depth and this book is a first synthesis of that knowledge. The nine authors involved in this project have presented an up to date account of the major New World species used in biological and medical science. In addition to their distribution and conservation in the wild, essential biological data from laboratory studies are presented on reproductive cycles, gestation length, seasonal breeding, puberty and other factors. The major applications of these species in research are explored. Whenever possible, research workers should steer away from using endangered species in their studies. The New World monkeys used in research in any numbers are still fairly common ~n the wild, yet their greatest advantages are ~n their smalle size and high fecundity. This makes possible the establishment of self sustaining captive breeding colonies at a fraction of the time and cost necessary for the more conventional Old World laboratory primates. Consequently the drain on wild stocks need not be extensive as only breeding nuclei should be necessary.

Enth.: Most papers presented in a symposium on Nov. 19, 1988 at the annual meeting of the American Anthropological Association in Phoenix, Ariz.

A 1985 amendment to the Animal Welfare Act requires those who keep nonhuman primates to develop and follow appropriate plans for promoting the animals' psychological well-being. The amendment, however, provides few specifics. The Psychological Well-Being of Nonhuman Primates recommends practical approaches to meeting those requirements. It focuses on what is known about the psychological needs of primates and makes suggestions for assessing and promoting their well-being. This volume examines the elements of an effective care program--social companionship, opportunities for species-typical activity, housing and sanitation, and daily care routines--and provides a helpful checklist for designing a plan for promoting psychological well-being. The book provides a wealth of specific and useful information about the psychological attributes and needs of the most widely used and exhibited nonhuman primates. Readable and well-organized, it will be welcomed by animal care and use committees, facilities administrators, enforcement inspectors, animal advocates, researchers, veterinarians, and caretakers.

"This book is a broad synthesis of new world monkey evolution, integrating their unique evolutionary story into the bigger picture of primate evolution and Amazon biodiversity. Capsule For more than 30 million years, New World monkeys have inhabited the forests of South and Central America. Whether these primates originally came from Africa by rafting across the Atlantic or crossing overland from North America, they soon flourished. This book tells the story of these New World monkeys. Integrating data from fossil and living animals, it explores the evolution of the three major New World monkey lineages as well as how they fit into the broader story of primate evolution and Amazon biodiversity. After providing readers with necessary background in primate taxonomy and systematics, Rosenberger shows that the notion of adaptive zones is central to our understanding of primate evolution. The idea of adaptive zones can explain how radiations evolve, morphological adaptations appear, and communities form. From here, Rosenberger synthesizes what is known about New World monkeys' unique ecological adaptations, including those involving feeding and locomotion, as well as their social behaviour. The book's concluding chapters explore theories of how primates first arrived in South America and what their future looks like given the threat of extinction. Biography Internal Use Only Alfred L. Rosenberger is Professor Emeritus of Biological Anthropology at Brooklyn College. An expert on the origin and evolution of New World Monkeys, Rosenberger has contributed numerous articles in edited volumes and his work is published in journals such as Nature, Journal of Human Evolution and American Journal of Primatology . Audience The audience for this book is scholars and graduate students in biological/physical anthropolog and primatology, and to a lesser extent conservation biology, evolutionary biology, and behavioral ecology . Rationale - no copy text Other Relevant Info - no copy text"--

It is now well known that the concept of drifting continents became an estab lished theory during the 1960s. Not long after this "revolution in the earth sciences," researchers began applying the continental drift model to problems in historical biogeography. One such problem was the origin and dispersal of the New World monkeys, the Platyrrhini. Our interests in this subject began in the late 1960s on different conti nents quite independent of one another in the cities of Florence, Italy, and Berkeley, California. In Florence in 1968, A. B. Chiarelli, through stimulating discussions with R. von Koenigswald and B. de Boer, became intrigued with the possibility that a repositioning of the continents of Africa and South America in the early Cenozoic might alter previous traditional conceptions of a North American origin of the Platyrrhini. During the early 1970s this con cept was expanded and pursued by him through discussions with students while serving as visiting professor at the University of Toronto. By this time, publication of the Journal of Human Evolution was well underway, and Dr. Chiarelli as editor encouraged a dialogue emphasizing continental drift models of primate origins which culminated in a series of articles published in that journal during 1974-75. In early 1970, while attending the University of California at Berkeley, R. L. Ciochon was introduced to the concept of continental drift and plate tectonics and their concomitant applications to vertebrate evolution through talks with paleontologist W. A. Clemens and anthropologist S. L. Washburn.

This will be the first time a volume will be compiled focusing on South American monkeys as models to address and test critical issues in the study of nonhuman primates. In addition, the volume will serve an important compliment to the book on Mesoamerican primates recently published in the series under the DIPR book series. The book will be of interest to a broad range of scientists in various disciplines, ranging from primatology, to animal behavior, animal ecology, conservation biology, veterinary science, animal husbandry, anthropology, and natural resource management. Moreover, although the volume will highlight South American primates, chapters will not simply review particular taxa or topics. Rather the focus of each chapter is to examine the nature and range of primate responses to changes in their ecological and social environments, and to use data on South American monkeys to address critical theoretical questions in the study of primate behavior, ecology, and conservation. Thus, we anticipate that the volume will be widely read by a broad range of students and researchers interested in prosimians, New World monkeys, Old World monkeys, apes, humans, as well as animal behavior and tropical biology.