The Primate Family Tree: The Amazing Diversity of Our Closest Relatives
It can be unnerving to meet the gaze of a primate, be it a tiny tarsier or the largest gorilla, and realize a sense of kinship. As biologist Redmond states, the viewer “will realize that there is a quizzical mind at work behind those big brown eyes.” Getting to know the other members of the primate family, a diverse and very successful order of mammals, can indeed be an eye-opening experience. Primates range in size from the tiny mouse lemurs and pygmy marmosets to the giant gorillas and humans, but all share the same characteristics of binocular vision, grasping hands with opposable thumbs, and large brains. Redmond, who studied gorillas with Dian Fossey and now works to protect the great apes, presents a guide to the 270-odd species of primates in this beautifully illustrated guide to our kin. After explaining what a primate is, including distribution, social structure, diet and communication, the author discusses human–other primate interactions and conservation. Each profile of a primate species includes range maps and species lists (including conservation status). --Nancy Bent--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.