Colobine Monkeys
Their Ecology, Behaviour and Evolution

Discusses diversity, ecology and evolution of Colobine monkeys.

Glyn Davies (Edited by), John Oates (Edited by)

9780521331531, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 24 November 1994

432 pages, 94 b/w illus. 42 tables
22.9 x 15.2 x 2.9 cm, 0.8 kg

"...a very welcome addition to the primate literature. Colobine Monkeys is an excellent book, and true to its subtitle it does cover ecology, behavior, and evolutionary history with a series of review papers that should make any primatologist who has worked with colobines very satisfied....a valuable book that belongs on every primatologist's shelf." Craig B. Stanford, American Journal of Primatology

Colobine monkeys have a unique digestive system, analogous to that of ruminants, which allows them to exploit foliage as a food source. This gives them a niche in Old World forests where they are often the only abundant medium-sized arboreal folivorous mammal. From a possible Miocene origin, Colobine monkeys have radiated into a wide variety of forms inhabiting a range of tropical woodlands in Africa and Asia. Most of the extant species have been subject to long term field studies, but until this book, no synthesis of work on this group has been available. The central theme is that of adaptive radiation, showing how the special features of Colobine anatomy interacted with a range of ecosystems to produce the distinctive species of today. The book also discusses parallels with other mammalian groups.

Preface
1. What are the colobines? John Oates and Glyn Davies
2. Evolutionary history of the colobines in a paleoenvironmental perspective Eric Delson
3. The diversity of living colobines John Oates, Glyn Davies and Eric Delson
4. The natural history of African colobines John Oates
5. The natural history of Asian colobines Elizabeth Bennett and Glyn Davies
6. Functional morphology of colobine teeth Peter Lucas and Mark Teaford
7. Functional morphology of the gastro-intestinal tract David Chivers
8. Digestive physiology Robin Kay and Glyn Davies
9. Colobine food preferences and plant chemistry Peter Waterman and Karen Kool
10. Colobine populations Glyn Davies
11. Colobine monkey society Paul Newton and Robin Dunbar
12. Conclusions: past, present and future John Oates and Glyn Davies
References
Index.

Subject Areas: Primates [PSVW79]