The Mandrill
A Case of Extreme Sexual Selection

The first extensive treatment of the mandrill's reproductive and behavioural biology, focusing on mechanisms of sexual selection and evolution.

Alan F. Dixson (Author)

9781107535121, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 21 June 2018

276 pages, 124 b/w illus. 24 colour illus. 15 tables
24.5 x 17 x 1.5 cm, 0.52 kg

'This book will be vital reading for anyone planning to work on mandrills or drills. Not only does it bring together a wealth of information in a single volume, but it also suggests many areas that would be worthy of further study – both in Mandrillus and in other species.' Caroline Ross, Folia Primatologica

Living in the remote forests of western central Africa, the mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx) is notoriously elusive and has evaded scientific scrutiny for decades. Yet, it is the largest and most sexually dimorphic of all the Old World monkeys, and perhaps the most colourful of all the mammals. Synthesising the results of more than twenty-five years of research, this is the first extensive treatment of the mandrill's reproductive and behavioural biology. Dixson explores in detail the role that sexual selection has played in shaping the mandrill's evolution, covering mechanisms of mate choice, intra-sexual competition, sperm competition and cryptic female choice. Bringing to life, through detailed descriptions and rich illustrations, the mandrill's communicatory biology and the functions of its brightly coloured adornments, this book sheds new light on the evolutionary biology of this fascinating primate.

Prologue
Part I. Natural History: 1. Historiae animalium
2. The genus Mandrillus: classification and distribution
3. Morphology and functional anatomy
4. Ecology and behaviour
5. Social communication
6. Matters of life and death
Part II. Reproduction: 7. Seasonal patterns of reproduction
8. Behaviour and reproductive success
Part III. Evolution and Sexual Selection: 9. A brief evolutionary history of the genus Mandrillus
10. Sexual selection
11. Epilogue: conservation status of the genus Mandrillus
Appendix
References
Index.

Subject Areas: Animal behaviour [PSVP], Evolution [PSAJ], Biology, life sciences [PS], Mathematics & science [P]