Alfred L. Rosenberger – författare

The study of primate locomotion is a unique discipline that by its nature is interdis­ ciplinary, drawing on and integrating research from ethology, ecology, comparative anat­ omy, physiology, biomechanics, paleontology, etc. When combined and focused on particular problems this diversity of approaches permits unparalleled insight into critical aspects of our evolutionary past and into a major component of the behavioral repertoire of all animals. Unfortunately, because of the structure of academia, integration of these different approaches is a rare phenomenon. For instance, papers on primate behavior tend to be published in separate specialist journals and read by subgroups of anthropologists and zoologists, thus precluding critical syntheses. In the spring of 1995 we overcame this compartmentalization by organizing a con­ ference that brought together experts with many different perspectives on primate locomo­ tion to address the current state of the field and to consider where we go from here. The conference, Primate Locomotion-1995, took place thirty years after the pioneering confer­ ence on the same topic that was convened by the late Warren G. Kinzey at Davis in 1965.

A comprehensive account of the origins, evolution, and behavior of South and Central American primatesNew World Monkeys brings to life the beauty of evolution and biodiversity in action among South and Central American primates, who are now at risk. These tree-dwelling rainforest inhabitants display an unparalleled variety in size, shape, hands, feet, tails, brains, locomotion, feeding, social systems, forms of communication, and mating strategies. Primatologist Alfred Rosenberger, one of the foremost experts on these mammals, explains their fascinating adaptations and how they came about.New World Monkeys provides a dramatic picture of the sixteen living genera of New World monkeys and a fossil record that shows that their ancestors have lived in the same ecological niches for up to 20 million years—only to now find themselves imperiled by the extinction crisis. Rosenberger also challenges the argument that these primates originally came to South America from Africa by floating across the Atlantic on a raft of vegetation some 45 million years ago. He explains that they are more likely to have crossed via a land bridge that once connected Western Europe and Canada at a time when many tropical mammals transferred between the northern continents.Based on the most current findings, New World Monkeys offers the first synthesis of decades of fieldwork and laboratory and museum research conducted by hundreds of scientists.

This book is an accessible and comprehensive introduction to primates. It provides both a survey and synthesis of primate history, biology, and behavior. As a survey, it offers a focused review of living and extinct primates in regional and community frameworks. As a synthesis, it applies the community perspective in a unique way to explore primates’ adaptive diversity in the context of how evolution works. The book encourages students to study primates as integrated members of regional communities, ecologically, historically, and evolutionarily.The chapters are organized to emphasize the patterns of primate radiations in the four regions of the world where primates live, and to facilitate comparisons among the radiations. The overviews of communities illustrate how the ecological adaptations of different species and taxonomic or phylogenetic groups enable them to coexist. Illustrations and tools to aid students’ learning include case studies, photographs, figures, tables, charts, key concepts, and quizlets to self-test. This book is an ideal introduction for students studying nonhuman primates, primatology, primate behavior, or primate ecology.

This book is an accessible and comprehensive introduction to primates. It provides both a survey and synthesis of primate history, biology, and behavior. As a survey, it offers a focused review of living and extinct primates in regional and community frameworks. As a synthesis, it applies the community perspective in a unique way to explore primates’ adaptive diversity in the context of how evolution works. The book encourages students to study primates as integrated members of regional communities, ecologically, historically, and evolutionarily.The chapters are organized to emphasize the patterns of primate radiations in the four regions of the world where primates live, and to facilitate comparisons among the radiations. The overviews of communities illustrate how the ecological adaptations of different species and taxonomic or phylogenetic groups enable them to coexist. Illustrations and tools to aid students’ learning include case studies, photographs, figures, tables, charts, key concepts, and quizlets to self-test. This book is an ideal introduction for students studying nonhuman primates, primatology, primate behavior, or primate ecology.

This collection of 29 papers grew out of a symposium entitled "Setting the Future Agenda for Neotropical Primates. " The symposium was held at the Department of Zoo­ logical Research, National Zoological Park, Washington D. C. , on February 26-27, 1994, and was sponsored by the Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research, Smith­ sonian Institution, and Friends of the National Zoo. We put the symposium together with two objectives: to honor Warren G. Kinzey for his contributions to the growing field of platyrrhine studies and to provide researchers who work in the Neotropics with the oppor­ tunity to discuss recent developments, to identify areas of research that require additional study, and especially to help guide the next generation of researchers. The symposium provided the opportunity to recognize Warren as a mentor and col­ laborator to the contribution of the study of platyrrhines. Contributions to the book were expanded in order to provide a more comprehensive view of platyrrhine evolution and ecology, to emphasize the interdisciplinary nature of many of these studies, and to high­ light the central role that New World monkeys play in advancing primatology. If this vol­ ume were to require major revisions after just one more decade of research, that would be a fitting testament to Warren's enthusiasm and his drive to continually update the field with new ideas and methods. Tributes to Warren and a list of his publications have been published elsewhere (Norconk, 1994, 1996; Rosenberger 1994, 1995).