Kelly J. Stewart – författare

Societies develop as a result of the interactions of individuals as they compete and cooperate with one another in the evolutionary struggle to survive and reproduce successfully. Gorilla society is arranged according to the different and sometimes conflicting evolutionary goals of the sexes. In seeking to understand why gorilla society exists as it does, Alexander H. Harcourt and Kelly J. Stewart bring together extensive data on wild gorillas, collected over decades by numerous researchers working in diverse habitats across Africa, to illustrate how the social system of gorillas has evolved and endured. "Gorilla Society" introduces recent theories explaining primate societies; describes gorilla life history, ecology, and social systems; and explores both sexes' evolutionary strategies of survival and reproduction. With a focus on the future, Harcourt and Stewart conclude with suggestions for research and conservation.An exemplary work of socioecology from two of the world's best-known gorilla biologists, "Gorilla Society" will be a landmark study on a par with the work of George Schaller - a synthesis of existing research on these remarkable animals and the societies in which they live.

Societies develop as a result of the interactions of individuals as they compete and cooperate with one another in the evolutionary struggle to survive and reproduce successfully. Gorilla society is arranged according to the different and sometimes conflicting evolutionary goals of the sexes. In seeking to understand why gorilla society exists as it does, Alexander H. Harcourt and Kelly J. Stewart bring together extensive data on wild gorillas, collected over decades by numerous researchers working in diverse habitats across Africa, to illustrate how the social system of gorillas has evolved and endured. "Gorilla Society" introduces recent theories explaining primate societies; describes gorilla life history, ecology, and social systems; and explores both sexes' evolutionary strategies of survival and reproduction. With a focus on the future, Harcourt and Stewart conclude with suggestions for research and conservation.An exemplary work of socioecology from two of the world's best-known gorilla biologists, "Gorilla Society" will be a landmark study on a par with the work of George Schaller - a synthesis of existing research on these remarkable animals and the societies in which they live.

For the past three decades the mountain gorillas of Karisoke Research Center have been the subject of many studies focusing on their behaviour and ecology. Long-term observations on known individuals, from birth to death, and data on social behaviour within and between groups have led to an understanding of many aspects of gorilla social structure. The findings have made significant contributions to models of comparative primate behavioural ecology. Mountain gorillas have also been the focus of intense conservation efforts, which have become a model for conservation programs elsewhere. While most research has focused on mountain gorillas, data on the other two recognised subspecies have increased over the past twenty years. This book highlights and summarises some of the behavioural, ecological and conservation work on mountain gorillas, and makes comparisons with findings from other study sites. It represents the most up-to-date and diverse collection of information available on this endangered ape.