How have our conceptions of primate behaviour and society changed since primatology came into its own after World War II? What kind of science is primatology, and what role have women scientists played in its development? "Primate Encounters" represents a pioneering attempt to answer these questions by bringing together two groups of scholars who often ask them: scientists and those who study them. The result is a fascinating and provocative collective reflection on primatology and on science in general, and on the relations of both broader cultural, historical and social issues. Beginning with a history of ideas about primate society, the book continues with personal reflections from senior primatologists who have lived that history. Other chapters reveal the diversity of "primatologies" that exist outside North America, compare the history of primatology to that of closely related disciplines such as archaeology and animal behaviour, and examine the roles that gender, media, society and technology have played in the development of the field. With contributions by a number of well known scholars in both primatology and science studies, including Donna Haraway, Alison Jolly, Bruno Latour and Robert W. Sussman, "Primate Encounters" demonstrates the exciting possibilities that arise when scholars from both sides of the "science wars" trade ideas rather than insults. The book also includes a selection of informal e-mail exchanges that allows readers to experience firsthand some of the lively discussions generated by such a diverse group of contributors.

This text presents the results of a research project carried out on foraging behaviour among African baboons and its consequences for survival and reproduction. Detailed data is provided on the feeding habits of each baboon, with an analysis of its nutrient intake. These figures are then compared with those in optimum diets. The most striking result of this study is that the baboon's subsequent survival and reproductive success could be accurately predicted from what they had eaten as yearlings. The animals with energy intakes closest to the optimum and protein intakes furthest above their requirements were most likely to survive to adulthood and to successfully produce offspring.

The woolly spider monkey, or muriqui, is one of the most threatened primate species in the world. Because of deforestation in their natural habitat--the Atlantic coastal forests of southeastern Brazil--the muriquis are confined to less than 3 percent of their original range. As of 1987, there were only a dozen forest fragments known to support a total muriqui population of about 500. As of 1998, at least 20 forests are known to support at least 1,000 muriquis. This book traces the natural history of the muriqui from its scientific discovery in 1806 to its current, highly endangered status.

Karen Strier provides a case study of this scientifically important primate species by balancing field research and ecological issues. Through her accessible presentation, readers gain a broad understanding of primate behavior and tropical conservation.

Ever since Jane Goodall unlocked the mysteries of wild chimpanzees, and Dian Fossey lived among Mountain gorillas, the world has been captivated by primates and the people who study them. Here at last, is the riveting story of Birute Galdikas, a pioneering primatologist who has spent much of herlive studying orangutans.

In 1971, twenty-five-year-old Galdikas began living in the remote jungles of Indonesian Borneo, where she encountered menacing poachers, blood-sucking leeches and swarms of carnivorous insects. Determined to penetrate the world of the elusive "red ape" in the name of science and conservation, Galdikas embarked on a quest of more than twenty years to become the foremost chronicler of orangutan life. Her first task was to form a bond of trust with the animals, but her initial forays into their world were thwarted by skeptical and territorial orangutans like handsome Cara, who hurled dead branches at Galdikas from the tree canopy above. Eventually Galdikas became a surrogate member of the community, triumphantly claimed as "mother" by little Sugito, who clung to her fiercely, night and day, for months. Reflections of Eden is an exotic adventure, a history of vital scientific research, and the memoir of a remarkable woman.

The Natural History of the Doucs and Snub-nosed Monkeys provides a comprehensive introduction to the biology of some of the rarest and least-known nonhuman primates. Virtually unstudied and unknown until 20 years ago, the doucs and snub-nosed monkeys occupy some of the most remote habitats of eastern Asia and exhibit some of the most unusual adaptations of any nonhuman primates. The volume provides detailed information on these rare Asian primates that will be useful to practitioners of evolutionary biology, field and laboratory primatology, systematics, field ecology, and conservation biology.