Primates of the World: An Illustrated Guide

Description

A guide to the world's primates covers nearly 300 species, from the feather-light and solitary pygmy mouse lemurs of Madagascar - among the smallest primates known to exist - to regal mountain gorillas of Africa. This book features 72 splendid color plates, facing-page descriptions of key features of each family, and 86 color distribution maps.

Jean-Jacques Petter (1927-2002) was a world authority on lemurs and one of France's leading primatologists. He was a research fellow at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique in Paris. Francois Desbordes is one of France's premier wildlife illustrators. Robert Martin is the A. Watson Armour III Curator of Biological Anthropology at the Field Museum in Chicago.

"I can think of no better introduction to the non-human primates than Jean-Jacques Petter's and Francois Desbordes' Primates of the World... The text is authoritative and readable and includes very good sections on the evolution of primates and the roles of environment and competition in influencing primate adaptations. There are also excellent chapters on territorial behavior, social organization, and sociality. The book is richly and beautifully illustrated by Francois Desbordes, and there are excellent life histories for each primate species. Primates of the World belongs on the shelf of anyone who wants to expand his or her understanding of human origins and of anyone who is captivated by the rich personal experiences, long-term detailed field observations, and passionate conservation messages of Diane Fossey and Jane Goodall."--Wayne Mones, Perch/Audubon Magazine's Blog "This volume holds a treasure... Primates indeed contains 72 illustrated plates describing, by continent, the major primate species inhabiting our planet... [E]ach drawing, precise and magnificent, unveils their morphology, their colors, their postures... [A] splendid and fascinating book."--Rafaele Brillaud, Science & Vie "Those who love beautiful nature plates--in the tradition of Audubon and his birds--will be delighted by this landmark book... [D]azzling illustrated plates."--Rachel Mulot, Sciences et Avenir "A masterpiece. Francois Desbordes's 72 watercolor plates are pure marvels, in the great tradition of scientific pictures of the 19th century."--Marc Giraud, L'Oiseau Magazine "Primates of the World by Jean-Jacques Petter & Francois Desbordes is a beautifully illustrated guide that is perfect for those who are interested in primates and a great reference guide to use for primate classes."--Raymond Ho, Prancing Papio "'The' reference everyone interested in primates should have by their bedside."--Sylvie Nandelec, Scoop on Primates "This text offers readers brief yet substantial information on almost 300 species of primates... Introductory material provides significant information that is relevant across the primate species, including material on the origins of various primates, predators, social habits, classifications, and more... Appropriate for students or general readers interested in enhancing their knowledge of primates ..."--Booklist "Beautiful... Readers will be fascinated by what Petter describes as the 'dazzling diversity of primates,' and they'll be dazzled by the stunning illustrations. Highly recommended."--Cynthia Lee Knight, Library Journal