Juvenile Primates: Life History, Development and Behavior

Primates have by far the longest juvenile period of any mammals of similar size; indeed, protracted development is considered to be one of our most distinguishing features. Yet very few studies so far have focused on juvenile primates, and of those, most have covered just a few species. The first and still the only book focused exclusively on juvenile primates, this collection presents original research covering all the major divisions of primates, from prosimians to humans. Contributors explore the evolutionary history of the juvenile stage in primates, differences in behavior between juvenile males and females, how juvenile behaviors act both to prepare juveniles for adulthood and to help them survive the juvenile stage, how juveniles learn about and participate in social conflict and dominance relationships, and the similarities and differences between development of juvenile human and nonhuman primates. This edition includes a new foreword and bibliography prepared by the editors.