Primate Comparative Anatomy - Hardcover

"Gebo's consistent focus throughout the book [is] on how anatomical differences relate mechanically to differences in function. Subsequent well-illustrated chapters discuss the hard anatomy of the primate body―heads, teeth, backs, forelimbs, and hind limbs from both phylogenetic and functional perspectives."

"A nearly perfect introduction to a complex and fascinating subject."

"Synthesizing the extensive and detailed anatomical literature related to primate bony morphology is no small task, and Gebo does a fantastic job of summarizing important anatomies and oddities, and how these relate to functional demands... The next generation of scholars learning from this textbook will almost certainly come to the same realization as Darwin, Cuvier, and Linnaeus―that comparative anatomy is essential for understanding our place within primates."

"This book serves as a good, basic introduction to primate anatomy, and there are many attractive, large illustrations throughout the book to accompany anatomical descriptions."

"Daniel Gebo has produced a text that can only be described as invaluable to the researcher, academic, conservationist, primatologist or student of evolutionary studies. A dream of a book."

"I highly recommend Gebo’s book to teachers of undergraduate primate anatomy."

"Primate Comparative Anatomy is a very strong addition to the available books on primate anatomy. A clear, logical, and useful resource for students and a nice quick reference for researchers."

Why do orangutan arms closely resemble human arms? What is the advantage to primates of having long limbs? Why do primates have forward-facing eyes? Answers to questions such as these are usually revealed by comparative studies of primate anatomy.

In this heavily illustrated, up-to-date textbook, primate anatomist Daniel L. Gebo provides straightforward explanations of primate anatomy that move logically through the body plan and across species. Including only what is essential in relation to soft tissues, the book relies primarily on bony structures to explain the functions and diversity of anatomy among living primates. Ideal for college and graduate courses, Gebo's book will also appeal to researchers in the fields of mammalogy, primatology, anthropology, and paleontology.

Included in this book are discussions of:

· Phylogeny
· Adaptation
· Body size
· The wet- and dry-nosed primates
· Bone biology
· Musculoskeletal mechanics
· Strepsirhine and haplorhine heads
· Primate teeth and diets
· Necks, backs, and tails
· The pelvis and reproduction
· Locomotion
· Forelimbs and hindlimbs
· Hands and feet
· Grasping toes