Old World Monkeys by Paul F. Whitehead; Clifford J. Jolly
Review by: Eugene E. Harris
The Quarterly Review of Biology, Vol. 76, No. 2 (Jun., 2001), pp. 251-252
Published by: The University of Chicago Press
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JUNE
NEW BIOLOGICAL BOOKS
2001
MAMMALS
OF THE NEOTROPICS:
THE CENTRAL
NEO-
Volume3: Ecuador,Peru,Bolivia,Brazil.
ByJohnF Eisenbergand KentH Redford;Plates by
ofChicago
FionaA Reid. Chicago(Illinois):University
Press.$80.00 (hardcover); $40.00 (paper). x +
609 p + 19 pl; ill.; indexes of scientificnames and
common names. ISBN: 0-226-19541-4 (hc); 0226-19542-2 (pb). 1999.
TROPICS.
OLD
WORLD
MONKEYS.
and Clifford
JJolly.CamEditedbyPaulE Whitehead
Press.
bridgeand New York: CambridgeUniversity
$115.00. xii + 528 p; ill.; index. ISBN: 0-52157124-3. 2000.
This book is a sequel to the innovativevolume Old
and Behavior(JR
WorldMonkeys:
Evolution,
Systematics,
Napier and P H Napier. 1970. NewYork: Academic
Press). Following a brief historical chapter by the
editors comparing the two Old World Monkey
(OWM) volumes, the book's 18 contributionsfall
informallyinto threesections: systematicsand population genetics-molecular and morphological
approaches (three chapters); comparative functional morphologyand fossilhistory(six chapters);
and behavior-socioecology, socioendocrinology,
and locomotor (nine chapters). In general, the new
volume, like the original,is biased towardthe wellknown terrestrialOWMs, but does offercontributions aimed at revealing the veryspecious forestliving guenons, as well as colobines (both African
and Asian). But this isjust beginning. Much more
workon these groups is sorelyneeded due to their
threatenedstatus.
In the firstsection, a comprehensive overviewis
givenof themolecularphylogenyof the entiregroup
(Disotell). The relationshipsof forestmonkeysand
all colobines (besides a broad Asian/Africansubdivision) are quite uncertain,and are thereforeproblems ripe for investigation.Clear resolution, howgroup:Baboons,
ever,has emergedforthe terrestrial
Geladas, Lophocebus, Mandrills,Cercocebus, and
Macaques are related to each otherin the following
nested groups-( ( ( (B,G)L) (Ma,C) )Mc). Subsequent
chapters recognize these revealed relationships (a
credit to the editors), although the primatological
literaturegenerallydoes not. Morphological analyses have traditionallyinferredthe wrong relationships for this group, and it is no wonder that the
morphological-systematicschapter, rather anachronistically,stillgets it wrong.Why thisis so, is not
addressed. Population level genetics (PG) is only
knownfortwogenera of OWMs, Papio baboons and
macaques, the latter species being much better
known. Curiously, the PG of macaques is absent
from the volume, although a reviewof Papio subpopulations is present (Rogers).
251
The second section provides a strongevidencebased scenario of OWM evolution (Benefit). The
illuminatedpaleobiology of the extinctsistergroup
to livingOWMs, the Victoriapithecidae,has helped
to clear wrong assumptions about OWM origins,
some ofwhichappeared in the earliervolume. Bilophodontyevolved not forleaf-eating,but foreating
hard fruitsand seeds; a shiftto folivorytook place
only afterthe differentiationof colobines and cercopithecines; early OWMs showed noveltyin their
modes of locomotion towardincreased semiterrestrialityand cursorial behaviors (while contemporaneous apes still moved about in their ancestor's
way). Alas, thereis a betterplace formorphological
analyses.A proficientand comprehensive reviewis
givenof the multipleforcesand processes (e.g., mechanical stresses,and allometric and ontogenetic
trends) that help build an OWM cranium (Ravosa
and Profant). Unfortunately,analyses are stilllimited to a fewwell-knownspecies. A chapter on the
localities bearing fossilOWMs is presented (Gundling and Hill) foreasternAfrica,but ignores localities fromsouthern Africa.Two additional chapters
were overlyspecialized and do not summarize or
present significantresearch findingsin OWM research: comparativeanatomyof the OWM ethmoid
bone, and OWM chewing and swallowing.
The last section is perhaps the strongest,and
does the mosttowardrevealingnonterrestrialforest
guenons and colobines. Two chapters(Whitten;Bercovitch)offergeneral discussionsof OWM social behaviorfromthe excitingperspectiveof endocrinology.Afew tidbits:thereis no physiologicalsignature
ofa high-rankingmale or female as has traditionally
been assumed, but physiologicalstateis determined
by the social context and the specificbehaviors affected.The degree of stressexperienced byan individual (indicatedbycortisollevels) seems to be greatbaboons being challenged,
est in those high-ranking
rather than in their lower ranking challengers (a
situationreversedin vervets).The chapter by Fairbanks illustratesthat the common cercopithecine
life-history
pattem,in whichfemalesremain as adult
breeders in their natal groups (philopatry), is importantin allowing a mother to confer advantages
on her daughters,and consequentlyenhance their
reproductive success. Although not discussed because of a lack of data, it is expected thatmaternal
investmentwill be quite differentin OWM species
where young females oftenleave theirnatal group
(e.g., manycolobines). Struhsaker'ssolid contribution, built upon manyyears of field research, illustrates how differencesin predation pressure and
quality of ecology at differentlocalities (on continentalAfricaand on nearbyislands of Zanzibar and
Bioko) effectsocial groupingswithinand between
252
THE QUARTERLY REVIEW OF BIOLOGY
species. Chapters on social behavior in forestguenons (Cords), as well as on the socioecology of
Asian colobines (Yeager and Kool) strivetoward
equaling the balance for these poorly understood
groups. The detailed analysisand breakdown of locomotor behavior in forest monkeys (Gebo and
Chapman) set a new standard forhow such studies
should be done. It is no longer valid to place or
even think about primates as using a single style
of locomotion.
Overall,in thisnew OWM volume thereare many
strongcontributions,particularly(but not only) in
the thirdsection. Therefore,it servesas a good update of the original OWM volume. Several chapters
are overlyspecialized and will not be of general interest to OWM researchers, or have very limited
conclusions (e.g., the loud-call phylogenyof African colobines). I do, however, recommend the
book as a valuable reference,particularlyto those
witha strongresearchinterestin primateevolutionarybiologyand diversity,
and forthose witha particular interestin primatesocial behaviorand ecology.
EUGENE E HARRIS, Laboratorio de EstudosEvolude Biologia,UniversitivosHumanos,Departamento
dade de Sdo Paulo, Sdo Paulo, Brazil
VOLUME
76
being tolerant to low, at times no, oxygen, and in
surmisingthatfishlike northernpike, whose habitatwas being destroyed,benefitedfromdepletions
of the premium species. Bogue had fisheryexperts
reviewthe manuscript,so whythese glitcheswere
not caughtis unclear. The book is otherwisemeticulouslyresearched, well written,and includes extensivenotes,a bibliography,and index. It is an all-toorare synthesisimportantenough to be provided to
myorganization's policymakersand advisors.
GreatLakesFisheryCommisRANDY ESHENRODER,
sion,Ann Arbor,Michigan
PHYTOPLANKTON
DYNAMICS
IN THE NORTH
AMERI-
and MichVolume2: LakesSuperior
igan, NorthChannel,GeorgianBay and Lake Huron.
EcovisionWorldMonographSeries.
Fatima MuBy MohiuddinMunazvarand Iftekhar
BackhuysPublishnawar. Leiden (ThleNetherlands):
ers.$74.00. xx + 253 p; ill.; taxonomic index, subject index (Volumes 1 and 2). ISBN: 90-5782032-3. 2000.
CAN GREAT LAKES.
FRESHWATER
EcOREGIONSOF NORTH AMERICA:A
ASSESSMENT.
CONSERVATION
By RobinA Abell,David M Olson,Eric Dinerstein,
JamesTDiggs, WilliamEichbaum,
PatrickT Hurley,
TomAllnutt,Colby
AQUATIC SCIENCES
StevenWalters,WesleyWettengel,
(DC): IsJLoucks,and PrashantHedao. Washington
FISHING
THE GREAT LAKES: AN ENVIRONMENTAL
land Press.$65.00 (paper). xxiii + 319 p; ill.; inHISTORY,
1783-1933.
dex. ISBN: 1-55963-734-X.2000.
By MargaretBeattieBogue. Madison (Wisconsin): This book is an impressive compilation of geoUniversity
ofWisconsinPress.$65.00 (hardcover); graphic, ecological, and biodiversitydata aimed at
establishingcriteriafor the proper conservationof
$27.95 (paper). xix + 444 p; ill.; index. ISBN:
freshwaterecosystemsand, in some cases, individ0-299-16760-7(hc); 0-299-16764-X(pb). 2000.
In the author's words, "[t]his book is the firstthat ual habitatsin NorthAmerica (definedas the United
deals withthe fishresources of the GreatLakes con- States, Canada, and Mexico, but excluding Caribsidered as a geographic whole, tracingenvironmen- bean and Central American regions). The authors
tal, economic, and policy-makingthemes fromthe are conservationbiologistsmainlyfromthe World
colonial era of exploration to the Great Depres- WildlifeFund, but their expertise in limnologyor
sion" (p 331). Bogue has admirablyaccomplished
other fields of aquatic sciences is not clear from
this goal. Fishing here means commercial fishing, reading the book. The purpose of the volume is to
which reigned supreme on the lakes during the fo- identifysitesworthyof conservationbased on their
cal period. Emphasis is on five premium species: biological distinctivenessand threatened status,
lake sturgeon, lake herring, lake whitefish,lake withina frameworkof "ecoregions" that comprise
trout,and Atlantic salmon-the mainstaysof the 76 differentbiogeographic units,each ofwhich are
fishery.This story,unfortunately,is of gross over- similar enough in their ecological conditions and
fishing resulting in depletions and even extirpa- in the species found there.This is a huge challenge,
tions.Exhaustivelydocumented are the attemptsby but the authors have made an impressivestarton
authorities to curtail the carnage, the political thisimportanttask.It is worthmentioningthatthis
power of the fishery(especially in the U.S.) to book is a companion volume to TerrestrialEcoregions
thwartcontrols,and the inabilityof eightstates,the ofNorthAmerica:A Conservation
Assessment
(T H RickProvinceof Ontario, and twonational governments ettset al. 1999. Washington (DC): Island Press), but
to overcome parochial interests.Bogue did errorin the present authors properly apply criteria perticlassifying16 less economically importantfishesas nent to the delineation and conservationof aquatic