2010 Vol 101.pdf (1.63mb) - Primate Society of Great Britain

Part III discusses ecological diversity in gibbons, addressing important
theoretical issues in primatology such as the relationships between body
mass and diet quality, and niche overlap between gibbons and other
sympatric species. This combines nicely with Part IV of the book, which
explores factors influencing inter- and intraspecific variation in gibbon
communities, and how this is a function of contextual ramifications such as
social systems, defensibility, and habitat use.
Part V presents a nice overview of the mating systems of hylobatids, and
tentatively addresses particular evolutionary advantages of living in a
monogamous society and the proximate means through which this structure
is maintained. Following this synopsis, complimentary data are given on
specific species, notably siamangs and white-handed gibbons, to highlight
particular behavioural and hormonal aspects of gibbon societies. Female
reproductive status is examined in relation to temporal fluctuation in genital
swellings and hormone concentrations using data from captive and wild
individuals. The authors also discuss differences between male and female
gibbons living in polyandrous and monogamous groups, and how flexible
grouping and mating, relatedness, infanticide risk, and social networks are
causal factors for variation in allocation of parental care and degree of
monogamy.
While socioecological data on primates is meaningful from a purely
academic point of view, we must not forget the obligations researchers have
towards the welfare and conservation of the species they study. Indeed,
while gibbons are arguably the most successful species of non-human ape
on the planet, some species are among the rarest and most critically
endangered of any primate. In the final chapter of The Gibbons, several
authors bring forth case studies on a few gibbon species to discuss
important threats to gibbon populations in the wild, highlighting regions of
major impact, habitat requirements, and population trends. This section of
the book concludes with a discussion of the urgent need for further
information on gibbon behaviour to refine protocols for conservation
management, and provides recommendations for improving conservation
success through rehabilitation programs and canopy bridges.
The Gibbons represents an important progression towards better
understanding small ape behaviour. This book should be treated as a wellrounded
reference for scholars interested in learning more about small apes,
or for anyone wishing to examine important topics in primatology from a
small ape standpoint. Commonly labelled “the lesser ape” by non-partisans,
this book celebrates the importance of such exceptional beings, warranting
the small apes recognition far “greater” than what they typically are given
within the scientific and public domain.
F. Blake Morton
Scottish Primate Research Group and University of Stirling
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