Robert W. Shumaker and Benjamin Beck
Photographs by Gerry Ellis
Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington and London, 2003
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Smithsonian (November 17, 2003)
Language: English
An evolutionary biologist specializing in the study of primate behavior and cognition, Shumaker is co-founder of the "Think Tank" at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Washington, DC. He is currently director of Great Ape Trust's orangutan research project. Shumaker also serves on the scientific advisory board of the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOSF) in Indonesia and is an advisor for Science and Ethics for BOS-USA.
"Human and non-human primates see the world through the same eyes and feel it through the same hands and feet – yet it's amazing how little most people know about our closest living relatives," says Shumaker. "Sadly, movies, television and advertisements have painted a distorted picture of apes and monkeys. We hope this book not only generates increased interest, respect and admiration for primates, but also a desire to do more for the welfare of great apes in captivity and their conservation in the wild."
Beck is director of conservation at Great Ape Trust and a former associate director of the Smithsonian's National Zoological Park, where he designed the zoo's innovative free-ranging golden lion tamarin exhibit. Over the past 20 years, Beck has coordinated the reintroduction of more than 150 golden lion tamarins in Brazil. He says the intent of Primates in Question parallels the mission at Great Ape Trust of education, conservation and research.
"The more the public learns about primates and their struggle to survive in the wild, the greater the chance to save them from extinction," says Beck.
World-renowned great ape researcher Dr. Jane Goodall praises Primates in Question and calls it a comprehensive overview of many aspects of primate evolution, biology and social behavior – enhanced by many fascinating examples from research in the field and captivity.
"It is also a call to action – we not only learn why primates around the world are becoming increasingly endangered, but also what we can do to help them," says Goodall. "This book belongs in all libraries, and on the bookshelves of everyone with an interest in our closest relative."
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