High Altitude Primates

The basic goal of the volume is to compile the most up to date research on how high altitude affects the behavior, ecology, evolution and conservation status of primates, especially in comparison to lowland populations. Primates are remarkably adaptable animals that have gone through multiple radiations across a wide range of habitats. Habitats found at high altitudes provide particular challenges for resident primate populations. Landscapes at high altitudes tend to be less productive than neighboring areas at lower elevations, and also present changes in the structure of flora and fauna, species diversity, and density. Although some of the most unique and unexpected solutions to problems of survival are found in high altitude primates, these populations are often understudied. This volume compiles the most up-to-date research on how a variety of primates (prosimians, monkeys, apes, and even humans) respond to conditions at higher altitudes. The basic goal of the volume is to compile the most up to date research on how high altitude affects the behavior, ecology, evolution and conservation status of primates, especially in comparison to lowland populations. Historically, the majority of primate studies have focused on lowland populations. However, as the lowlands have been disappearing, more and more primatologists have begun studying populations located in higher altitudes. High altitude populations are important not only because of their uniqueness, but also because they highlight the range of primate adaptability and the complex variables that are involved in primate evolution. These populations are good examples of how geographic scales result in diversification and/or speciation. Yet, there have been very few papers addressing how this high altitude environment…