Primate Sexuality

Primate Sexuality provides an authoritative and comprehensive synthesis of current research on the evolution and physiological control of sexual behaviour in the primates - prosimians, monkeys, apes, and human beings. This new edition has been fully updated and greatly expanded throughout to incorporate a decade of new research findings. It maintains the depth and scientific rigour of the first edition, and includes a new chapter on human sexuality, written from a comparative perspective. It contains 2600 references, almost 400 figures and photographs, and 73 tables. In 15 richly illustrated chapters Alan Dixson lays out the fundamentals of primate and human sexuality. The only book that has been anywhere near as complete and interesting as Primate Sexuality was his previous edition of this book, and in this new edition Dixson has surpassed himself. Primatologists and evolutionary biologists are in the authors debt for an invaluable labour of love. Professor Richard Wrangham, Harvard University, USA Alan Dixson's impeccable scholarship and analysis provides a balanced discussion of the controversies, and the limitations of current knowledge. A superb, authoritative, brilliant, and engaging reference. Professor Elisabeth Lloyd, Indiana University, USA A solid demonstration of first class scholarship that weaves together evolutionary biology, reproductive physiology, and developmental neurobiology. It is a must-read. Professor Fred Bercovitch, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Japan1. Darwin and friends ; 2. Primate classification and evolution ; 3. Mating systems ; 4. Mating tactics and reproductive success ; 5. Sexual behaviour and sexual response ; 6. Socio-sexual, bisexual, and homosexual behaviour ; 7. Sexual selection and sexually dimorphic traits ; 8. Sperm competition ; 9. Sexual selection and genitalic evolution ; 10. The development of sexually dimorphic behaviour ; 11. The ovarian cycle and sexual behaviour ; 12. The neuroendocrine regulation of sexual behaviour in the adult female ; 13. Hormones and sexual behaviour in the adult male ; 14. Socioendocrinology and sexual behaviour ; 15. Human sexuality in primatological perspective ; References ; Index