The Mandrill: A Case of Extreme Sexual Selection
Cambridge University Press
Edition: Illustrated, 11/12/2015
EAN 9781107114616, ISBN10: 1107114616
Hardcover, 273 pages, 25.4 x 17.8 x 1.9 cm
Language: English
Originally published in English
Living in the remote forests of western central Africa, the mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx) is notoriously elusive and has evaded scientific scrutiny for decades. Yet, it is the largest and most sexually dimorphic of all the Old World monkeys, and perhaps the most colourful of all the mammals. Synthesising the results of more than twenty-five years of research, this is the first extensive treatment of the mandrill's reproductive and behavioural biology. Dixson explores in detail the role that sexual selection has played in shaping the mandrill's evolution, covering mechanisms of mate choice, intra-sexual competition, sperm competition and cryptic female choice. Bringing to life, through detailed descriptions and rich illustrations, the mandrill's communicatory biology and the functions of its brightly coloured adornments, this book sheds new light on the evolutionary biology of this fascinating primate.
Prologue
Part I. Natural History
1. Historiae animalium
2. The genus Mandrillus
classification and distribution
3. Morphology and functional anatomy
4. Ecology and behaviour
5. Social communication
6. Matters of life and death
Part II. Reproduction
7. Seasonal patterns of reproduction
8. Behaviour and reproductive success
Part III. Evolution and Sexual Selection
9. A brief evolutionary history of the genus Mandrillus
10. Sexual selection
11. Epilogue
conservation status of the genus Mandrillus
Appendix
References
Index.