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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.
List of contents
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.
About the author
Alan F. Dixson is a Professor in the School of Biological Sciences at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. He is a world authority on the reproductive biology and evolution of sexuality in primates. During a distinguished career, he has held posts at the Zoological Society of London, the Medical Research Council (UK), the International Medical Research Centre in Gabon, the Sub-Department of Animal Behaviour, University of Cambridge, and the Zoological Society of San Diego.
Summary
Living in the remote forests of western central Africa, mandrills are notoriously elusive and have evaded scientific scrutiny for decades. Recent research, synthesised here for the first time, sheds light on mandrill behaviour, reproductive biology and evolution, and allows for explanation of its extreme sexual dimorphism.
