Primate origins : adaptations and evolution /

The goals of this volume are twofold. First, it aims to provide a novel focus on adaptive explanations for cranial and postcranial features and functional complexes, socioecological systems, life history patterns, etc. in early primates. Second, it aims to offer a detailed rendering of the phylogenetic affinities of such basal taxa to later primate clades as well as to other early/recent mammalian orders. Thus, in addition to the strictly paleontological or systemic questions regarding Primate Origins, the editors plan to concentrate on the adaptive significance of primate characteristics. These questions are best approached through both paleontological and neontological comparative research on a variety of primate and non-primate materials. The volume is timely because it capitalizes on an increasing and important degree of novel independent museum, field and laboratory based research on many of the important outstanding issues regarding primate origins. Furthermore, by integrating such disparate sources of experimental, comparative, paleontological, ecological and molecular information into a single edited volume, it provides the broadest possible perspective on early primate phylogeny and the adaptive uniqueness of the Order Primates.Includes bibliographical references and index.Supraordinal relationships of primates and their time of origin -- A molecular classification for the living orders of placental mammals and the phylogenetic placement of primates / M. S. Springer, W. J. Murphy, E. Eizirik, O. Madsen, M. Scally, C. J. Douady, E. C. Teeling, M. J. Stanhope, W. W. de Jong, & S. J. O'Brien -- New light on the dates of primate origins and divergence / C. Soligo, O. A. Will, S. Tavaré, C. R. Marshall, & R. D. Martin -- The postcranial morphology of Ptilocercus lowii (Scandentia, Tupaiidae) and its implications for primate supraordinal relationships /E. J. Sargis -- Primate origins : a reappraisal of historical data favoring tupaiid affinities / M. Godinot -- Primate taxonomy, plesiadapiforms, and approaches to primate origins / M. T. Silcox -- Adaptations and evolution of the cranium -- Jaw-muscle function and the origin of primates / C. J. Vinyard, M. J. Ravosa, S. H. Williams, C. E. Wall, K. R. Johnson, & W. L. Hylander -- Were basal primates nocturnal? Evidence from eye and orbit shape -- Jaw-muscle function and the origin of primates / C. J. Vinyard, M. J. Ravosa, S. H. Williams, C. E. Wall, K. R. Johnson, & W. L. Hylander -- Oculomotor stability and the functions of the postorbital bar and septum / P. Heesy, C. F. Ross & B. Demes -- Primate origins and the function of the circumorbital region : xhat's load got to do with it? / M. J. Ravosa, D. G. Savakova, K. R. Johnson, & W. L. Hylander --New skeletons of Paleocene-Eocene plesiadapiformes : a diversity of arboreal positional behaviors in early primates / J. I. Bloch & D. M. Boyer -- Adaptations and evolution of the brain, behavior, physiology, and ecology -- Start small and live slow : encephalization, body size, and life history strategies in primate origins and evolution / B. T. Shea -- Evolutionary specializations of primate brain systems / T. M. Preuss -- New views on the origin of primate social organization / A. E. Müller, C. Soligo, & U. Thalmann -- Primate bioenergetics : an evolutionary perspective / J. J. Snodgrass, W. R. Leonard, & M. L. Robertson -- Episodic molecular evolution of some protein hormones in primates and its implications for primate adaptation / S. Y.i & W. -H. Li -- Parallelisms among primates and possums / D. T. Rasmussen & R. W. Sussman -- Perspectives on primate color vision / P. W. Lucas, N. J. Dominy, D. Osorio, W. Peterson-Pereira, P. Riba-Hernandez, S. Solis-Madrigal, K. E. Stoner, & N. YamashitaThe goals of this volume are twofold. First, it aims to provide a novel focus on adaptive explanations for cranial and postcranial features and functional complexes, socioecological systems, life history patterns, etc. in early primates. Second, it aims to offer a detailed rendering of the phylogenetic affinities of such basal taxa to later primate clades as well as to other early/recent mammalian orders. Thus, in addition to the strictly paleontological or systemic questions regarding Primate Origins, the editors plan to concentrate on the adaptive significance of primate characteristics. These questions are best approached through both paleontological and neontological comparative research on a variety of primate and non-primate materials. The volume is timely because it capitalizes on an increasing and important degree of novel independent museum, field and laboratory based research on many of the important outstanding issues regarding primate origins. Furthermore, by integrating such disparate sources of experimental, comparative, paleontological, ecological and molecular information into a single edited volume, it provides the broadest possible perspective on early primate phylogeny and the adaptive uniqueness of the Order Primates