The natural history of the primates

A superb introduction to the most fascinating group of animals on earth. -- Desmond Morris British primatologists John and Prue Napier have, during two decades, prepared both popular books and stringently technical volumes within their irresistible and active discipline. Now they have compiled another handsomely illustrated brief survey. Half of the book is a compact, full profile of these our kin, primates figured and described genus by genus the world around. The rest presents a clear and current account of the classification, origin, structure and behavior of the most distinctive order of mammals. The last chapter reviews the current understanding of human evolution, the jigsaw puzzle of our own origin that we crave to assemble out of so fragmentary a set of fossil pieces. -- Philip Morrison, Scientific American As our closest living relatives, monkeys and apes hold a special appeal. This natural history, written in a clear and lively fashion by two distinguished primatologists, provides a basic, fully illustrated introduction to the order of primates.