Demographic and Morphological Perspectives on Life History Evolution and Conservation of New World Monkeys

BLOMQUIST, GREGORY E; KOWALEWSKI, M MARTIN; LEIGH, STEVE R

South American Primates, Developments in Primatology: Progress and Prospects

Springer Press

Año: 2009; p. 117 - 138

We explore the connections among demography, life histories, and growth and development in primate evolution assessing responses to habitat change, with an emphasis on New World monkeys. An appreciation of life history, and particularly the relations between life history, morphology, and demography can contribute solutions to vexing conservation problems and illuminate underappreciated adaptive diversity in NewWorld monkey life histories.We briefly discuss demographicmodeling, and relate how even very basic data can provide insights into understanding threats to populations. Second, we consider how patterns of morphological development impact the course of life history. Morphological analyses have traditionally played little role in either demographic analyses or conservation efforts, but our studies reveal considerable potential for morphology in understanding how life histories, and thus the basic demographic properties of populations, evolve. Finally, these dual foundations permit us to bring the concept of reaction norms to bear on conservation questions for primates in disturbed habitats. Throughout, we emphasize the limited value of a “‘fast vs. slow” perspective on life histories for conservation planning and understanding adaptation.