RESEARCH ON the behavior and ecology of New World primates (infraorder Platyrrhini) began in the 1930s with C. R. Carpenter’s pioneering work on mantled howler monkeys (Alouatta paliatta) and Geoffroy’s spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) in Panama (Strier 1994a, for a brief review). It was not until the late 1970s and 1980s, however, that signifi cant work on the ecology and behavior of wild pop...

The ecological effects of logging in the tropics have been analysed largely in terms of its impacts on species diversity and abundance. However, information is very limited regarding the impact of logging on ecological processes such as species interactions. Here we hypothesize that timber extraction per se, that is, in the absence of hunting, affects the abundance of the frugivorous spider mon...

Stable oxygen isotopes are increasingly used in ecological research. Here, I present oxygen isotope (δ(18)O) values for bone carbonate and collagen from howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata), spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) and capuchins (Cebus capucinus) from three localities in Costa Rica. There are apparent differences in δ(18)Ocarbonate and δ(18)Ocollagen among species. Monkeys from moist fo...

The ASPM (abnormal spindle-like microcephaly associated) gene has been proposed as a major determinant of cerebral cortical size among primates, including humans. Yet the specific functions of ASPM and its connection to human intelligence remain controversial. This debate is limited in part by a taxonomic focus on Old World monkeys and apes. Here we expand the comparative context of ASPM sequen...

Pan and Ateles converge in many aspects of their social organization. Both are characterized by a high degree of fission-fusion dynamics, in which species exhibit high variation in party size, composition, and spatial cohesion. Within this framework, chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and spider monkeys (Ateles sp.) exhibit the most similarity in subgrouping patterns and social relationships. Specif...

UNLABELLED PREMISE OF THE STUDY Microsatellite markers were developed for Spondias radlkoferi to assess the impact of primate seed dispersal on the genetic diversity and structure of this important tree species of Anacardiaceae. • METHODS AND RESULTS Fourteen polymorphic loci were isolated from S. radlkoferi through 454 GS-FLX Titanium pyrosequencing of genomic DNA. The number of alleles r...