Primate Sexuality: Comparative Studies of the Prosimians, Monkeys, Apes, and Human Beings
Primate Sexuality is a uniquely comprehensive synthesis of our knowledge about the sexual behavior of primates. Alan Dixson reviews and integrates both the evolutionary biology and the physiological basis of sexual behaviour across the whole spectrum of primates, from prosimians to humans. Covering almost every aspect of primate sexuality, the book begins with an analysis of the history of research into primate sexual behaviour. A number of chapters discuss the complex array of mating systems exhibited by primates, and the bewildering range of tactics which influence sexual interactions within mating systems, and, ultimately, reproductive success. Sex selection, sperm competition, and the evolution of sexual dimorphism are explored. The book also reviews our current knowledge of the physiological aspects of sexuality, such as the sexual differentiation of the brain, hormonal mechanisms, and the ovarian cycle. Dixson has been working on primates for almost 30 years, and has put together an outstanding volume, drawing on more than 2000 references. The work is illustrated throughout with hundreds of original drawings and figures. It will be welcomed by zoologists, anthropologists, and psychologists researching the sexual behaviour of primates, as well as by psychiatrists and clinicians with an interest in human sexuality
