Monkeytalk

Inside the Worlds and Minds of Primates

Nonfiction, Science & Nature, Science, Biological Sciences, Zoology
Cover of the book Monkeytalk by Julia Fischer, University of Chicago Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Julia Fischer ISBN: 9780226124384
Publisher: University of Chicago Press Publication: January 4, 2017
Imprint: University of Chicago Press Language: English
Author: Julia Fischer
ISBN: 9780226124384
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Publication: January 4, 2017
Imprint: University of Chicago Press
Language: English

Monkey see, monkey do—or does she? Can the behavior of non-human primates—their sociality, their intelligence, their communication—really be chalked up to simple mimicry? Emphatically, absolutely: no. And as famed primatologist Julia Fischer reveals, the human bias inherent in this oft-uttered adage is our loss, for it is only through the study of our primate brethren that we may begin to understand ourselves.

An eye-opening blend of storytelling, memoir, and science, Monkeytalk takes us into the field and the world’s primate labs to investigate the intricacies of primate social mores through the lens of communication. After first detailing the social interactions of key species from her fieldwork—from baby-wielding male Barbary macaques, who use infants as social accessories in a variety of interactions, to aggression among the chacma baboons of southern Africa and male-male tolerance among the Guinea baboons of Senegal—Fischer explores the role of social living in the rise of primate intelligence and communication, ultimately asking what the ways in which other primates communicate can teach us about the evolution of human language.

Funny and fascinating, Fischer’s tale roams from a dinner in the field shared with lionesses to insights gleaned from Rico, a border collie with an astonishing vocabulary, but its message is clear: it is humans who are the evolutionary mimics. The primate heritage visible in our species is far more striking than the reverse, and it is the monkeys who deserve to be seen. “The social life of macaques and baboons is a magnificent opera,” Fischer writes. “Permit me now to raise the curtain on it.”

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Monkey see, monkey do—or does she? Can the behavior of non-human primates—their sociality, their intelligence, their communication—really be chalked up to simple mimicry? Emphatically, absolutely: no. And as famed primatologist Julia Fischer reveals, the human bias inherent in this oft-uttered adage is our loss, for it is only through the study of our primate brethren that we may begin to understand ourselves.

An eye-opening blend of storytelling, memoir, and science, Monkeytalk takes us into the field and the world’s primate labs to investigate the intricacies of primate social mores through the lens of communication. After first detailing the social interactions of key species from her fieldwork—from baby-wielding male Barbary macaques, who use infants as social accessories in a variety of interactions, to aggression among the chacma baboons of southern Africa and male-male tolerance among the Guinea baboons of Senegal—Fischer explores the role of social living in the rise of primate intelligence and communication, ultimately asking what the ways in which other primates communicate can teach us about the evolution of human language.

Funny and fascinating, Fischer’s tale roams from a dinner in the field shared with lionesses to insights gleaned from Rico, a border collie with an astonishing vocabulary, but its message is clear: it is humans who are the evolutionary mimics. The primate heritage visible in our species is far more striking than the reverse, and it is the monkeys who deserve to be seen. “The social life of macaques and baboons is a magnificent opera,” Fischer writes. “Permit me now to raise the curtain on it.”

More books from University of Chicago Press

Cover of the book Catching Nature in the Act by Julia Fischer
Cover of the book The Beast and the Sovereign, Volume I by Julia Fischer
Cover of the book Norte by Julia Fischer
Cover of the book The Corn Wolf by Julia Fischer
Cover of the book Writing Science in Plain English by Julia Fischer
Cover of the book Protocols of Liberty by Julia Fischer
Cover of the book A History of German Jewish Bible Translation by Julia Fischer
Cover of the book Democracy in Latin America, 1760-1900 by Julia Fischer
Cover of the book Hope on Earth by Julia Fischer
Cover of the book RISINGTIDEFALLINGSTAR by Julia Fischer
Cover of the book Posthumous Love by Julia Fischer
Cover of the book Dreamers, Visionaries, and Revolutionaries in the Life Sciences by Julia Fischer
Cover of the book The Death Penalty, Volume I by Julia Fischer
Cover of the book Venusberg by Julia Fischer
Cover of the book German Idealism and the Jew by Julia Fischer
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy