Abstract:
Biological demography is one of the most important and interdisciplinary elements of the evolution sciences. The methods and theory of the biology of vital rates are becoming increasingly useful to primate behaviorists, biologists, fieldworkers, and ecologists. Most important, Old World monkeys, African apes, and humans are demographically unique. The contrasts of these three clades in terms of their mortality, fertility, and annual intrinsic growth rates are important for understanding the evolution of the higher primates and their varying degrees of success as well.
This workshop presents simple examples of the “spreadsheets” of demographic analysis, including life tables, fertility schedules, and the components of intrinsic population growth. Next, there are ecological comparisons of different types of mortality patterns that contrast higher primates with many other mammals. Finally, participants in this workshop will be able to appreciate an application to a comprehensive field study of a macaque species.