THE COMPARATIVE DEMOGRAPHY OF PRIMATES: With Some Comments on the Evolution of Life Histories

This chapter reviews the current state of knowledge concerning the demography of primates. It compiles demographic systems (mortality and fertility estimates) for four broad grades of primates: New World monkeys, Old World monkeys, chimpanzees, and humans. The characteristics of each system, including its demographic stability, are presented and discussed. The environmentally induced variation in human and nonhuman primate vital rates are explored whenever possible. Findings include (a) that more data are needed particularly with respect to nonhuman primate fertility, (b) that human demographic systems are the least stable, and (c) that Pan troglodytes demography is probably evolutionarily derived from the general primate pattern.