Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, 27708, NC, USA.
Primates. 2022 May;63(3):195-215. doi: 10.1007/s10329-022-00987-1. Epub 2022 Apr 20.
This essay summarizes some of my findings while studying primates in the field from 1962 to 2018. Although I have studied primates throughout the tropics, I focused on Africa, primarily the Kibale Forest of Uganda. My research began in the early days of primate field studies when very little was known about the behavior and ecology of most species. Consequently, I was able to study nearly anything that could be observed under natural conditions. It was not necessary to specialize, and I opted to be a generalist. In much of my work I have attempted to understand the relationships between habitat quality, social organization, and population dynamics, emphasizing the great intraspecific variability that exists over time and between areas. Vocalizations have also long been of interest to me, starting with a description of predator-specific alarm calls and later showing how vocalizations among African monkeys appear to be evolutionarily stable. As my field experience progressed, I became increasingly involved with the conservation of tropical rain forests. In the last part of this essay I offer my thoughts on current trends in field primatology and some advice to the next generation of field biologists, stressing the importance of being a naturalist.
本文总结了我从 1962 年到 2018 年在野外研究灵长类动物的部分发现。虽然我在整个热带地区都研究过灵长类动物，但我主要专注于非洲，特别是乌干达的基巴莱森林。我的研究始于灵长类动物野外研究的早期阶段，当时对大多数物种的行为和生态学知之甚少。因此，我能够在自然条件下研究几乎所有可以观察到的东西。没有必要专门研究，我选择成为一个多面手。在我的大部分工作中，我试图理解栖息地质量、社会组织和种群动态之间的关系，强调随着时间的推移和不同地区之间存在的巨大种内变异性。声音也一直是我的兴趣所在，从描述特定捕食者的警报叫声开始，后来表明非洲猴子之间的叫声似乎是进化稳定的。随着我的野外经验的增加，我越来越参与到保护热带雨林的工作中。在本文的最后一部分，我对当前野外灵长类动物学的趋势提出了自己的看法，并向下一代野外生物学家提出了一些建议，强调成为一个自然主义者的重要性。
