Mammals of the Neotropics, vol. 3, the Central Neotropics: Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil

John F. Eisenberg & Kent H. Redford. The University of Chicago Press: Chicago (1999) ISBN: 0-226-19541-4 (cloth), 0-226-19542-2 (paper)

Buy this book

This volume is the third and final part of a gargantuan catalogue (it now runs to over 1,400 pages) and key of the mammals of South America and Panama. Since the order Primates accounts for a sizeable percentage of the mammalian fauna of the Neotropics, due to their early occupation (compared to other eutherians) of the then-island continent in the Oligocene, each of the volumes has touched significantly on the order to which our Society is dedicated.

The series has changed slightly since the first volume in 1989, which was authored by Eisenberg alone. He was joined for Vol. 2 by Redford; Vol. 3, covering Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil, features both authors and seven stand-alone contributions by Eisenberg and others on mammalian biogeography, palaeontology, and biodiversity in South America. A very short introduction (repeating some information in earlier volumes) makes it clear that this is to be used in conjunction with the others in the series, so that the three must be treated as a whole, rather than as separate books.

The main focus of the collection is to summarise, in a single place, what is known about the distribution and natural history of the mammalian fauna of the Neotropics. To this end, every genus and species currently accepted is given a short diagnosis or description, with many arranged as keys for field workers. Copious maps, of both known occurrences and estimated ranges, and figures of skulls and animals in life, are provided, based on the latest information available to the authors. The bibliographies are extensive, but coverage since 1990 seems spotty. Several tables of measurements are also provided, mostly from other sources. The layout is encyclopaedic, divided by taxonomic categories.

Primates are covered in Chapter Nine of Vol. 3. At least some of the information given is available elsewhere (e.g., P. Hershkovitz's Living New World Monkeys, vol. 1 [Univ. Chicago Press, 1977], for the callitrichids), although the plotting of known localities is a distinct improvement over the area or range maps of other sources. The sections on natural history are short but informative, again aimed at the field worker. Four full colour plates are provided, covering most of the primates listed covered in the text. In addition to the information on distribution and identification, the authors comment on the taxonomy of the platyrrhines and, in particular, on the various species of the Callitrichidae. Some alternative taxonomic schemes are listed, increasing the value of the chapter above a mere gazetteer.

Apart from allowing us to marvel at the diverse range of mammals (from baleen whales to tiny rodents) that share South America with our platyrrhine relatives, what do these volumes offer the primatological community? They certainly can aid the study of the community to which the primates belong, as they cover habitat, behaviour, and distribution of all of the mammals. The series also provides a quick key to the identification of species. Their utility to the field worker, however, is probably somewhat limited by the size of the books, which is larger than reasonably could be expected to carry into the field, even in paperback. This, combined with the price, makes the series a desirable library reference, but probably not an essential purchase. Advanced students of platyrrhines ecology and field workers anxious to spread their (intellectual) nets wider will probably find the series more useful than most.