Primate Cognition


Product Description
Soon after Charles Darwin formulated his theory of evolution, primate cognition became a major area of research. In this book, Michael Tomasello and Josep Call assess the current state of our knowledge about the cognitive skills of non-human primates. They integrate empirical findings on the topic from the beginning of the century to the present, placing this research in theoretical perspective. They begin with an examination of the way primates adapt to their physical world, mostly for the purpose of foraging. The second part of the book looks at primate social knowledge and focuses on the adaptations of primates to their social world for purposes of competition and cooperation. In the third section, the authors construct a general theory of primate cognition, distinguishing the cognition in primates from that of other mammals (human in particular). Their broad-ranging theory provides a guide for future research. Primate Cognition is an enlightening exploration of the cognitive capacities of our nearest primate relatives and a useful resource for a wide range of researchers and students in psychology, behavioral biology, primatology, and anthropology.Primate Cognition Review
This is a very technical work compared to the 'popular' talking apes literature. One the other hand, it is not as detailed as "Chimpanzee Politics : Power and Sex Among Apes" by Frans De Waal. The book comprehensively covers all non-human primate cognition research as of 1996. The authors do a masterful job of keeping their own opinions from dominating the text, allowing the hundreds individual studies to stand more-or-less on their own.The book is organized along Piaget's outline of cognitive development. It is broken into 3 major sections: (1) knowledge of the physical world, (2) knowledge of the social world and (3) a theory of cognition. I found the first section the best researched and interesting. The last sections is underdeveloped, but represents the state of research. Overall, the book is expertly crafted.A necessary reference for any serious about primate research. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews Was this review helpful to you?�Yes No Report abuse | PermalinkComment CommentMost of the consumer Reviews tell that the "Primate Cognition" are high quality item. You can read each testimony from consumers to find out cons and pros from Primate Cognition ...

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