INTRODUCTION Advancing the study of South American primates. Paul A. Garber and Alejandro Estrada TAXONOMY, DISTRIBUTION, EVOLUTION, AND HISTORICAL BIOGEOGRAPHY OF SOUTH AMERICAN PRIMATES The diversity of the New World primates (Platyrrhini): An Annotated Taxonomy. Anthony B. Rylands and Russell A. Mittermeier Paleogeography of the South Atlantic: a route for primates and rodents into the New World? Felipe Bandoni de Oliveira , Eder Cassola Molina and Gabriel Marroig Platyrrhine ecophylogenetics in space and time. Alfred L. Rosenberger, Marcelo. Tejedor, Siobhan B. Cooke, and Stephen Pekar RECENT THEORETICAL ADVANCES IN PRIMATE BEHAVIOR AND ECOLOGY Demographic and morphological perspectives on life history evolution and conservation of New World monkeys. Gregory E. Blomquist, M. Martin Kowalewski, and Steven R. Leigh Long-term field studies of South American primates. Karen B. Strier and Sergio L. Mendes Sexual selection, female choice and mating systems. Patricia Izar, Anita Stone, Sarah Carnegie and Erica S. Nakai The reproductive ecology of South American primates: ecological adaptations in ovulation and conception. Toni E. Ziegler, Karen B. Strier and Sarie Van Belle Genetic approaches to the study of dispersal and kinship in New World primates. Anthony Di Fiore Predation risk and antipredator strategies Stephen F. Ferrari Mechanical and nutritional properties of food as factors in platyrrhine dietary adaptations. Marilyn A. Norconk, Barth W. Wright, Nancy L. Conklin-Brittain, Christopher J. Vinyard Neutraland niche perspectives and the role of primates as seed dispersers: a case study from Rio Paratari, Brazil Kevina Vulinec and Joanna E. Lambert The use of vocal communication in the spatial cohesion of groups: intentionality and specific functions. Rogerio Grassetto Teixeira da Cunha and Richard W. Byrne Primate cognition: integrating social and ecological Iinformation in decision-making. Paul A. Garber, Julio Cesar Bicca-Marques and Maria Aparecida de O. Azevedo-Lopes CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT OF SOUTH AMERICAN PRIMATES Impacts of subsistence game hunting on Neotropical primates. Benoit de Thoisy, Cecile Richard-Hansen, and Carlos A. Peres. Primate densities in the Atlantic forest of southeast Brazil: the role of habitat quality and anthropogenic disturbance. Naiara Pinto, Jesse Lasky, Rafael Bueno, Timothy H. Keitt and Mauro Galetti . Ecological and anthropogenic influences on patterns of parasitism in free-ranging primates: a meta-analysis of the genus Alouatta. Martin Kowaleski and Tom Gilliespe Primate conservation in South America: the human and ecological dimensions of the problem. Alejandro Estrada CONCLUDING CHAPTER Comparative perspectives in the study of South American primates: research priorities and conservation imperatives. Alejandro Estrada and Paul A. Garber