Primate CognitionSoon 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. |
Contents
Chapter One Introduction | 3 |
KNOWLEDGE OF THE PHYSICAL WORLD | 25 |
Chapter Three Tools and Causality | 57 |
Chapter Four Features and Categories | 100 |
Chapter Five Quantities | 136 |
Chapter Six Theories of Primate Physical Cognition | 162 |
KNOWLEDGE OF THE SOCIAL WORLD | 187 |
Chapter Eight Social Strategies and Communication | 231 |
Chapter Eleven Theories of Primate Social Cognition | 342 |
A THEORY OF PRIMATE COGNITION | 365 |
Chapter Thirteen Human Cognition | 401 |
Chapter Fourteen Conclusion | 430 |
Appendix | 436 |
References | 443 |
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Common terms and phrases
adaptations adult animals baboons behavior bonobos Byrne captive capuchin monkeys causal Cebus apella Cercopithecus Cheney chim chimpanzees cognitive skills communication complex conspecifics context discrimination domain environment evidence evolution example experimental flexible foraging gestures Gorilla gorilla grooming groupmates human children human infants human-raised humanlike imitative learning individuals intentional investigators involved Japanese macaques Kanzi Lemur lexigrams Macaca mammals mental monkey species monkeys and apes mulatta nonhuman primates nonprimate object manipulation observed Old World monkeys ontogeny orangutans pair Pan paniscus Pan troglodytes panzees Papio particular physical Pongo pygmaeus Povinelli Premack primate cognition primate social primate species Primatology problem processes prosimians Psychology reciprocal altruism reciprocity reported rhesus macaques Rumbaugh Savage-Rumbaugh Seyfarth signals situations social cognition social interaction social learning social strategies spatial stimuli stumptail macaques subjects symbols task tested theory of mind tion Tomasello tool trials types vervet monkeys Visalberghi visual vocalizations Waal Whiten