This book is written particularly foc tile beginning student who is being

exposed for the first time to the Prinlates as a field of academic study.

This student may be in an anthropology, primatology, zoology, psychol-

ogy, or natural science comse, since tile study of the primates knows 11o

boundaries. The genetics student may also find this book of iCtterest in

light of the great variety of primates, living and fossil. Whatever tile

case may be, the student is faced with a mass of different types of primatcs

and all even greater mass of what nlllSt appear nliscellaneons infoynlatioil.

This introductory text is designed to simplify this situation, for it should

be the goal of every beginning text to simplify the complex.

First, the Primates are divided into two logical groupings: the

modern, or living priraates; and the fossil ones, the primates of the past.

A second way of simplifying matters is the llSe of the pattern concept

no single primate or group of primates is defined on a basis of one or two

characteristics but on the general pattern displayed. By use of boldface

type, the student is presented not only with what is important and what

to remember but also has a quick reference system for reviewing. Each

chapter has a pattern sUlnlllaly at tile end so tile reader Call check his

recall and quickly refer back to the conesponding boldface print.