The impact humans have on non-human primates is the subject of new book by biological anthropologist Tracie McKinney.

Dr McKinney, whose research focuses on ecotourism, crop-foraging, and any situation in which humans and wild primates come into contact, has co-edited Primates in Anthropogenic Landscapes. Developments in Primatology: Progress and Prospects which argues that species which thrive in human-altered environments can teach us a lot about the adaptability of wildlife.

Dr Tracie McKinney discusses some of the themes and ideas in the book.

“The book explores the impact humans have on non-human primates, across all ranges of environment types. We include primates living in what many would consider ‘wild’ or ‘undisturbed’ landscapes, those who live in farms or urban areas, and primates in captivity,” Dr McKinney said.

This is important because humans impact ALL non-human primate populations, and those populations who are most heavily impacted, such as city-dwelling baboons, are as worthy of study as remote groups of forest chimpanzees, for example.

“Primates respond to anthropogenic (human-origin) stressors in the same way they would respond to any other environmental pressure, and these responses are interesting and important. In fact, some species, like rhesus macaques, actually thrive in human-altered environments, so they have much to teach us about the ways animals cope with human stressors.

“What is unusual about the book is that we have included primate across the spectrum of human interaction, including captive animals such as zoo collections and pets. We also have a few topics that are relatively understudied, such as the importance of regenerating forests for primate conservation, and the impact of domestic dogs.

“We argue that conservation efforts have to include primates that live in these shared landscapes. We can no longer rely on ‘fortress conservation’ of the past, where we just set aside land for wildlife. Primatologists must include an element of human-animal interactions into their work, especially if they are focused on conservation.

“The book is a collaborative effort with contributions from primate experts from across the globe. Conservation biology has colonial roots, and the field is dominated by scholars from the Global North conducting research and making decisions on other people's behalf.  

“When we were planning this book, we started with the principle that every chapter team should include scholars from a primate range country. We are honoured to have been able to bring together such a diverse group of contributors, with authors from 24 different countries.”

Chapters are grouped into three sections, representing the many ways anthropogenic activities affect primate populations:

• Human Influences on Primate Habitat, covers ways in which wild primates are affected by human actions, including forest fragmentation, climate change, and the presence of dogs. 
  
  
• Primates in Human-Dominated Landscapes, looks at situations where non-human primates and humans share space; this includes primates in urban environments, primate tourism, and primates in agroecosystems. 
  
  
• Primates in Captivity, looks at primate behaviour and welfare in captive situations, including zoos, the primate pet trade, and in entertainment.

Buy the book

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-11736-7

About Dr Tracie McKinney

Dr Tracie McKinney is a Senior Lecturer in Biological Anthropology at the University of South Wales and a member of the Earth, Ecology and Environment Research Group. Dr McKinney is a member of the IUCN Primate Specialist Group Section for Human-Primate Interactions, where she works to ensure that our research and policies around primates include the human dimension.

Tracie is particularly interested in the relationships people have with other animals, how animals respond to changing environments, and ways to support wildlife conservation in human-dominated landscapes. She is currently working with collaborators in Costa Rica to install aerial bridges to reduce road fatalities for the Vulnerable mantled howler monkey.