Comparative studies document the diversity of lifestyles observed across species. The usual goal of such studies is to understand the causal basis for this diversity. In the research proposed here, diversity in primate behavioral, morphological, and life history characteristics will be examined using comparative methods. This study improves on previous research in three ways. First, it makes use of the largest primate socioecological database to better document patterns across species. This database also retains information on intraspecific variation to test patterns below the species level. Second, this study investigates a recently expanded theoretical model which includes the role of conflict between males and females in primate social evolution. Finally, this research applies new methods for dealing with the statistical problems of non-independence associated with evolutionary descent. Results from these methods have already identified new patterns and invalidated some previously proposed associations among traits. Thus, this research has important implications for the empirical basis of our understanding of primate social evolution. Comparative studies have played an important role in explaining evolutionary patterns, and the present work is expected to have implications for future research and education in primatology.
