ABSTRACT
Chapter 3 describes the development of key theoretical models central to the study of primate social systems. Through the use of detailed case studies, I demonstrate the limitations of reductive models in the face of an emergent understanding of complex, primate social dynamics. The primacy of natural selection as an explanatory factor is critically examined, and an argument for modelling individual behavioural flexibility as a baseline capability is advanced. Finally, this chapter describes refinements to the primatological toolkit as primatologists come to terms with the ubiquitous presence of human activities within our study sites.
