In this text, Colin Groves proposes a complete taxonomy of living primates, reviewing the history and practice of their classification and providing a synthesis of molecular and phylogenetic research. He contends that the taxonomic designation of individual species is the starting point for conservation, and that the taxonomy of living species is critical to understanding evolutionary relationships. At the heart of the work are species-by-species accounts in which Groves reviews the history of each group and offers many taxonomic arrangements. He elevates several distinctive former subspecies to full species status and re-establishes the status of a number of previously overlooked taxa. Discussing the major taxonomic issues of each group, he describes the reasoning behind his conclusions and objectively offers explanations of opposing views. He also briefly outlines a possible taxonomy of fossil primates based on the taxonomy of living primates. Recognizing that any taxonomic scheme is hypothetical and destined to be influenced by new information and interpretations, Groves offers these classifications as a step toward further debate.