Syllabus

Course Description

This course will present and discuss the social lives of the nonhuman primates. We will begin with an introduction to primate evolution and taxonomy and an introduction to behavioral ecology. We will then examine and discuss select groups of living primates. Thereafter, topics such as conservation, social behavior, cooperation/competition, reproduction, ethnoprimatology, and evolution of social organization will be highlighted as we cover the wide array of factors related to the lives of the nonhuman primates.

Course Objectives

• A working knowledge of course related aspects of: behavioral ecology; primate taxonomy; social organization, behavior and reproduction.
• The capacity to discuss and analyze major themes in current primatology as they relate to the species/genera reviewed in this course
• The ability to begin to understand where behavior comes from and thus to evaluate new behavioral data you come across
• A realization of the importance of primate-wide trends to anthropology
  

Required Textbook

Primates in Perspective. Edited by Christina J. Campbell, Agustín Fuentes, Katherine C. MacKinnon, Melissa Panger, and Simon K. Bearder. (Oxford, 2006).

Grading