PRIMATE SOCIAL BEHAVIOR AND ECOLOGY (Anthro 310) Beloit College, Wi Instructor: Nancy Krusko Beloit College Anthropology 700 College St. Beloit, WI 53511 USA Tel: 1-608-363-2368 Fax: 1-608-363-2718 Email: kruskona@beloit.edu (Spring, 1995) Office: 111 Godfrey, ext. 2368 Office Hours: Mon. 11-12:00pm, Tues. 3-4:00 pm, and by appt. INTRODUCTION The target audience is mainly upper division antropology students who are interested in biological anthropology and upper division biology and psychology students. Some of the students take the course to fulfill a requirement for their interdisciplinary minor in behavioral studies. There are generally 15-20 students in the course. Since Beloit is a small liberal arts college with 1100 students, this is both a healthy enrollment and indication of the level of interest in the primates. BACKGROUND: The purpose of this course is to examine the natural history of the nonhuman primates from an evolutionary, ecological, and social perspective. We will begin by surveying the primate order, and then we will assess the behavioral characteristics and grouping patterns of each major group in light of modern evolutionary theory. Next, using a historical lens, we will explore various topical issues and paradigms confronting primatology today. Also, we will briefly focus on the methods used by primatologists in order to study both behavior and ecology. Finally, we will consider issues in primate conservation. Course material will be presented in lecture, discussion, and video/film format during the scheduled class time (MWF, 10:00-10:50 am). A basic background in biology is necessary for this course. If you find yourself having difficulty, please see me for assistance. The Fourth Hour: Occasionally, the fourth hour, Tuesday from 11:00-11:50 am will be used to further explore class topics, to present of additional information, to review for exams, and for video/film presentations. I will give you advanced warning as to when we will be using this time period. Your participation in this fourth hour will greatly contribute to your overall success in the course. READINGS: The text for this course is Primate Paradigms: Sex Roles and Social Bonds by Linda Fedigan. In addition, to this text, I will also ask you to read chapters from Primates in Nature by Alison Richard, The Evolution of Primate Behavior (2nd ed.) by Alison Jolly, and various other journal articles or book chapters that are on reserve in the library. Key to reading the course outline: F=Fedigan, Primate Paradigms, J=Jolly, Evol. of Primate Behavior, and R= Richard, Primates in Nature. The numbers following the initials refer to page numbers in those books you are to read. Additional required readings are on reserve in the library, and are listed in the course outline by the authors' last name and the date of publication. EVALUATION: Two midterm exams (Feb. 17; Mar. 31 ) 50 pts. each Final exam (May 9) 100 pts. Term project proposal (Mar. 20) 20 pts. Term project (5-7 pages) (Apr. 24) 60 pts. Oral presentation of term project 25 pts. Class participation 25 pts. Semester Total 330 pts. TERM PROJECT: I will provide a handout for you several weeks into the course explaining what I want you to do for this assignment. I want you either to write a book review or critique of an article in the area of primatology that is of interest to you, research a topic in primatology and provide an annotated bibliography, or even design a project that could be used by grade school or high school teachers on a particular aspect of theory in primatology. In general, what you do for the project is very flexible. You can negotiate with me individually about your choices. You may work with another individual from the course or in a small group;however, each of you will have to produce your own 5-7 page paper. COURSE OUTLINE JAN 17 Introduction to the course F: 4-8; 15-25 18 Aims and methods of primate study R: 1-21; Ribnick, 1982 20 Primates: learned and innate behavior F: 27-38 JAN 23 What is a primate? F: 8-13; Napier&Napier Chapts. 1 and 3 in Nat. Hx of the Primates 25 Classification and distribution of primates J: 3-29; Rosen's taxonomy 27 Why be social? F:39-49; Terborgh, 1984 JAN. 30 The prosimian primates R: 291-299 FEB. 1 New World monkeys F:253-262; R:299-304 3 Old World monkeys: Cercopithecines F: 215-227; 237-244; 248-252; R: 304- 319 FEB 6 Old World monkeys: Cercopithecines cont'd 8 Old World monkeys: Colobines F: 244-248; R: 320-322 10 Old World monkeys: Colobines cont'd FEB 13 Lesser Apes F:262-265; R:331-334 15 Review for Midterm 17 Midterm Exam I FEB 20 Chimpanzees and bonobos F: 227-234; 22 Chimpanzees and bonobos cont'd R: 322-326; 334-341 24 Gorillas and orangutans F:Chapt.5; R: 326-331 FEB 27 Grouping patterns and social structure J: 115-139; Altmann & Altmann,1979;Rowell,1979 MAR. 1 Diets and foraging strategies J:45-71;87-113; Glander, 1977, 1981 3 Use of Space J:154-177; Crockett & Wilson,1980; S. Curtin, 1976 Midterm Break: March 4-12 MAR. 13 Ecology and videos Richard, 1981;Terborgh & Janson 15 Competition, aggression, and reconciliation F: 71-89 17 Reproduction and mating systems F: 137-151 Term paper proposal due March 20 MAR. 20 Male competition and female choice F: 269-285; Smuts, 1986 (Sexual compt.& mate choice) 22 Dominance F:91-107;Smuts, Fedigan 1983 24 Sociobiology and sex roles F: 287-306 MAR. 27 Infanticide in primates F: 298-299; Curtin & Dolhinow, 1978; Hrdy, 1977; Vogel & Loch 1985 29 The life cycle F: 173-211 31 Midterm Exam II APR. 3 Mothers, infants, and ontogeny F: 199-211; Luft & Altmann,1980 5 Play and socialization J: 401-413 7 Sex differences in behavior F: 155-174 Videos (Rock a Bye Baby, Rhesus Play) APR. 10 Demography J: 218-243 12 No Class Students' Symposia 14 Communication J:192-217:Cheney et al. 1986 APR. 17 Theories for the evolution of human behavior F: 307-321 19 Methods for behavior observation Altmann, 1974 21 Primate conservation Mittermeir and Cheney 1986 APR. 24 Synthesis and review (Term project due April 24) 25 Oral presentations 26 Oral presentations 28 Oral presentations MAY 1 Oral presentations 3 Oral presentations MAY 9 Final Exam (9:00 am-Noon)
URL: http://www.primate.wisc.edu/pin/syllabi/krusko.html
Page last modified:
February 19, 2002
Maintained by the WPRC Library