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This course will cover topics in Primatology, including primate evolution, behavior, ecology, and conservation. Day-to-day activities will include lectures and discussions based on assigned reading materials. There will also be electronic lab (e-lab) assignments to aid in learning about the Primate Order, including topics such as taxonomy and anatomy, locomotion, feeding ecology (i.e., dentition and diet), to name a few. The e-labs will include wonderful 3D models of the specimens we will study, as well as short videos.
There will be a final project due on the last day or two of the session. For this final project, students will become “experts” on a primate species and present the information via PPT/Google Slides, a conference-style poster, or a 2-page paper (the students can decide which format they prefer). In this presentation/final project, students will share information on a primate’s behavioral ecology and conservation status. The instructor will aid students in the development and organization of this final project throughout the two-week session. Students will learn critical skills that will aid them in their future studies, such as how to find, read, and summarize academic resources, as well as how to cite this information.
By the end of this session, students will have a basic understanding of evolution and ecology, particularly of the Primate Order, which includes us humans. Students will also have an understanding and appreciation of the aforementioned topics and how they interact and influence one another. In addition, students will become well-versed in the many diverse and beautiful primate species we have around the world, and what we may do to help conserve them and the other endangered animals in their shared ecosystems. This class will be beneficial for future studies in the fields of biology and ecology as well.
