Anthropology 348 Primate Behavioral Ecology Course Description

(© Ryne A. Palombit) "He who understands [the] baboon, would do more toward metaphysics than Locke." --Charles Darwin

001 Biological Sciences Bldg (Douglass Campus)
Phone: (732) 932-5214
Email: rpalombit@anthropology.rutgers.edu

Textbook:

Strier, K.B.. 2007. Primate Behavioral Ecology, 3rd ed.  Allyn & Bacon, Boston.

Requirements:
1.  Midterm (25%)
2.  Final Exam (30%)
3.  Term Paper (35%)
4.  Class Discussions (5%) & Term Paper Topic Assignment (5%)

The Term Paper:
This paper will be on a subject of your choice, but must have both a topical and an organismal focus (e.g., “Why are marmosets polyandrous?”).  The paper should employ evolutionary theory that you learn from the lectures and reading to interpret some social or ecological phenomenon (e.g., sexual dimorphism, polyandry, monogamy, folivory, polyspecific associations, etc.), and it must thoroughly cover the literature on some taxonomic subset of primates (a species [e.g., Pongo pygmaeus], or genus [e.g., Cercocebus], or subfamily [e.g., Atelinae], etc.).  You are expected to use the library’s reference tools to ensure use of the recent literature & also to learn to do scholarly work.  A handout dealing with the term paper will be distributed. The paper should be about 10 pages, double-spaced.  Email a “why” question about a specific phenomenon in a particular taxon to me on date provided (5% of your course grade depends upon this) & I will provide feedback.  Some topics (e.g.,  locomotion, cognition) don’t work well.  Students cannot duplicate topics & taxa: topics are allocated on “first come, first serve” basis (so email as soon as you have your topic, but be prepared to switch if someone else is already doing it).  The paper due date provided in distributed syllabus.

Schedule of Meetings & Readings