Primate Behavior and Ecology (358-0-1)

Meeting Info

ANTHRO Sem Rm B07 - 1810 Hinmn: Thurs 1:00PM - 3:50PM

Overview of class

Why do some primates glide effortlessly through the canopy while others spend their days on the forest floor? How do baboons navigate complex social politics, or capuchins learn to crack open palm nuts with stone tools? And what do these behaviors reveal about the pressures and possibilities of life on Earth?

This course is an exploration of the diversity and ingenuity of primates through the lens of behavioral ecology. Together, we will look at how monkeys and apes solve real ecological challenges: finding food, avoiding predators, building relationships, raising young, communicating, and adapting to rapidly changing environments. We will blend classic foundational studies with exciting contemporary research to understand how ecological factors shape primate behavior and evolution.

Along the way, we will connect primate strategies to broader questions about cognition, cooperation, conflict, and resilience. Students will learn to interpret behavioral patterns using ecological and evolutionary principles, evaluate scientific debates in primatology, and appreciate the deep links between environmental pressures and social life across species.

If you are curious about animals, evolution, psychology, conservation, or simply how different primates make sense of their world, this course offers a dynamic and intellectually rich journey into the lives of primates.

Class Materials (Required)

Primate Behavioral Ecology by Karen B. Strier 6th Edition
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0367222884
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0367222888

Class Attributes

Social & Behavioral Sciences Distro Area

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Reserved for Anthropology majors and minors until the end of preregistration, after which time enrollment will be open to everyone who has taken the prerequisites.