Dr. David Webb OM 469

(610) 683-4245 webb@kutztown.edu

Anthropology 273: Primatology

Objectives:

To introduce the student to the order Primates, which includes humans and our relatives. To familiarize the student with the evolution, anatomy and behavior of modern primates, and how they are both similar to and different from us. At the end of the course, students will be able to recognize the various primates alive today, describe their similarities and differences (i.e., how an ape is not a monkey), and make useful generalizations about primate behavior and ecological adaptations.

Text: Nystrom, Pia and Pamela Ashmore, The Life of Primates, Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ, 2008.

Outline:

I. What are primates?................................................................................................ Chap. 1

A. Primate Taxonomy................................................................................... Chap. 2

1. Strepsirhini

a. Lemuriformes

b. Lorisiformes

2. Haplorhini

a. Tarsioidea

b. Anthropoidea

B. Geographical Distribution........................................................................ Chap. 3

II. Primate Functional Anatomy................................................................... Chap. 4, App. B

A. Diet & Teeth

B. Locomotion

C. Neurology

D. Reproduction

III. Primate Behavior & Ecology

A. Diet & Habitat.......................................................................................... Chap. 6

B. Groups..................................................................................................... Chap. 7

C. Social Structure........................................................................................ Chap. 8

E. Communication........................................................................................ Chap. 9

F. Cognition................................................................................................ Chap. 10

IV. Primate Evolution................................................................................................ Chap. 5

A. Early Primates

B. Strepsirhini

C. Haplorhini

1. Tarsioidea

2. Anthropoidea

Course Requirements: There will be two non-cumulative, in-class, preliminary examinations, each worth one-fifth of the total grade. Various homework assignments will be added to each exam grade. The final exam will be cumulative but will heavily stress the last third of the course, and it will be worth one-fifth of the total grade. A book report (about 5 pages) will be due at midterm, and will be worth one-fifth of the total grade. The last fifth of the total grade will come from a research paper (12-15 pages) dealing with a particular primate. In addition, a mandatory trip to the Philadelphia Zoo will occur, on a weekend during the semester.

Note: If you have a disability that requires accommodation, please inform the instructor soon, so that appropriate assistance can be given.