This course will provide a broad overview of the study of non-human primates. We will focus primarily on primatology from an anthropological perspective, incorporating biological and psychological perspectives when relevant. Topics addressed will include primate evolution and taxonomy, behavior and cognition, and conservation.

Textbook

There is no required textbook for this course. Required course materials will be posted to Canvas and/or distributed in class. In addition, you will need to get a book for your book review assignment (see below).

Readings and Other Media

There is no required textbook for this class. Required readings, videos, and podcasts will be posted on Canvas. An outline of the readings is provided in the table below, but readings are subject to change. Podcasts and videos are not summarized in the table but will be required viewing/listening as well. Check Canvas for required content.

Coursework

Activities

We will complete regular in-class activities. For example, you might be asked to answer a discussion prompt on paper before we discuss with the class. Occasionally you will be asked to complete an activity outside of class time, such as coming up with discussion questions based on a reading. The total number of points for all the activities associated with the class is 200. If you are absent when an activity is completed, see Canvas for a makeup activity. However, some activities cannot be completed outside of class because they require materials used in class (e.g. skull casts). If you miss an activity that cannot be completed outside class, you will have to complete an alternate assignment (e.g. write a paper addressing the topic covered by the activity or schedule a time to come to my office to complete the activity). Alternate activities will be posted to Canvas. Ensuring that you do the reading before each class period will help you to make meaningful contributions to the activities and discussions.

Species Paper & Presentation

You will work with a partner to complete a paper (8-10 pages, double spaced) and presentation on any single primate species that is of interest to you. This paper should be in APA style. Before you and your partner choose a primate species, please make sure there are enough resources available for that species. Some lesser-known species (such as Allen’s swamp monkey) are poorly represented in the literature and would not be a good topic for a paper. The paper should address your chosen primate’s basic ecology, social structure, distribution, and behavior, the main conservation challenges facing that species, and how the ecology and conservation status are related. Then, you need to propose a plan to lessen some of the conservation threats facing the species. Additional details will be provided in class. The species paper will be worth 250 points. This paper will be due in hard copy or via Canvas upload in class on the day of your presentation (randomly assigned - either April 16th or 23rd).

In addition to the paper, you will make an 8-minute oral presentation of your conservation plan to the class. The oral presentation will be worth 100 points. Oral presentations will take place during the last day of class (Thursday, April 16th) and the class’s final exam period (T****hur****sday, April 23, from 9**** ****to**** ****10:50**** ****AM****).

Quizzes

There will be three quizzes in the course. Each will be worth 75 points, for 225 points total. Quizzes are scheduled for January 30th; February 22nd; and April 4th.

Book Review

In a semester-long class, it can be difficult to gain perspective into what a day-to-day career in primatology is like. To help you gain insight into a career as a primatologist, you will review a book-length primatology publication. I will circulate a sign-up sheet with relevant books early in the class. You will need to write a book review. Your review should provide a brief summary, your opinions and interpretation, connections to concepts discussed in class, and whether the book changed your perspective on what it is like to be a practitioner in this field. Additional guidance for this assignment will be provided in class. The review should be in APA style, and should be 800-1000 words long. Written book reviews are due in hard copy or via Canvas upload on Thursday, March 7th. The book review will be worth 150 points.

Palm Oil Scavenger Hunt

You will be asked to complete a palm oil scavenger hunt in your home. We will discuss this activity further in class before it is due. The scavenger hunt will be worth 75 points. It is due on Tuesday, April 2nd.

Grading

Your grade will be based on your performance on a species paper worth 250 points, a presentation associated with your species paper worth 100 points, 3 quizzes worth 75 points each (225 points total), a book review worth 150 points each, a palm oil scavenger hunt worth 75 points, and various activities worth a total of 200 points. There will be a total of 1000 points in the class.

Grades will be assigned as follows:

*major assignment due or quiz scheduled; see above for details

Use of AI

The use of AI (artificial intelligence) writing programs (ChatGPT, Bing AI, Claude) is allowed in this class, within the guidelines discussed below. While AI can be useful for some purposes, some writing assignments in this class ask you to refer to course concepts and/or readings. AI cannot do that effectively for you, and trying to get it to do your thinking for you will undermine your own learning. You may use AI for brainstorming purposes, and to assist you with articulating *your* ideas. You may NOT use AI to generate assignments or portions of assignments for you. Note that AI is prone to factual inaccuracies, invented sources, and made-up quotes from real sources, all of which are problematic in an academic context. If you use AI, it is *your responsibility *to ensure that everything you turn in is accurate and properly cited. Inaccuracies and made-up sources will result in missed points on assignments. In addition**, if you use AI on any part of an assignment,** **you must disclose it at the top of your assignment****, and explain how you used AI****. If you do not disclose use of AI on an assignment where you used AI, you will receive a 0 for that assignment. Repeated offenses will result in failure of the class**.

Canvas

I will post grades, lecture slides, links to relevant resources, and announcements on Canvas. I will show some videos during class. Whenever possible, I will post links to those videos on Canvas so that you can review the videos on your own time.

Electronics

Silence all electronics before class. You may use your laptop for note-taking purposes. Please do not browse the Internet, use social media, or use your phone during class. It is rude and distracting to me and your fellow students. If you are being distracting, you may be asked to leave class.

Late Work and Missed Work

No work will be accepted after 10:50 AM on Tuesday, April 23rd.

During the semester, late assignments are accepted for a reduction in points. Late work will be accepted up to two weeks after the deadline (but not beyond the final exam period). 2% will be deducted from the score for each day the assignment is late (e.g. for an assignment submitted 4 days late, the maximum score you can earn is 92%). The maximum late deduction is 20%. Assignments will not be accepted after 10:50 AM on Tuesday, April 23rd.

Note that some assignments (exams and some course activities) may require alternate assignments if they are missed. See Canvas for alternate assignments.

Face to Face Class

This is a face-to-face course. There will be no accommodations for remote learning without documentation from the Disability Resource Center.

Courses in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences are assigned a program fee of $4.00 per credit hour.