This 3-unit course introduces students to the exciting world of primate societies. The course will draw upon concepts from animal behavior, ecology, evolution and anthropology to introduce students to non-human primates and their societies, providing the tools required to comprehend how we think about the evolution of complex human societies. The course will provide an overview of the primate lineage, ecology, social systems and organization, and dispersal and mating systems, so that students can critically evaluate how we define different societies, compare across different primates and environments, and consider what facilitates more complex societies. This is an opportunity for students to explore interdisciplinary perspectives to understand what differentiates primates from other animals and what makes human society unique. After completing the course, students will be able to identify and distinguish characteristics of primates, describe and generalize different social structures seen throughout the primate lineage, and distinguish what makes humans unique compared to other primates. The course will be a combination of lecture-based instruction and small group activities.
Course Attributes:
EN S; BU BA; AS SSC
