Primates in the Wild: Food, Fighting, and Friendship

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

This course is an overview of Primatology, the study of the evolution of primate behavior, social systems, and mating systems. We will cover topics central to primate lives including finding food, fighting over resources, and navigating friendships. The course takes as its basis the principles of evolutionary biology and the processes of natural and sexual selection, which act to increase the success of individuals in surviving and reproducing. We will consider several themes throughout the course: primate biology and taxonomy, natural selection and social systems, sexual selection and mating systems, cognition, health, and conservation.