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"Primate Behavior and Ecology"

(Session #1 / LaSuerte)

Katherine C. MacKinnon, Ph.D.
Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice
and Center for International Studies
Saint Louis University
3500 Lindell Boulevard
St. Louis, MO 63103
Phone: (314) 977-2167
Fax: (314) 977-362
E-mail: mackinn@slu.edu

Course Description

In this course you will learn fundamental concepts related to the study of primate behavior and ecology, as applied in a tropical setting. You will gain actual field experience in primatological data collection techniques, and you will design and conduct your own short independent research project. The course will be equivalent to an upper-level primate behavioral ecology course, but with a greater emphasis on field techniques, data collection, and research design.

There are several components to the course: formal classroom lectures, classroom presentations based on readings and independent projects, informal discussions out in the field, a series of group field exercises that will be carried out in the forest, an exam, and an individual research project based on data collection techniques learned during the group projects, methodology readings and classroom lectures.

Course Objectives

At the conclusion of this course, each student will be able to:

• Understand and remarkable variability in the Order Primates.
• Primatological.
• Understand the complexities of primate social behavior patterns.
• Appreciate the relationship between evolutionary forces, the environment, and behavioral adaptations in the nonhuman primates.
• Apply some of the methodological techniques used in primatological research
• Appreciate the complex issues facing primate conservation efforts.

Required Reading

Strier, K. (2003). Primate Behavioral Ecology, 2nd edition. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. ISBN: 0205352367
Patterson, J. D. (2001). Primate Behavior: An Exercise Workbook, 2nd edition. Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland Press Inc. ISBN: 1577661656

Recommended Reading

The following books have excellent general primate information, and some have information and data relevant to the species at Ometepe. Additionally, some discuss field techniques that may prove helpful. These would be excellent to utilize for group projects, independent research projects, and for your own interest. I will bring several of these titles with me, and the libraries at Ometepe and La Suerte have some of these texts as well.

Belt, Thomas (1985). The Naturalist in Nicaragua. Chicago/London: The University Of Chicago Press (This is a reprint of the original 1874 edition with a foreword by Daniel Janzen; I will have a copy)
Dolhinow, P., & Fuentes, A. (1999). The Nonhuman Primates. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Publishing. ISBN: 1559349743
Janzen, D.H. (Ed.). (1983). Costa Rican Natural History. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. (available in the Ometepe library). ISBN: 0226393348
Kricher, J.C. (1989). A Neotropical Companion. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press (available in the Ometepe library). ISBN: 0691009740
Napier, J.R. and P.H. Napier (1986). The Natural History of the Primates. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. ISBN: 0262640333
Richard, A. (1985). Primates in Nature. Salt Lake City, UT: W. H. Freeman. (available in the La Suerte library). ISBN: 071671647X
Rowe, N. (1996). The Pictorial Guide to the Living Primates. New York: Pogonias Press. ISBN: 0964882515
Smuts, B.B. D. L. Cheney, R. M. Seyfarth, R. Wrangham, T. T. Struhsaker (eds.) (1987). Primate Societies. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN:0226767167
Sussman, R. W. (2003). Primate Ecology and Social Structure, Vol.2: New World Monkeys (revised 1st edition). Boston, MA: Pearson Custom Publishing. ISBN 0536743649
Terborgh, J. (1983). Five New World Primates: A Study in Comparative Ecology. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. ISBN: 069108338X
COURSE STRUCTURE

The course will be broken up into two main sections: “primate behavioral ecology/field techniques” and “independent research project”.

1. The PRIMATE BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY/FIELD TECHNIQUES portion (first half of course) is based on classroom lectures, participation in discussions, oral presentations, field exercises, and one exam.

Lectures/Readings

The specific lecture topics will fall under the following general categories:

Primate Evolution, Taxonomy & Distribution
Primate Social Organization & Behavior
Primate Dietary Ecology
Primate Communities (niches, polyspecific associations, predators)
Natural History of the Primates Found at Ometepe (group presentations on genera rather than lectures)
Research Design: Methodology and Data Collection Techniques
Readings will be assigned in the texts, and many journal articles (as well as other books) will be available in the Ometepe library for additional information.

Field Exercises

This part of the course involves supervised participation in data collecting techniques, methods, and procedures discussed and practiced under actual field conditions. Students will work closely with the professor and teaching assistant on the following field techniques:

Habitat Description = you will compare different habitats for tree height, crown volume, and canopy cover, and develop a basic habitat profile.
Plant Phenology & Productivity = you will learn techniques to measure primate food availability, and you will collect and identify plant samples.
Primate Population Analysis = you will learn how to census primate groups.
Primate Feeding Ecology = you will learn how to determine what the study animals are eating, how much they are eating, and how diet differs according to season, age and sex class.
Primate Observation Techniques and Ethograms = you will learn techniques for aging, sexing, and identifying individual primates, as well as developing a behavioral profile.
In addition, there will be research methodology exercises that will provide useful practice for various data-taking techniques that will be used during the independent project. You will learn various elements of research design, including how to develop an ethogram (or “behavioral repertoire”), and various behavioral sampling methods.

Journal Article Critique

This assignment will introduce you to the professional primatological literature and give you a sense of current styles of writing and topics of interest in primatology. You will select a journal article from the Ometepe library, from articles I bring with me, or perhaps from something that you bring along. More details will be provided during class.

2. The INDEPENDENT RESEARCH PROJECT takes place during the second half of the course. With the help of our faculty, you will develop and carry out your own field research project. This will be an original project of your own choosing on some topic of primate behavioral ecology, and it will involve researching, developing, writing up, submitting and getting feedback on a specific research proposal, carrying out the project, analyzing and writing up your results, and orally presenting these results to the rest of the class at the end of the field course. The professor and teaching assistant will be available throughout the process to help with research design, and to offer advice during the data collection process.

Student Evaluation

You will be evaluated on the following activities during the course:

a) Your performance on 5 field techniques (group activities).
b) Your participation during the lectures and discussions, both in the classroom and in the field.
c) A ‘midterm’ written exam.
d) A journal article critique, presented and discussed with the group.
e) Your independent research project that will be written up, orally presented, and turned in while at the field site.

Active participation in a field course is very important and you will be graded on your participatory effort throughout the course. All graded field exercises, the exam, and the final written independent research project must be turned in before leaving the course if you wish full credit.

Grading Breakdown

-Field Exercises 25%
-Journal Article Critique 10%
-Participation 10%
-Exam 15%
-Individual Research Project 40%

Tentative Schedule

(Note: Since some aspects of this course may take a longer or shorter period of time than what is presented here, we will be somewhat flexible with this schedule)

Day 1: (or day before) Arrive in Nicaragua. Go by bus and ferry to Ometepe. Get settled and acquainted; extensive orientation; brief tour of facilities. If you come in the day before, you will need to stay overnight at the Best Western at the airport.
Day 2: Tour of facilities, orientation, and break up into small groups to learn trail system, use of compass, and begin plant and animal observations in the forest. Lecture in PM. Reading assignment.
Day 3: Field exercise #1. Lecture in PM. Reading assignment.
Day 4: Field exercise #2. Lecture in PM. Reading assignment.
Day 5: Field exercise #3. Lecture in PM. Reading assignment.
Day 6: Field exercise #4. Lecture in PM. Reading assignment.
Day 7: Field exercise #5. Lecture in PM. Reading assignment.
Day 8: Work on journal article critique. Lecture in PM. Reading assignment.
Day 9: Lecture in AM. Present journal article critiques to group. Practice ethogram and data collection techniques rest of day in camp.
Day 10: Practice ethogram and data collection techniques all day in forest on the howler monkeys. Study for exam.
Day 11: Review the literature and work on proposal for individual research project. Study for exam.
Day 12: Finish writing up research proposals in AM. Meet individually with professor and teaching assistant to discuss proposals. Exam in PM.
Day 13-22: Collect and analyze data for individual research project. On day 22 begin report write-up in PM.
Day 23: Report write-up all day. Begin some oral presentations of research projects in PM.
Day 24: Rest of oral presentations of independent research projects; farewell fiesta.
Day 25: Leave Ometepe and spend night near airport
Day 26: Fly home.

Students with Special Needs

If any member of the class has a disability and needs special accommodations, please let me know ASAP. I will be happy to work with you to ensure that you have a fair opportunity to perform well in the class.

Academic integrity is violated by any dishonesty in submitting field exercises, tests, or the independent research projects. Any clear violation of academic integrity will be met with sanctions.