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ANTHROPOLOGY 496/596 - OBSERVING PRIMATE BEHAVIOR
Course Syllabus
Fall 2003
W 10-10:50; Friday 9-3
4 Credit Hours
Miami University
Dr. Linda F. Marchant
Office: 157 Upham
Office Hrs: T 9-11;
R 1-3, or by appt.
Office phone: 529-1594
REQUIRED TEXTS:
Martin, P. and Bateson, P., Measuring Behaviour - An Introductory Guide 2nd edition,
Cambridge University Press, 1993.
Patterson, J.D., Primate Behavior 2nd edition, Waveland Press, 2001.
Rowe, Noel. The Pictorial Guide to the Living Primates, Pogonias Press, 1996.
A reader consisting of journal articles, book chapters, etc. is available at Oxford Copy Shop, 10
S. Poplar.
CATALOG DESCRIPTION:
Theory and methods in the study of primate behavior. Applied behavioral primatology entails
original research projects done at an appropriate zoological venue, e.g. the Cincinnati Zoo.
Prerequisites: junior or senior status; for ATH majors, nine advanced hours in ATH, including
ATH 255, and preferably at least one of the following, ATH 355, ATH 395, ATH 497, ATH
498; for others, permission of instructor.
[Note to Graduate Students enrolled in ATH 596 – Graduate students are expected to complete
the assignments as outlined below, but, he or she will write a somewhat longer final report and
do more sophisticated data analyses]
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This upper-division anthropology course will introduce students to theory and methods
employed in the study of nonhuman primate behavior. The class will meet twice a week, on
Wednesdays (10-10:50 p.m.) and Fridays (9 a.m.-3 p.m.) Our Wednesday meetings are in
Upham 160. On Fridays we will go to the Cincinnati Zoo where students will conduct a research
project. You will formulate a testable hypothesis based on your preliminary observations as well
as a review of the relevant literature, gather the appropriate data to adequately test that
hypothesis based on many hours of sampling (what does she mean many hours?), analyze those
data and present them in both tables and graphs, and finally, discuss the results in the context of
the relevant primatological literature. The research project will be presented in a final report.
Your report will address questions and predictions about specific behaviors and perhaps discuss
the relationships of several focal animals in the species you select. To facilitate this process there
are several assignments due throughout the semester to help you structure your ideas, and
organize your data collection and numerical analyses.
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Our weekly meetings on Oxford campus will prepare students for assignments, give us
more time for discussion of readings, and allow us to view videos of primate behavior.
Weekly zoo visits will consist of a brief group meeting; individual data collection for ~
3.5 hours; lunch & discussion; return to Oxford. By semester=s end, you will have a good
grasp of the diversity and complexity of primate behavior. You will also know how to
conduct behavioral research in a zoo setting.
GRADING:
Your final grade will be based on the following: the initial proposal - 10%; the
behavioral ethogram and sample sheet - 15%; the initial literature review; the data work
up - each 20%; the final report - 35%. The five project assignments and their due dates
are as follows:
1. INITIAL PROPOSAL - Due in my mailbox in 164 Upham by 9 a.m.,
TUESDAY, SEPT. 9TH. This is a proposal of what you intend to do and how you
intend to do it. You will have spent Aug. 29th observing the different primates at
the zoo; by Sept. 5th you will have chosen your target species and watched those
individuals on that day. You should be able to come up with four or five working
hypotheses framed as testable questions. It is fine, at this point, if you feel they
are simple, naive or even unanswerable; later you will refine your predictions as
you gain experience observing your animals. Also bear in mind that you are
constrained in the questions you may ask by 1) the size and composition of the
social groups at the zoo, 2) the limitations of doing a zoo study and 3) the
relatively short time period in a semester. (10%)
2. BEHAVIORAL ETHOGRAM AND SAMPLE SHEET - Due in my mailbox
by 9 a.m., MONDAY, SEPT. 22nd. This assignment consists of the actual sample
sheet(s) for data collection and a catalogue of the behaviors you intend to
measure. We will discuss the various sampling methods and what constitutes an
ethogram prior to the assignment's due date. (15%)
FROM PFA NEWSLETTER 13:4 Oct. 15, 2002 “Looking for a chimpanzee or
other primate ethogram?” Got to http://www.ethograms.org These ethograpms
are a good point of reference when developing an ethogram of your own.
3. INITIAL LITERATURE REVIEW - Due in my mailbox by 9 a.m.,
MONDAY, OCTOBER 13TH. This is the beginning of your bibliography for the
references you will cite in your final report. This list will include at least four
primary sources (i.e., journal articles) and four general books. All eight, or more,
entries will be annotated. I will provide the following resources to help orient you
to the primatological literature: a) Current Primate References (CPR) - a monthly
listing of citations published by the Primate Information Center, Washington
Regional Primate Research Center (CPR ceased publication in 2000 but is still a
VERY useful source of references) b) a list of primatological journals available in
Brill Science Library, and/or the Biological Anthropology Laboratory, 65 Upham.
You are expected to do a search of the campus libraries to discover available
resources. (20%)
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4. DATA WORK UP - Due in my mailbox by 9 a.m., MONDAY, NOVEMBER 10TH.
This is a representative sample of your raw data up to this point and a "work up" of
the data, i.e., putting the numbers into a table or matrix format and graphing them in a
meaningful way. Any interpretation will be done in your final report. You will also
provide a chronology of your observations, (i.e., days sampled, weather, # of samples,
and # minutes sampled). You will receive a detailed handout describing this
assignment. (20%)
5. FINAL REPORT - Due on or before FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12TH, at 5 P.M.
December 12th is also the day when you will do your class presentations so this is a
day to plan for well ahead of time. (see next paragraph) You will receive a VERY
detailed handout for the format of your paper. (35%).
Your last zoo day is Dec 5th and the final class meetings of Dec. 10th and 12th are on the
Oxford campus in 160 Upham. On Wednesday, the 10th, we will discuss the "mechanics"
of good presentations. The final meeting, Dec. 12th, will consist of brief (approx. 20
minutes) reports from each class participant describing his/her research project. These
reports and discussions should take us most of our scheduled time so plan on a full day
and bring lunch.
SOME THINGS TO REMEMBER:
1.
Try to wear neutral colored clothing; avoid bright colors that might distract the
animals. DRESS COMFORTABLY!!
2.
NEVER make physical contact with any of the animals. Physical contact is
impossible if you respect the barriers that restrict all zoo visitors from getting too
close to enclosures. If you see zoo visitors provoking or feeding animals ask them
(politely) to stop. If there is a zoo employee nearby ask them for help.
3.
It is best to wear closed-toe shoes; comfort is the primary consideration. You will
be standing for long periods of time.
4.
It is very difficult to observe for extended periods, and the quality is as important
as the quantity of data you collect.
5.
Try not to bring too much "stuff" with you on zoo days. You'll need to lock
valuables in cars or keep them on your person. Bookbags, purses, etc., get heavier
and heavier as the day goes on - a backpack may be a wise choice.
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LAB EQUIPMENT/MISC. You will need a clipboard and a watch with a sweep second hand or a stopwatch before
you begin to collect data.
The Cincinnati Zoo requires a $10 fee from each participant for a zoo-pass for the
semester. We will arrange car pools during our first session and choose a meeting site on
the Miami campus for our weekly departures to the zoo.
Please begin by reading chapters 1 and 2, plus sections A-G of chapter 3 in Martin and
Bateson; chapter 1 in Patterson, and using the handout I will provide that describes the
primate collection of the Cincinnati Zoo, skim the relevant entries in Rowe so that you
will be prepared to Ameet@ your subjects this Friday, Aug. 29th. For example, you=ll see
that I describe two groups of Crowned guenons (Cercopithecus pogonias); one group is
housed outdoors in Gorilla World and the other group is housed indoors in Jungle Trails
West. Thus, you=ll need to read Rowe, pp. 164-165. I will give other reading
assignments as the semester progresses.
This course requires a great deal of individual as well as group effort. It is a very
demanding and very rewarding experience. Please remember that I am available to you
during office hours and at other times if we schedule an appointment. Welcome to the
world of nonhuman primate behavior!
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ANTHROPOLOGY 496/596 - OBSERVING PRIMATE BEHAVIOR
DR. L. MARCHANT FALL 2003
OFFICE PHONE 529-1594
CLASS MEETING SCHEDULE & ASSIGNMENT DATES
Week of:
Aug
27
29
Sept 3
Sept 5
First class meeting - 160 Upham
Zoo Day - First trip to zoo; tour of primate
collection.
Past zoo projects - what makes sense in a
zoo? Conducting research in a zoo; How to
ask research questions; testable hypotheses.
Zoo Day - Focus on a maximum of three
species - formulate hypotheses.
SEPT 9
mailbox,
INITIAL PROPOSAL DUE TUESDAY 9 a.m., my
164 Upham
Sept 10
12
Cont above
Zoo Day - Focus on Ayour@ species; refine
research question.
Sept 17
19
sample
Sampling methods; the ethogram
Zoo Day - begin working out ethogram and
sheet.
SEPT 22
MONDAY
BEHAVIORAL ETHOGRAM AND SAMPLE SHEET DUE
9 a.m., my mailbox, 164 Upham
Sept 24
26
ethogram &
More on sampling and sample sheets
Zoo Day - attempt data collection w/
sample sheet.
Oct 1
Oct 3
sheet.
Primate literature
Zoo Day - revision of ethogram and sample
Oct 8
10
More on primate literature
Zoo Day - data collection
OCT 13
INITIAL LITERATURE REVIEW DUE MONDAY 9 a.m.,
my mailbox, 164 Upham
Oct 15
17
Primate conservation
Friday Fall Break; Mid-term Holiday
Optional Zoo Day, Monday, Oct. 13th
6
Oct 22
24
Data analysis; descriptive statistics
Zoo Day - data collection
Oct 29
31
More on data analysis
Zoo Day - data collection
Nov 5
Nov 7
Zoos and their research role
Zoo Day - data collection
NOV 10
DATA WORK UP DUE MONDAY 9 a.m., my mailbox,
164 Upham
Nov 12
14
Zoos and their research role cont.
Zoo Day - data collection
Nov 19
21
T.B.A.
Zoo Day - data collection
Nov 26
28
No scheduled ATH 496/596 classes this week
Thanksgiving Holiday begins 10 p.m. Tues
Optional Zoo Day, Monday, Nov. 24th
Dec 3
5
Final report preparation
Final Zoo Day - data collection
Dec 10
DEC 12
How to organize a presentation
CLASS PRESENTATIONS
Dec 12
FINAL REPORT DUE FRIDAY 5 P.M.