Undergraduate

Module Content

 

The mammalian order of primates consists of hundreds of species – including our own. Like all animals, lemurs, lorises, tarsiers, monkeys and apes are faced with the problems of how to survive, breed and rear offspring.

The course focuses on current Darwinian theories about how ecological factors influence the development of primate societies, how individuals negotiate their relationships, and how the challenges of sociality mould cognitive abilities. The module also aims to create awareness about the plight of our closest living relatives as their existence on this planet is increasingly endangered. The seminar is designed to develop core skills in critical thinking by examining contemporary issues in primatology.

 

Indicative Topics

The module will cover the following topics, which may be subject to variation depending on developments in academic research and the interests of the class:

Primate socioecology
	Primate life history
	Aggression and infanticide
	Primate conservation Primate cognition
	Primate culture
 

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the module, you will be able to:

classify species of the major primate groups describe the major concepts in primate biology
	apply evolutionary theory to understand primate behaviour
	integrate and evaluate information from primary and secondary sources to critique an argument
	identify a gap in the literature and design a research programme to address this gap
 

Delivery Method

One 2-hour lecture and one 1-hour tutorial per week.

 

Additional Information

Please note the assessment titles may be subject to change.

 

Postgraduate

Module Content

The mammalian order of primates consists of hundreds of species – including our own. Like all animals, lemurs, lorises, tarsiers, monkeys and apes are faced with the problems of how to survive, breed and rear offspring.

The course focuses on current Darwinian theories about how ecological factors influence the development of primate societies, how individuals negotiate their relationships, and how the challenges of sociality mould cognitive abilities. The module also aims to create awareness about the plight of our closest living relatives as their existence on this planet is increasingly endangered. The seminar is designed to develop core skills in critical thinking by examining contemporary issues in primatology.

 

Indicative Topics

The module will cover the following topics, which may be subject to variation depending on developments in academic research and the interests of the class:

Primate socioecology
	Primate life history
	Aggression and infanticide
	Primate conservation
	Primate cognition
	Primate culture
 

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the module, you will be able to:

classify species of the major primate groups describe the major concepts in primate biology
	apply evolutionary theory to understand primate behaviour
	integrate and evaluate information from primary and secondary sources to critique an argument
	design a research programme to address a question
	identify a gap in the literature and design a research programme to address this gap
	understand the life cycle of a research article and identify biases that affect the scientific record
 

Delivery Method

One 2-hour seminar per week and one 2-hour lecture.

Please note the assessment titles may be subject to change.