Anthropology 454

Great Ape Conservation

Required Text (available at the Titan Bookstore):

• Cowlishaw, G. and R.I.M. Dunbar. 2000. Primate Conservation Biology. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

• Caldecott, J. and Miles, L. 2005. World Atlas of Great Apes and their Conservation: University of California Press

Course Objective:

Great apes are among the most threatened mammals in the world, and the United Nations have recognized that the conservation of great ape habitat and populations must proceed with great urgency or they will be extinct by 2050. In this class, we will use behavioral ecology and life history theory to understand the issues surrounding conservation of chimpanzees, bonobos, orang-utans, and gorillas. Students will develop theoretical background crucial to understanding the population dynamics and ecological principles driving primate conservation strategies and tactics. We will also address why habitat loss and hunting are the two main factors affecting great ape populations and discuss conservation strategies that can help to reverse the impending extinction of humanity’s closest relatives.

Course Learning Goals:

This class has three goals for student learning. For each goal students will acquire competence in the form of content and skills through successful completion of the course requirements.

1. The first goal is to understand the theoretical principles of primate conservation ecology. Students will acquire in-depth knowledge of theoretical models from behavioral ecology and life history theory.

2. The second goal is to develop an in-depth understanding of conservation strategies and tactics. Students will be able to discuss and develop specific conservation plans incorporating tactics based in the models used to achieve long-term strategic conservation goals.

3. The third goal is to develop recognition of the consequences of the loss of ape population to the total reservoir of knowledge in that species. Great apes, like their human relatives, rely heavily on the cultural transmission of information to survive. When a population of apes becomes extinct, their particular cultural/behavioral adaptation dies with them.

Prerequisites:

ANTH 301 Primate Behavior, ANTH 322 Human Behavioral Ecology, or ANTH 344 Human Evolution

Course Requirements:

1. A reading of Primate Conservation Biology and World Atlas of Great Apes.

2. Reading and class discussion on Great Apes and Humans

3. Group attendance at either LA Zoo or San Diego Zoo to study two Great Apes

*Graduate students will be expected to explore their topic more thoroughly, to develop their arguments on a deeper level, to have a much larger command of the literature, and their final project should be 20 pages long. Additionally, graduate students will prepare and lead discussion on one original research journal article that has been approved by the instructor.

Course Assignments and Grading Procedures:

1. The identification of conservation problems, consisting of a three-page paper stating the problems supporting the relevant supporting literature. 25% of total.

2. An annotated bibliography of approximately 25 scholars’ articles, focusing on the threats to apes. 12.5% of total.

3. A strategic plan for conservation, consisting of a five-page paper, including citations of the literature. 25% of total.

4. Midterm: An essay on one of the Great Apes in a Blue Book. 12.5% of total.

5. Final Project: A group presentation on comparing at least two Great Apes from a local zoo showing the differences in behavior, life history, and a conservation assessment of their status in the wild. 25% of total.

GRADING PROCEDURES

Examination: Exams are based on lectures and reading. No notes or books will be permitted during exams. I have the right to move students during examinations. Please make every effort to take the examinations on the scheduled date and at the scheduled time. I require documentation of illness, etc. to arrange make-ups. If you miss an examination, please contact me within 48 hours to arrange for a make-up. The format will be returned within one week, at which time I will provide a rough breakdown of grades for the exam. Please do not call for your scores; it is against the university privacy act for me to provide this information over the telephone. For the same reason, grades cannot be posted. I will use the plus and minus system.

Class Attendance:

Attendance is essential to gain a full understanding of the course content and to do well fulfilling the above course requirements. Your education is your responsibility. In order to get the most out of this class: attend lectures, do the reading, actively participate in class discussion and thoughtfully complete the group and independent projects. If you have questions, email me or see me during office hours.

Academic Misconduct:

Please consult the Student Handbook for information on the University’s academic misconduct policies. Violations will not be tolerated. Plagiarism is one of the most egregious forms of academic dishonesty. The following website (http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets.shtml) will help you avoid copying an outside source and will aid in your transition to synthesizing material, presenting it in your own words, and properly citing your source. Copying another student’s work and submitting it as your own is an offense that will win you a seat in the office of the Judicial Officer on campus.

COURSE SCHEDULE

References

Alvard, M. 1998. Evolutionary Ecology and Resource Conservation. Evolutionary Anthropology 7:62-74.

Nishida T, Corp N, Hamai M, Hasegawa T, Hiraiwa-Hasegawa M, Hosaka K, Hunt KD, Sakamaki T, Turner L, Uehara S, Zamma K. 2003. Demography, female life history, and reproductive profiles among the chimpanzees of Mahale. American Journal of Primatology 59(3): 99-121.

Russon, A.E. 2003. Developmental perspectives on great ape traditions. In: Fragaszy D. and S. Perry, Eds. The Biology of Traditions: Models and evidence. New York: Cambridge, Pp. 329-364.

Whiten A., Goodall, J., McGrew, W.C., Nishida, T., Reynolds, V., Sugiyama, Y. Tutin, C.E.G., Wrangham, R.W., and Boesch, C. 2001. Charting cultural variation in chimpanzees. Behavior 138(11-12): 1481-1516.

Wich, S.A., Utami-Atmoko, S.S., Mitra Setia, T., Rijksen, H.R., Schürmann, C., van Hooff, J.A.R.A.M., and van Schaik, C.P. 2004. Life history of wild Sumatran orangutans (Pongo abelii). Journal of Human Evolution 47:385-398

Dale Peterson and Karl Ammam. Eating Apes: University of California Press Berkeley.

Carol van Schaik. Among Orangutans: Red Apes and the Rise of Human Culture. The Beltnap Press of Harvard University Press Cambridge.

Jane Goodall. The Chimpanzees of Gombe: Pattern of Behavior. The Beltnap Press of Harvard University Press Cambridge.

Frans de Waal and Frans Lanting. Bonobo: The Forgotten Ape. The University of California Press Berkeley.

Andrea B. Taylor and Michele L. Goldsmith. Gorilla Biology: A Multidisciplinary Perspective. Cambridge University Press.

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