ANTH 311: Field Primatology Flashcards

Flashcards from Dr. Alice Poirier's Guest Lecture on Field Primatology

Primatology

Study of the biology, taxonomy, evolution, behavioral ecology, and conservation of non-human primates.

Why study primates?

Non-human primates can be used as models to understand human evolution

Cognition

Studying primate can help retrace our own evolutionary history.

Ecology

Studying primate can help understand interspecific disease transmission.

67%

Percentage of primate species that are endangered according to the IUCN Red List.

Habitat destruction, Hunting and wildlife trade

Two major threats to primate populations are and .

Olfactory signals/cues

Odorous mixtures of compounds produced on the body, liberated in the environment.

Identity, Dominance & reproductive status, Health condition

Olfactory signals can provide information about the sender's .

Odor sampling

The process involves pumping air through a glass chemical trap to gather odors.

Gas Chromatography - Mass Spectrometry (GCMS)

A method of chemical analysis that uses a capillary column in a vacuum oven and electron ionisation to identify sample components.

GCMS output

Compares chemical richness and diversity in samples.

Model (glmmTMB)

Shows scent-marking rate is related to Species, Sex, Repro status and Gland type