Primatology
Code: 105780 ECTS Credits: 3| Degree | Type | Year | Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2500251 Environmental Biology | OT | 4 | 1 |
Contact
- Name:
- Yasmina Avia Garcia
- Email:
- yasmina.avia@uab.cat
Use of Languages
- Principal working language:
- spanish (spa)
- Some groups entirely in English:
- No
- Some groups entirely in Catalan:
- No
- Some groups entirely in Spanish:
- No
Other comments on languages
Spanish and Catalan will be used indifferently for classes. Much of the bibliography may be in English.Teachers
- Aurora Ruiz-Herrera Moreno
Prerequisites
It is recommended that the basic concepts of Paleoanthropology, Genetics, Evolution and Molecular Genetics be considered.
Objectives and Contextualisation
The course of Primatology shows the panorama of current primates in their biological aspects in general, and in taxonomic and ethological in particular. It also analyzes the phylogeny and evolution of primates and the aspects that affects their conservation. In addition, we analyze the importance of models in biomedical research and paleoanthropological research, to understand ourselves.
Competences
- Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values.
- Carry out functional tests and determine, assess and interpret vital parameters.
- Develop strategies of analysis, synthesis and communication in order to teach biology and environmental studies.
- Identify and interpret the diversity of species in the environment.
- Integrate knowledge of different organisational levels of organisms in their functioning.
- Obtain information, design experiments and interpret results.
- Take account of social, economic and environmental impacts when operating within one's own area of knowledge.
- Take sex- or gender-based inequalities into consideration when operating within one's own area of knowledge.
Learning Outcomes
- Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values.
- Actuar en l'àmbit de coneixement propi avaluant les desigualtats per raó de sexe/gènere.
- Define the role of primates in identifying the causal agents of diseases.
- Explain the biological basis of human social behavior.
- Interact with governmental institutions of the social, political population and public health sectors and advise them.
- Obtain information, design experiments and interpret results.
- Recognise the basic principles of biology that must be conveyed in the field of secondary education.
- Summarize and interpret the biology, evolution and behavior of the Primates order.
- Take account of social, economic and environmental impacts when operating within one's own area of knowledge.
Content
Block 1:
- Definition and evolutionary tendencies. Evolution of Primates.
- Diversification in current primates.
- Biogeography, ecology, and adaptations to the environment.
Block 2:
- Chromosomal characteristics, karyotype, and intraspecific variability.
- Mechanisms of chromosomal speciation, breakpoints and synthetic groups.
- Databases and analysis of Primates genomes
Block 3:
- Methods for studying primates behavior
- Socio-sexual behavior in primates.
- Primate Cognition. Animal cultures
- Communication in primates.
Methodology
Lectures are divided into three blocks: 1) Taxonomy and Morphological Evolution 2) Genetic evolution and specific diversification and 3) Ethology. In each one there will be a practice that will be developed within the same block.
At the end of the course, there will be a global seminar with all the students where different topics will be discussed directed by the three teachers.
Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.
Activities
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Computer practices | 2 | 0.08 | 6 |
| Fieldwork | 2 | 0.08 | 4, 6, 7 |
| Laboratory practiques | 1 | 0.04 | 4, 6, 7, 8 |
| Lectures | 19 | 0.76 | 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 |
| Seminar | 2 | 0.08 | 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Tutorials | 2 | 0.08 | 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Personal study | 45 | 1.8 | 1, 2, 9, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 |
Assessment
As it is a continuous evaluation, the course will consider the different activities of the student in the classroom, as well as the practices and seminars. It will be evaluated by means of a written test that includes the three parts of the subject, a test answered by the working group of the seminar, and the practices of each of the 3 sections that the subject consists of. The final result will be the weighted sum of each of the parts.
- There will be a written test to evaluate the theoretical part of the subject (50%).
- The practices will measure 30% of the final mark (10% for each of the 3 practical sessions). Assessment will take into account both the attitude of the students as well as the work carried out in the laboratory itself and the questionnaires required.
-The seminar will have a group assessment that will equal 20% of the final grade. All students in the same group will have the same grade in this test
To be eligible for the retake process, the student should have been previously evaluated in a set of activities equaling at least two-thirds of the final score of the course or module. Thus, the student will be graded as "No Avaluable" if the weight in of all conducted evaluation activities is less than 67% of the final score.
Attendance to practical or field sessions is mandatory. Students missing more than 20% of programmed sessions will be graded as "No Avaluable".
Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exam | 50% | 2 | 0.08 | 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 |
| Practice assessment | 30% | 0 | 0 | 4, 6, 7, 8 |
| Seminar assessment | 20% | 0 | 0 | 1, 2, 9, 3, 4, 7, 8 |
Bibliography
BASIC BIBLIOGRAPHY:
FLEAGLE JG.- Primate adaptation and evolution. Academic Press
BOYD R & SILK JB. Como evolucionaron los humanos. Ariel Ciencia
SPECIFIC BIBLIOGRAPHY:
It will be given during the course
Software
Ensembl (https://www.ensembl.org/Homo_sapiens/Info/Index) and UCSC (http://genome.ucsc.edu/).