EVANTH 520S
Reconstructing the Past: The Paleobiology and Paleoecology of Primates
Douglas Boyer, Matthew Robert Borths
Description from DukeHub
Interpretation of the paleobiology of extinct primates relies on indirect evidence linking morphology to particular attributes of a species' ecological niche, be it diet, mode of locomotion, body size, sensory ecology, social systems, etc. Reconstructions require understanding the functional attributes of the anatomical systems of living primates followed by an inference by analogy about the behavior of the extinct ones. We examine similarities and differences in the primates living on different continents through time as well as contested paleoecological scenarios related to primate origins and ape and human origins. Recommended prerequisite: 200-300 level course in paleontology, anatomy, or ecology.
Skills
No skill passed the confidence bar. Weak matches go to review instead of this page: an AI pass that has to quote the description, then a person.
AI-resilient: 1 of 5
- No: Physical, lab or field work
- No: Live work with people
- No: Judgment someone is accountable for
- No: A craft you practice with your hands or body
- Yes: Small, in-person format · seminar, 10 seats per section
The checks lean on Microsoft Research, Working with AI (2025), which found generative AI applies least to physical work and hands-on work with people. A signal, not a promise. How the score works
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