Primate Behavior Report

This assignment has three parts that follow the scientific method: 1. Prepare for the observation; 2. Observe primates in videos; 3. Report the findings.

  • Supplies Needed
  • Internet connection
  • Access to Youtube
  • Primate Observation Playlist – Use this link to access the Primate Observation Videos
  • Observation Worksheets
  • Relevant Learning Resource

Jaffe, Karin Enstam. 2019. Chapter 6: Primate Ecology and Behavior. Explorations.

Legendary primatologist Jane Goodall revolutionized the study of chimpanzees during her fieldwork in Gombe, Tanzania. The behaviors she witnessed changed our perception of apes from instinct-driven creatures to tool-inventing beings.

In this activity you will learn about ethology, or how researchers turn observations of living things into scientific data, and then create a report of what you saw. While we cannot go to Gombe on short notice, we can watch uncut videos of zoo-dwelling primates online and apply scientific techniques to go beyond what a typical zoo visitor sees.

There are different ways to collect data on animal behavior. We will be practicing scan sampling whereby the observer records the behaviors of the group at set intervals, as well as focal sampling, which involves recording every action of one specific individual over a length of time.

Part One: Preparation

Before watching primates, you have to prepare for what you expect to see in order to save time and effort later when you are intently focused on your living subjects. First, pick one of the videos to observe from the Primate Observation Playlist.

Which video will you observe ?

Apply the scientific method and make a prediction about what will you see. Answer the following question:

Which behaviors do you think you will see when watching the primate video for 15 minutes (or as long as it lasts – some are a bit shorter)?

Now set up an ethogram (see below), which is a table used to record animal behavior. You will use this table while observing the primate video in order to reduce writing and produce a standardized data set of what you saw. Put short descriptions of behaviors in the left column. Some have been added for you but you should add more based upon your general knowledge of primate behavior.

Primate Ethogram Continuous Focal Follow

Behavior Time (1:00-15:00)

  • 1:00 2:00 3:00 4:00 5:00 6:00 7:00 8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00
  • Out of View
  • Standing
  • Sitting
  • Sleeping
  • Eating
  • Playing
  • Interacting in any way with others
  • Primate Ethogram Scan Sample

Behavior Time (1:00-15:00)

  • 1:00 2:00 3:00 4:00 5:00 6:00 7:00 8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00
  • Out of View
  • Playing
  • Sharing Food
  • Grooming
  • Fighting
  • Eating
  • Sleeping

Now it is time to use your ethogram to record primate behavior. After you select the video use two different methods for observing the primates. For one method (continuous focal follow), watch one individual and do a continuous follow for 15-minutes, indicating all of the behaviors, and interactions with other primates in the video. The second method is a scan sample of the group – every minute stop the video and write down what all the animals (who are in frame on the video) are doing (including directions of any social interactions).

You may have to view the video several times, as you practice each method of behavioral observations for your Primate Report

Read these instructions in full before starting:

Play the video you chose in Part One – You may have to watch twice to fill out both ethograms.

Using the video’s timer or your own stopwatch app, keep track of the time.

Every minute, record the behaviors of the primates you see using the ethograms you set up in Part One. Mark each square for each behavior you see at each time. If you are watching multiple primates try to keep track of each one by using a short unique name for them.

End observation at 15 minutes.

Here is a sample table:

  • Behavior/Time
  • 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00
  • Out of View B, C A, B C
  • Sitting A, B A, B A C B
  • Sleeping C C A
  • A: Adult male, B: Adult female, C: Juvenile

Part Three: Analysis and Report

Your data set allows you to quantify how much time each primate spent with each activity. For each individual, calculate how many times they were seen performing each behavior by filling out this table

Time Budget for Individual – Focal Observation:

  • Behavior/
  • Calculation
  • Boxes Seen Total Visible Times Boxes Seen/Total Visible Times
  • Out of View Not calculated
  • Standing
  • Sleeping
  • Sitting
  • Eating

See this example based on the adult male in the example ethogram:

  • Time Budget for Individual: A: Adult Male
  • Behavior/Calculation
  • Boxes Seen Total Visible Times Boxes Seen/Total Visible Times * 100
  • Out of View 1 4 Not calculated
  • Sitting 3 75%
  • Sleeping 1 25%

Time Budget for Groups – Scan Observation:

  • Behavior/
  • Calculation
  • Boxes Seen Total Visible Times Boxes Seen/Total Visible Times
  • Out of View Not calculated
  • Playing
  • Sharing Food
  • Grooming
  • Fighting

Using your data sets and time budgets, write a report of what you saw. Follow these instructions to write an effective report that is at least 750-1000 words. Your report should be well-organized, and clear to best communicate your message. Make sure to follow proper APA formatting guidelines.

Your report should include the following sections:

Introduction: Which primate(s) did you observe (provide genus, species and subspecies)? Summarize the natural habitat and geographic distribution of this primate species in the natural world. (You may find out this information from Primate Fact Sheets found at the Primate Info Net website, http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/factsheets, in addition to information provided at zoo displays or zoo website).

Body: Start with a description of the scene and the individual primate you focused on. Then describe the actions you saw in order from beginning to end. Include specific details. Then tell the reader in more detail what you saw in your scan observation. Start with a description of the scene and the group of primates you focused on. Then describe the actions you saw in order from beginning to end. Describe specific details. .

Present your analysis of time budgets. How much time did each individual spend with each behavior?

Compare and contrast the observed behaviors with those of human beings. Are there similar behavior patterns in humans? Why or why not?

Conclusion: Summarize your paper for the reader. Briefly restate what primate(s) you observed. Compare and contrast the two methods (focal follow and scan sample) that you used for observing primate behavior in the video. Which method did you find more challenging for your observations? Which method would you recommend for collecting time budget data (i.e., how group spends their time) for primates? End this section with a short summary of what you actually saw and whether it matched what you expected.