Department of Evolutionary AnthropologyRising temperatures and shifting rainfall patterns in Madagascar could fuel the spread of lemur parasites and the diseases they carry. By combining data on six parasite species from ongoing surveys of lemur health with weather data and other environmental information for Madagascar as a whole, a team of Duke University researchers has created probability maps of likely parasite distributions throughout the island today. Then, using climate projections for the year 2080, they estimate what parasite distributions might look… read more about Parasites of Madagascar's Lemurs Expanding With Climate Change »
Two years of painstaking observation on the social interactions of a troop of free-ranging monkeys and an analysis of their family trees has found signs of natural selection affecting the behavior of the descendants. Rhesus macaques who had large, strong networks tended to be descendants of similarly social macaques, according to a Duke University team of researchers. And their ability to recognize relationships and play nice with others also won them more reproductive success. "If you are a more social monkey, then you're… read more about Networking Ability a Family Trait in Monkeys »
You're standing in line somewhere and you decide to open a pack of gum. Do you share a piece with the coworker standing to one side of you, or with the stranger on the other? Most humans would choose the person they know first, if they shared at all. But bonobos, those notoriously frisky, ardently social great apes of the Congo, prefer to share with a stranger before sharing with an animal they know. In fact, a bonobo will invite a stranger to share a snack while leaving an acquaintance watching helplessly from behind a… read more about Bonobos Share With Strangers Before Acquaintances »
Evolutionary anthropologist Brian Hare gives you the sense that if anyone is going to discover what it is that makes humans different, it will be this guy. He easily draws you into a thought-provoking conversation about how humans think, process emotions, and engage in problem-solving and reasoning. His research compares the behavior and thinking of humans to other primates such as chimpanzees and bonobos (our closest relatives) and to non-primates such as dogs. He aims to tease out how we're different from other animals,… read more about Brian Hare on Sanctuaries, Service and Psychological Games »
Jenny Tung's favorite spot on campus is Duke Gardens. It's quiet, tranquil -- a perfect place to get rid of stress. Though Tung studies stress and other behaviors and their affects on health, she said she is not sure how well her research influences her own behavior.In the summer of 2012, Tung, 30, returned to Duke -- where she earned her undergraduate and graduate degree -- to be an assistant professor in the department of evolutionary anthropology. She studies baboons and rhesus macaques, exploring how individuals'… read more about Jenny Tung: Ready to Test Stress »
PhD candidate Lauren Gonzales (in pink windbreaker) works with colleagues to sort fossils from the La Costa locality in Patagonia, Argentina. Gonzales studies the role of evolution in sensory anatomy in the major adaptive radiations of primates. Her fieldwork in Argentina is focused on improving the representation of early South American fossil primates. read more about Lauren Gonzales (PhD candidate) – La Costa, Patagonia, Argentina »
Ruth Steel Mock (PhD, 2012) tries to locate a radio-collared mouse lemur in the Beza-Mahafaly Reserve of Madagascar, as part of the undergraduate research she conducted before coming to Duke. read more about Ruth Steel Mock (PhD, 2012) – Beza-Mahafaly, Madagascar »
Evan MacLean (PhD, 2012) spends some quality time with a couple of juvenile bonobos at Lola Ya Bonobo, Democratic Republic of Congo. As these bonobos get older, they will be integrated into a mixed age, mixed sex group and will be free to roam vast expanses of nearby forest on their own. MacLean’s doctoral research on the evolution of animal cognition involved a broad, phylogenetic comparative approach, of which bonobos were but a part. read more about Evan MacLean (PhD, 2012) – Lola Ya Bonobo, DRC »
In the four years since the more than 1,600 members of the Class of 2012 arrived at Duke, they have been changed by their university experience in ways large and small. Below are stories of nearly two dozen students who will graduate Sunday. Some have discovered unexpected intellectual passions or talents for making a difference in the local community. Others have had extraordinary experiences abroad. Five of these students were interviewed by Duke Magazine in 2008 about their hopes and expectations for a Duke education… read more about Senior Stories 2012 »
Catherine Workman (PhD, 2010) (far right) stops for a photo with some friends in the Equateur Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Although Workman’s doctoral research was conducted in Vietnam, she spent time in Africa helping reintroduce bonobos into the wild from a rescue and rehabilitation center. read more about Catherine Workman (PhD, 2010) – Equateur Province, DRC »