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 With increasing information on DNA sequences, it is possible to generate evolutionary trees for a diverse array of organisms. These trees can be can be used to address fundamental evolutionary questions, including hypotheses involving rates of phenotypic change, correlated trait evolution, and speciation and extinction rates.
In the Department of Primatology, we use comparative biology to study the origin and evolution of behavioral traits. The comparative approach also integrates behavioral evolution with ecology and life history, thus giving a more comprehensive view on the factors that influence primate behavioral diversity. In addition to testing hypotheses, the comparative approach leads to new hypotheses, which we explore through modeling and field approaches.
The comparative method is central to the field research conducted in the Department of Primatology. Through fieldwork, different species of apes are studied using identical methods, with the goal to understand differences in ecology, social behavior and cognition.
In a broader phylogenetic context, research led by Dr. Charles Nunn applies comparative methods to study the evolution of behavioral and ecological traits across primates and other mammals. Research topics include:
- Variation in disease risk across mammalian species
- The evolution of primate social systems, including patterns of reproductive skew
- Factors that influence biodiversity and conservation of primates
- The evolution of sleep and sleeping behaviour
- Methods for studying cross-cultural variation in humans and nonhuman primates
Comparative approaches are also taken in the Junior Research Group on Integrative Primate Socioecology. (IPSE)
Contact to Dr. Charles Nunn
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