Max-Planck-Institut
Contact
Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture
Deutscher Platz 6
04103 Leipzig
phone: +49 (0)341 3550 - 315
fax: +49 (0)341 3550 - 333
e-mail: cissewski@eva.mpg.de
Martin Surbeck
Guest
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture
Deutscher Platz 6
D-04103 Leipzig, Germany
Director, Kokolopori Bonobo Research Project, DRC
Affiliated with Bonobo Conservation Initiative
E-mail: surbeck@[>>> Please remove the brackets! <<<]eva.mpg.de
Current research
Reproductive strategies are believed to be one of the major forces that shape the variability we observe in social organization among mammals. My research focuses on mechanisms of male mate competition in bonobos and its implications for the social relationships among males and between the sexes. The aim of current studies is to elucidate the role of intra- and intersexual relationships in the contexts of competition and cooperation. Behavioural observations and corresponding endocrinological data are used to investigate underlying mechanisms of mate competition and male mating strategies in relation to social parameters such as age, dominance status, and kinship.
In the beginning of 2016 I established a new bonobo research site at Kokolopori in collaboration with Bonobo Conservation Initiative (BCI) and Vie Sauvage. Through insights from this new site I hope to contribute to a better understanding of behavioural diversity within bonobos. Currently we are able to follow two habituated neighboring bonobo communities daily. Given the existence of two habituated communities with high range overlap, initial research will focus on the study of the poorly understood intercommunity relationships in bonobos (research projects). This is done in collaboration with Barbara Fruth and Gottfried Hohmann (LuiKotale), Tobias Deschner, and the Centre de Surveillance de la Biodiversite at the University of Kisangani.
In addition to exploring these questions, my current work takes a more comparative approach, as I am convinced we can infer more about processes and selective pressures in our evolutionary past by comparing chimpanzees and bonobos, than by studying a single species. I collaborate with chimpanzees researchers such as Christophe Boesch (Taï), Kevin Langergraber (Ngogo) and Catherine Crockford (Budongo, Taï). Furthermore, I established with Roman Wittig (Budongo, Taï) and Cedric Girard-Buttoz an identical data collection protocol for the bonobo site, LuiKotale, and the chimpanzee site, Taï.
The work is currently supported by:
Curriculum Vitae
Professional and public service
Ad hoc reviewer:
Journals:
- Behaviour
- Folia Primatologica
- Behavioural Processes
- Animal cognition
- Animal Behaviour
- Psychological Science
- Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
Grant applications:
- The Leakey Foundation (Award check no. 2507)
- Basler Stiftung für biologische Forschung
- Swiss National Science Foundation (PBSKP3_145844)
- Wenner-Gren Foundation (Gr. 8914)
- National Geographic Research Grant (GEFNE119-14)
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (GA1427)
Collaboration with visual artist Emanuel Mathias on a project named "The Primatologist archive"
Education
| 2006 –2011 | PhD student at the Max Planck Institute of Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig Dissertation title: Dominance, competition and cooperation in bonobos: a male perspective |
| 2009 | Diploma in Secondary and Higher Education |
| 2005 | Studies in Secondary and Higher Education |
| 2003 | Diploma work at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore Thesis title: Ovarian development, dominance and the determintion of future queens in a primitively eusocial wasp (Ropalidia marginata) |
| 1999 –2002 | Studies in Zoology, University of Zürich |
| 1996 –1998 | Basic Studies in Biology, University of Zürich |
Work experience
| 2004 | Local administrator of MPI research field site in Kongo (DRC) |
| 2005/06 | Biology teacher at KZO (Highschool Zürcher Oberland) |
| 2003 | Field assistant for Uni Zürich and for Vogelwarte Sempach |
| Since 2003 | Group and school class guide for Zoo Zürich |
Field experience
| 2004 | Field site administration, MPI for Evolutionary Anthropology Dr. Fruth and Dr. Hohmann, Ethnobotany and Bonobos, Kongo (DRC) |
| 2003 | Field assistance, Vogelwarte Sempach Bird Migration across the Sahara, Mauretania |
| 2003 | Field assistance, University of Zürich Prof. U. Reyer, local adaptation in newt larvae, Switzerland |
| 1998 | Field assistance, University of Zürich Prof. Wehner, Navigation in Desert Ants, Tunisia |
Awards
- Förderpreis des Förderkreises des Deutschen Primatenzentrums
Publications
2020
Girard-Buttoz, C., Surbeck, M., Samuni, L., Boesch, C., Fruth, B., Crockford, C., Hohmann, G., & Wittig, R. M. (2020). Variable use of polyadic grooming and its effect on access to social partners in wild chimpanzees and bonobos. Animal Behavior,168, 211-224.  Open Access DOI BibTeX Endnote | |
| Surbeck, M. (2020). A toothless bonobo skull challenges the notion of alternative subsistence strategies in early Homo. Journal of Human Evolution,147: 102871. DOI BibTeX Endnote | |
| Samuni, L., Wegdell, F., & Surbeck, M. (2020). Behavioural diversity of bonobo prey preference as a potential cultural trait. eLife,9: e59191. Open Access DOI BibTeX Endnote | |
| Girard-Buttoz, C., Surbeck, M., Samuni, L., Tkaczynski, P. J., Boesch, C., Fruth, B., Wittig, R. M., Hohmann, G., & Crockford, C. (2020). Information transfer efficiency differs in wild chimpanzees and bonobos, but not social cognition. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences,287(1929): 20200877. Open Access DOI BibTeX Endnote | |
| Gogarten, J. F., Rühlemann, M., Archie, E., Tung, J., Akoua-Koffi, C., Bang, C., Deschner, T., Muyembe-Tamfun, J.-J., Robbins, M. M., Schubert, G., Surbeck, M., Wittig, R. M., Zuberbühler, K., Baines, J. F., Franke, A., Leendertz, F. H., & Calvignac-Spencer, S. (2020). Primate phageomes are structured by superhost phylogeny and environment. bioRxiv. DOI BibTeX Endnote | |
| Lucchesi, S., Cheng, L., Janmaat, K., Mundry, R., Pisor, A., & Surbeck, M. (2020). Beyond the group: How food, mates, and group size influence intergroup encounters in wild bonobos. Behavioral Ecology,31(2), 519-532. DOI BibTeX Endnote | |
| Girard-Buttoz, C., Surbeck, M., Samuni, L., Tkaczynski, P. J., Boesch, C., Fruth, B., Wittig, R. M., Hohmann, G., & Crockford, C. (2020). Chimpanzees outperform bonobos at an experimental cooperative task in the wild: Information transfer around a stationary danger. Folia Primatologica,91(3), 255-256. DOI BibTeX Endnote | |
| Gogarten, J. F., Calvignac-Spencer, S., Nunn, C. L., Ulrich, M., Saiepour, N., Nielsen, H. V., Deschner, T., Fichtel, C., Kappeler, P. M., Knauf, S., Müller-Klein, N., Ostner, J., Robbins, M. M., Sangmaneedet, S., Schülke, O., Surbeck, M., Wittig, R. M., Sliwa, A., Strube, C., Leendertz, F. H., Roos, C., & Noll, A. (2020). Metabarcoding of eukaryotic parasite communities describes diverse parasite assemblages spanning the primate phylogeny. Molecular Ecology,20(1), 204-215. Open Access DOI BibTeX Endnote |
2019
| Surbeck, M., Boesch, C., Girard-Buttoz, C., Crockford, C., Hohmann, G., & Wittig, R. M. (2019). Erratum: Comparison of male conflict behavior in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and bonobos (Pan paniscus), with specific regard to coalition and post-conflict behavior. American Journal of Primatology,81(13): e23075. DOI BibTeX Endnote | |
| Moscovice, L. R., Surbeck, M., Fruth, B., Hohmann, G., Jaeggi, A., & Deschner, T. (2019). The cooperative sex: Sexual interactions among female bonobos are linked to increases in oxytocin, proximity and coalitions. Hormones and Behavior,116: 104581. Open Access DOI BibTeX Endnote | |
| Hohmann, G., Vigilant, L., Mundry, R., Behringer, V., & Surbeck, M. (2019). Aggression by male bonobos against immature individuals does not fit with predictions of infanticide. Aggressive Behavior,45(3), 300-309. DOI BibTeX Endnote | |
| Surbeck, M., Boesch, C., Crockford, C., Thompson, M. E., Furuichi, T., Fruth, B., Hohmann, G., Ishizuka, S., Machanda, Z., Muller, M. N., Pusey, A., Sakamaki, T., Tokuyama, N., Walker, K., Wrangham, R., Wroblewski, E., Zuberbühler, K., Vigilant, L., & Langergraber, K. (2019). Males with a mother living in their group have higher paternity success in bonobos but not chimpanzees. Current Biology,29(10), R354-R355. DOI BibTeX Endnote | |
| Kalan, A. K., Hohmann, G., Arandjelovic, M., Boesch, C., McCarthy, M., Agbor, A., Angedakin, S., Bailey, E., Wilungula Balongelwa, C., Bessone, M., Bocksberger, G., Coxe, S. J., Deschner, T., Despres-Einspenner, M.-L., Dieguez, P., Fruth, B., Herbinger, I., Granjon, A.-C., Head, J. S., Kablan, Y. A., Langergraber, K. E., Lotana Lokasola, A., Maretti, G., Marrocoli, S., Mbende, M., Moustgaard, J., N’Goran, P. K., Robbins, M. M., van Schijndel, J., Sommer, V., Surbeck, M., Tagg, N., Willie, J., Wittig, R. M., & Kühl, H. S. (2019). Novelty response of wild African apes to camera traps. Current Biology,29(7), 1211-1217. DOI BibTeX Endnote | |
| Pisor, A. C., & Surbeck, M. (2019). The evolution of intergroup tolerance in nonhuman primates and humans. Evolutionary Anthropology: Issues, News, and Reviews,28(4), 210-223. Open Access DOI BibTeX Endnote |
2018
| Pisor, A. C., & Surbeck, M. (2018). The evolution of tolerance in non-human primates and humans. American Journal of Physical Anthropology,165(S66), 209-209. DOI BibTeX Endnote |
2017
| Surbeck, M., Langergraber, K. E., Fruth, B., Vigilant, L., & Hohmann, G. (2017). Male reproductive skew is higher in bonobos than chimpanzees. Current Biology,27(13), R640-R641. DOI BibTeX Endnote | |
| Surbeck, M., Boesch, C., Girard-Buttoz, C., Crockford, C., Hohmann, G., & Wittig, R. M. (2017). Comparison of male conflict behavior in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and bonobos (Pan paniscus), with specific regard to coalition and post-conflict behavior. American Journal of Primatology,79(6): e22641. DOI BibTeX Endnote | |
| Surbeck, M., Girard-Buttoz, C., Boesch, C., Crockford, C., Fruth, B., Hohmann, G., Langergraber, K., Zuberbühler, K., Wittig, R. M., & Mundry, R. (2017). Sex-specific association patterns in bonobos and chimpanzees reflect species differences in cooperation. Royal Society Open Science,4: 161081. Open Access DOI BibTeX Endnote | |
| Moscovice, L. R., Douglas, P. H., Martinez-Inigo, L., Surbeck, M., Vigilant, L., & Hohmann, G. (2017). Stable and fluctuating social preferences and implications for cooperation among female bonobos at LuiKotale, DRC. American Journal of Physical Anthropology,163(1), 158-172. DOI BibTeX Endnote | |
| Surbeck, M., & Hohmann, G. (2017). Affiliations, aggressions and an adoption: Male-male relationships in wild binobos. In B. Hare, & S. Yamamoto ( DOI BibTeX Endnote | |
| Surbeck, M., Coxe, S., & Lotana Lokasola, A. (2017). Lonoa: The establishment of a permanent field site for behavioural research on bonobos in the Kokolopori Bonobo Reserve. Pan Africa News,24(2), 13-15. Open Access BibTeX Endnote |
2016
| Oelze, V. M., Douglas, P. H., Stephens, C. R., Behringer, V., Surbeck, M., Richards, M. P., Fruth, B., & Hohmann, G. (2016). The steady state great ape? Long term isotopic records reveal the effects of season, social rank and reproductive status on bonobo feeding behaviour. PLoS One,11(9): e0162091. Open Access DOI BibTeX Endnote |
2015
| Surbeck, M., Behringer, V., Deschner, T., & Hohmann, G. (2015). Urinary C-peptide levels in male bonobos (Pan paniscus) are related to gregariousness and rank but not to mate competition. Folia primatologica,86(4), 368. DOI BibTeX Endnote | |
| Surbeck, M., Deschner, T., Behringer, V., & Hohmann, G. (2015). Urinary C-peptide levels in male bonobos (Pan paniscus) are related to party size and rank but not to mate competition. Hormones and Behavior,71, 22-30. DOI BibTeX Endnote | |
| Surbeck, M., & Hohmann, G. (2015). Social preferences influence the short-term exchange of social grooming among male bonobos. Animal Cognition,18(2), 573-579. DOI BibTeX Endnote |
2013
| Beaune, D., Bretagnolle, F., Bollache, L., Hohmann, G., Surbeck, M., Bourson, C., & Fruth, B. (2013). The bonobo – dialium positive interactions: Seed dispersal mutualism. American Journal of Primatology,75(4), 394-403. DOI BibTeX Endnote | |
| Beaune, D., Bretagnolle, F., Bollache, L., Hohmann, G., Surbeck, M., & Fruth, B. (2013). Seed dispersal strategies and the threat of defaunation in a Congo forest. Biodiversity and Conservation,22(1), 225-238. DOI BibTeX Endnote | |
| Schubert, G., Vigilant, L., Boesch, C., Klenke, R., Langergraber, K. E., Mundry, R., Surbeck, M., & Hohmann, G. (2013). Co–residence between males and their mothers and grandmothers is more frequent in bonobos than chimpanzees. PLoS One,8(12): e83870. Open Access DOI BibTeX Endnote | |
| Surbeck, M., & Hohmann, G. (2013). Intersexual dominance relationships and the influence of leverage on the outcome of conflicts in wild bonobos (Pan paniscus). Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology,67(11), 1767-1780. DOI BibTeX Endnote | |
| Surbeck, M., Deschner, T., Weltring, A., & Hohmann, G. (2013). Cost of male mate competition in bonobos. American Journal of Physical Anthropology,150(Suppl. 56), 267. DOI BibTeX Endnote |
2012
| Laurance, W. F., Useche, D. C., Rendeiro, J., Kalka, M., Bradshaw, C. J. A., Sloan, S. P., Laurance, S. G., Campbell, M., Abernethy, K., Alvarez, P., Arroyo-Rodriguez, V., Ashton, P., Benítez-Malvido, J., Blom, A., Bobo, K. S., Cannon, C. H., Cao, M., Carroll, R., Chapman, C., Coates, R., Cords, M., Danielsen, F., Dijn, B. D., Dinerstein, E., Donnelly, M. A., Edwards, D., Edwards, F., Farwig, N., Fashing, P., Forget, P.-M., Foster, M., Gale, G., Harris, D., Harrison, R., Hart, J., Karpanty, S., Kress, W. J., Krishnaswamy, J., Logsdon, W., Lovett, J., Magnusson, W., Maisels, F., Marshall, A. R., McClearn, D., Mudappa, D., Nielsen, M. R., Pearson, R., Pitman, N., van der Ploeg, J., Plumptre, A., Poulsen, J., Quesada, M., Rainey, H., Robinson, D., Roetgers, C., Rovero, F., Scatena, F., Schulze, C., Sheil, D., Struhsaker, T., Terborgh, J., Thomas, D., Timm, R., Urbina-Cardona, J. N., Vasudevan, K., Wright, S. J., Arias-G., J. C., Arroyo, L., Ashton, M., Auzel, P., Babaasa, D., Babweteera, F., Baker, P., Banki, O., Bass, M., Bila-Isia, I., Blake, S., Brockelman, W., Brokaw, N., Brühl, C. A., Bunyavejchewin, S., Chao, J.-T., Chave, J., Chellam, R., Clark, C. J., Clavijo, J., Congdon, R., Corlett, R., Dattaraja, H. S., Dave, C., Davies, G., de Beisiegel, B. M., de Silva, R. N. P. d., Fiore, A. D., Diesmos, A., Dirzo, R., Doran-Sheehy, D., Eaton, M., Emmons, L., Estrada, A., Ewango, C., Fedigan, L., Feer, F., Fruth, B., Willis, J. G., Goodale, U., Goodman, S., Guix, J. C., Guthiga, P., Haber, W., Hamer, K., Herbinger, I., Hill, J., Huang, Z., Sun, I. F., Ickes, K., Itoh, A., Ivanauskas, N., Jackes, B., Janovec, J., Janzen, D., Jiangming, M., Jin, C., Jones, T., Justiniano, H., Kalko, E., Kasangaki, A., Killeen, T., King, H.-b., Klop, E., Knott, C., Koné, I., Kudavidanage, E., Ribeiro, J. L. d. S., Lattke, J., Laval, R., Lawton, R., Leal, M., Leighton, M., Lentino, M., Leonel, C., Lindsell, J., Ling-Ling, L., Linsenmair, K. E., Losos, E., Lugo, A., Lwanga, J., Mack, A. L., Martins, M., McGraw, W. S., McNab, R., Montag, L., Thompson, J. M., Nabe-Nielsen, J., Nakagawa, M., Nepal, S., Norconk, M., Novotny, V., O'Donnell, S., Opiang, M., Ouboter, P., Parker, K., Parthasarathy, N., Pisciotta, K., Prawiradilaga, D., Pringle, C., Rajathurai, S., Reichard, U., Reinartz, G., Renton, K., Reynolds, G., Reynolds, V., Riley, E., Rödel, M.-O., Rothman, J., Round, P., Sakai, S., Sanaiotti, T., Savini, T., Schaab, G., Seidensticker, J., Siaka, A., Silman, M. R., Smith, T. B., de Almeida, S. S., Sodhi, N., Stanford, C., Stewart, K., Stokes, E., Stoner, K. E., Sukumar, R., Surbeck, M., Tobler, M., Tscharntke, T., Turkalo, A., Umapathy, G., van Weerd, M., Rivera, J. V., Venkataraman, M., Venn, L., Verea, C., de Castilho, C. V., Waltert, M., Wang, B., Watts, D., Weber, W., West, P., Whitacre, D., Whitney, K., Wilkie, D., Williams, S., Wright, D. D., Wright, P., Xiankai, L., & Zamzani, P. Y. &. F. (2012). Averting biodiversity collapse in tropical forest protected areas. Nature,489(7415), 290-293. DOI BibTeX Endnote | |
| Surbeck, M., Deschner, T., Weltring, A., & Hohmann, G. (2012). Social correlates of variation in urinary cortisol in wild male bonobos (Pan paniscus). Hormones and Behavior,62(1), 27-35. DOI BibTeX Endnote | |
| Surbeck, M., Deschner, T., Schubert, G., Weltring, A., & Hohmann, G. (2012). Mate competition, testosterone and intersexual relationships in bonobos, Pan paniscus. Animal Behaviour,83(3), 659-669. DOI BibTeX Endnote |
2011
| Oelze, V. M., Fuller, B. T., Richards, M. P., Fruth, B., Surbeck, M., Hublin, J.-J., & Hohmann, G. (2011). Exploring the contribution and significance of animal protein in the diet of bonobos by stable isotope ratio analysis of hair. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America,108(24), 9792-9797. DOI BibTeX Endnote | |
| Surbeck, M. (2011). Dominance and aggression in bonobos: A male perspective. PhD Thesis, Universität, Leipzig. BibTeX Endnote | |
| Surbeck, M., Mundry, R., & Hohmann, G. (2011). Mothers matter! Maternal support, dominance status and mating success in male bonobos (Pan paniscus). Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B: Biological Sciences,278(1705), 590-598. DOI BibTeX Endnote |
2009
| Surbeck, M., Fowler, A., Deimel, C., & Hohmann, G. (2009). Evidence for the consumption of arboreal, diurnal primates by bonobos (Pan paniscus). American Journal of Primatology,71(2), 171-174. DOI BibTeX Endnote |
2008
| Surbeck, M., & Hohmann, G. (2008). Primate hunting by bonobos at Luikotale, Salonga National Park. Current Biology,18(19), R906-R907. DOI BibTeX Endnote |
2006
Deshpande SA, Sumana A, Surbeck M, and Gadagkar R. (2006). Wasp who would be queen: A comparative study of two primitively eusocial species. Current Science 91(3):332-336.
2002
Van Buskirk J, Muller C, Portmann A, and Surbeck M. (2002). A test of the risk allocation hypothesis: Tadpole responses to temporal change in predation risk. Behavioral Ecology 13(4):526-530.
