MSc. Elenora Neugebauer
Position: PhD student
University of Leipzig
Institute of Biology
Behavioral Ecology Research Group
Talstrasse 33
D-04103 Leipzig
Germany
German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig
Puschstrasse 4
04103 Leipzig
Germany
and
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Department of Primate Behavior and Evolution
Deutscher Platz 6
D-04103 Leipzig
Germany
elenora_neugebauer@[>>> Please remove the text! <<<]eva.mpg.de
Research interest
Human activities have profoundly altered the distributions of natural populations, frequently transporting animals well beyond their native ranges both intentionally and inadvertently. Such human-mediated translocations can create novel populations with implications for conservation, genetic diversity, and ecosystem dynamics. The Critically Endangered crested macaques (Macaca nigra) have undergone severe population declines within their native range in North Sulawesi (Indonesia) due to habitat loss and hunting. While several introduced populations persist beyond the native range, namely in the archipelago of North Maluku, very little is known about their genetic status, demographic history, or conservation relevance. Due to their introduced status, these populations are currently not considered in the IUCN species assessment. Introduced populations of endangered species present a conceptual and practical challenge: while they may fall outside the species’ native range, they can represent important reservoirs of genetic diversity, evolutionary potential, or demographic stability. For this project, we have collected fecal samples of wild crested macaques throughout their entire range in both North Sulawesi and North Maluku. The samples will be analyzed to assess genetic diversity of the different populations and evaluate whether introduced populations are genetically depleted subsets of declining source populations or whether they retain sufficient diversity to contribute meaningfully to species-wide conservation strategies.
Curriculum Vitae
Education
| Since 02/2025: | PhD student at the University of Leipzig (UL) in collaboration with the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and the Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig (MPI EVA) Dissertation title: “Genomic analysis of human-mediated crested macaque migration: a conservation perspective” Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Anja Widdig (University of Leipzig), funded by iDiv Flexpool |
| 01/2019–12/2024: | (uncompleted due to lack of funding) PhD student at the University of Leipzig in collaboration with the Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig (MPI EVA) Dissertation title: “Human impact on biodiversity: analyzing the genetic diversity of the critically endangered crested macaques (Macaca nigra) of Sulawesi, Indonesia” Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Anja Widdig (University of Leipzig) |
| 04/2015–03/2018: | Master of Science in Biology (with a focus on Ecology and Evolution), Dissertation title: “Evaluating conservation efforts to inform future management decisions for West African chimpanzees” Supervisors: Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Brüggemann (Goethe University Frankfurt) & Dr. Hjalmar Kühl (Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig) |
| 10/2010–03/2015: | Bachelor of Science Dissertation title: “Raiding composition and position fidelity in Megaponera analis”Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Linsenmair (Julius- Maximilian University Würzburg) |
Work experience
| 06/2018–09/2018: | Field research assistant Investigating problem-solving abilities in long-tailed macaques for the McCowan Lab (University of California Davis, USA) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. |
| 03/2016–09/2016: | Field research assistant Recording object manipulation in long-tailed macaques for Prof. Leca (University of Lethbridge, Canada) in Bali, Indonesia. |
| 12/2013–03/2014: | Internship Studying the role of canines for the rank of males in crested macaques at the German Primate Centre in Göttingen, Germany. |
| 09/2012–11/2012: | Field assistant Investigating the role of mammals in the seed dispersal of rattan in the “Macaca Nemestrina Project” in Malaysia. |
| 10/2011–12/2011: | Research assistant Identifying pollinators in coffee plantations in the DFG Research Group Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. |
Publications
Neugebauer, E., Lestari, S. D., Kaletuang, I. R., Perwitasari-Farajallah, D., & Widdig, A. (2025). Distribution and human-mediated establishment of crested Macaque (Macaca nigra) populations in the North Moluccas, Indonesia. International Journal of Primatology, 46(2), 419 -435. |
Open AccessFedorca, A., Mergeay, J., Akinyele, A. O., Albayrak, T., Biebach, I., Brambilla, A., Burger, P. A., Buzan, E., Curik, I., Gargiulo, R., Godoy, J. A., González‐Martínez, S. C., Grossen, C., Heuertz, M., Hoban, S., Howard‐McCombe, J., Kachamakova, M., Klinga, P., Köppä, V., Neugebauer, E., Paz‐Vinas, I., Pearman, P. B., Pérez‐Sorribes, L., Rinkevich, B., Russo, I. M., Theraroz, A., Thomas, N. E., Westergren, M., Winter, S., Laikre, L., & Kopatz, A. (2024). Dealing with the complexity of effective population size in conservation practice. Evolutionary Applications, 17(12): e70031. |
Junker, J., Petrovan, S. O., Arroyo-RodrÍguez, V., Boonratana, R., Byler, D., Chapman, C. A., Chetry, D., Cheyne, S. M., Cornejo, F. M., CortÉs-Ortiz, L., Cowlishaw, G., Christie, A. P., Crockford, C., Torre, S., De Melo, F. R., Fan, P., Grueter, C. C., GuzmÁn-Caro, D. C., Heymann, E. W., Herbinger, I., Hoang, M. D., Horwich, R. H., Humle, T., Ikemeh, R. A., Imong, I. S., Jerusalinsky, L., Johnson, S. E., Kappeler, P. M., Kierulff, M. C. M., KonÉ, I., Kormos, R., Le, K. Q., Li, B., Marshall, A. J., Meijaard, E., Mittermeier, R. A., Muroyama, Y., Neugebauer, E., Orth, L., Palacios, E., Papworth, S. K., Plumptre, A. J., Rawson, B. M., Refisch, J., Ratsimbazafy, J., Roos, C., Setchell, J. M., Smith, R. K., Sop, T., Schwitzer, C., Slater, K., Strum, S. C., Sutherland, W. J., Talebi, M., Wallis, J., Wich, S., Williamson, E. A., Wittig, R. M., & Kühl, H. S. (2020). A severe lack of evidencel limits effective conservation of the world's primates. BioScience, 70(9), 794-803. |