Department of Primatology
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Deutscher Platz 6
04103 Leipzig
phone: +49 (0)341 3550 - 200
fax: +49 (0)341 3550 - 299
Julia Riedel

Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Deutscher Platz 6
D-04103 Leipzig, Germany
phone: +49 341 3550 211
fax: +49 341 3550 299
email: riedel@[>>> Please remove the brackets! <<<]eva.mpg.de
Research interests

Sociality and ranging in wild West African female chimpanzees
- female chimpanzee dominance hierarchies
- female chimpanzee social structure and relationships
- female chimpanzee feeding competition and behavior
- female chimpanzee ranging pattern
- female chimpanzee fitness benefits
Curriculum Vitae
Born: March 11, 1980 in Zwickau, Germany
1998 – 2003 | Study of Biology (Zoology, Behavioral Physiology, Ecology, Psychology), University of Bayreuth and University of Leipzig, Department of Biological Sciences Diploma thesis: "Object choice experiments with chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and bonobos (Pan paniscus)" [in German] Supervisors: |
2004 - present | Dissertation: "Sociality and ranging in wild West African female chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus)" Supervisor: Prof. C. Boesch, MPI for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig |
2012 - present | Consultant of the Wild Chimpanzee Foundation, Tasks: fundraising, report writing, webpage updates, conservation education projects (Club P.A.N., School-projects Germany/Côte d’Ivoire) |
Professional history
1998 | Volunteer for Ecology ("Freiwilliges Ökologisches Jahr") in the Zoo Görlitz, Germany |
2001 - 2004 | Student assistant, MPI for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany |
2003 - 2004 | Volunteer for the Taї Chimpanzee Project Ivory Coast, Habituation of a chimpanzee group |
2001 - present | Guided tours for school classes, students or other visitors, Zoo Leipzig, Germany |
2004 - present | Member of the Wild Chimpanzee Foundation, Tasks: fundraising, conservation education projects (Club P.A.N., Partnerschoolproject Germany/Côte d’Ivoire) |
2006 | Instructor for the seminar on Behavioral Ecology: |
2006 | Instructor for the Seminar on Wild Chimpanzees: |
2006 | Research at Tchimpounga Sanctuary, Republic of Congo |
2006 - present |
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Awards and honours

In 2011 Julia Riedel won the Yves Rocher Fondation „Trophée de femmes“ award in Germany for the Club P.A.N. environmental education project. The award honours women working with environmental projects with the common goal of creating a future worth living.
Publications
Heinicke, S., Ordaz-Németh, I., Junker, J., Bachmann, M. E., Marrocoli, S., Wessling, E. G., Byler, D., Cheyne, S. M., Desmond, J., Dowd, D., Fitzgerald, M., Fourrier, M., Goedmakers, A., Hernandez‐Aguilar, R. A., Hillers, A., Hockings, K. J., Jones, S., Kaiser, M., Koops, K., Lapuente, J. M., Maisels, F., Riedel, J., Terrade, E., Tweh, C. G., Vergnes, V., Vogt, T., Williamson, E. A., & Kühl, H. S. (2021). Open‐access platform to synthesize knowledge of ape conservation across sites. American Journal of Primatology,83(1): e23213. ![]() |
Riedel, J. (2020). Dominance, sociality and meat-access in West African female chimpanzees. PhD Thesis, Universität, Leipzig. BibTeX Endnote | |
Riedel, J., Polansky, L., Wittig, R. M., & Boesch, C. (2020). Social rank overrides environmental and community fluctuations in determining meat access by female chimpanzees in the Taï National Park, Côte d’Ivoire. PeerJ,8: e8283. ![]() |
Riedel, J., Boesch, C., & Franz, M. (2019). Effects of large-scale knockouts on chimpanzee association networks. In C. Boesch, & R. M. Wittig ( BibTeX Endnote |
Borchers, C., Boesch, C., Riedel, J., Guilahoux, H., Ouattara, D., & Randler, C. (2014). Environmental education in Côte d'Ivoire/West Africa: Extra-curricular primary school teaching shows positive impact on environmental knowledge and attitudes. International Journal of Science Education, Part B,4(3), 240-259. DOI BibTeX Endnote | |
Wilson, M. L., Boesch, C., Fruth, B., Furuichi, T., Gilby, I. C., Hashimoto, C., Hobaiter, C. L., Hohmann, G., Itoh, N., Koops, K., Lloyd, J. N., Matsuzawa, T., Mitani, J. C., Mjungu, D. C., Morgan, D., Muller, M. N., Mundry, R., Nakamura, M., Pruetz, J., Pusey, A. E., Riedel, J., Sanz, C., Schel, A. M., Simmons, N., Waller, M., Watts, D. P., White, F., Wittig, R. M., Zuberbühler, K., & Wrangham, R. W. (2014). Lethal aggression in Pan is better explained by adaptive strategies than human impacts. Nature,513(7518), 414-417. DOI BibTeX Endnote |
Fahy, G. E., Richards, M. P., Riedel, J., Hublin, J.-J., & Boesch, C. (2013). Stable isotope evidence of meat eating and hunting specialization in adult male chimpanzees. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America,110(15), 5829-5833. DOI BibTeX Endnote | |
Fahy, G. E., Richards, M. P., Riedel, J., Hublin, J.-J., & Boesch, C. (2013). The role of the hunter: Stable isotope evidence of hunting in adult male chimpanzees. American Journal of Physical Anthropology,150(Suppl. 56), 121. DOI BibTeX Endnote |
Kühl, H. S., N'Guessan, A., Riedel, J., Metzger, S., & Deschner, T. (2012). The effect of climate fluctuation on chimpanzee birth sex ratio. PLoS One,7(4): e35610. ![]() |
Riedel, J., Franz, M., & Boesch, C. (2011). How feeding competition determines female chimpanzee gregariousness and ranging in the Taï National Park, Côte d'Ivoire. American Journal of Primatology,73(4), 305-313. DOI BibTeX Endnote |
Leendertz, S. A. J., Metzger, S., Skjerve, E., Deschner, T., Boesch, C., Riedel, J., & Leendertz, F. H. (2010). A longitudinal study of urinary dipstick parameters in wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) in Côte d'Ivoire. American Journal of Primatology,72(8), 689-698. DOI BibTeX Endnote |
Borchers, C., Riedel, J., Boesch, C., & Breuer, T. (2009). Deux programmes d'éducation environnementale pour la conservation des grands singes africains: Club Ebobo et Club P.A.N. La Revue de Primatologie,1. DOI BibTeX Endnote |
Riedel, J., Schumann, K., Kaminski, J., Call, J., & Tomasello, M. (2008). The early ontogeny of human – dog communication. Animal Behaviour,75(3), 1003-1014. DOI BibTeX Endnote |
Bräuer, J., Kaminski, J., Riedel, J., Call, J., & Tomasello, M. (2006). Making inferences about the location of hidden food: Social dog - casual ape. Journal of Comparative Psychology,120(1), 38-47. DOI BibTeX Endnote | |
Riedel, J., Buttelmann, D., Call, J., & Tomasello, M. (2006). Domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) use a physical marker to locate hidden food. Animal Cognition,9(1), 27-35. DOI BibTeX Endnote |
Kaminski, J., Riedel, J., Call, J., & Tomasello, M. (2005). Domestic goats, Capra hircus, follow gaze direction and use social cues in an object choice task. Animal Behaviour,69(1), 11-18. DOI BibTeX Endnote |


Links
Max Planck Institute, Department of Primatology:
http://www.eva.mpg.de/primat/
Wild Chimpanzee Foundation:
http://www.wildchimps.org
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Department of Developmental and Comparative Psychology:
http://www.eva.mpg.de/psycho/dog-cognition.php
CLUB P.A.N.:
http://clubpan.blogspot.com/
Orang-Utans in Not e.V.:
http://www.orang-utans-in-not.org/
Bonobo Alive:
http://www.bonobo-alive.org/files/german/index.html
Ngogo Chimpanzee Project:
http://ngogochimpanzeeproject.org/
Yves Rocher Fondation:
http://www.yves-rocher-fondation.org
Partnerschoolprojects
Alexander von Humboldt Gymnasium Werdau:
http://www.gymnasium-werdau.de/projekte/elfenbeinkueste/index.htm/
Johannes-Kepler-Gymnasium Leipzig:
http://www.l.shuttle.de/l/kepler-gym/unesco/index.htm