Evolutionary Anthropology Ph.D. candidates Awarded ASP Grants

 Evolutionary Anthropology PhD candidates Margaret Corley and Andrea Spence-Aizenberg have been awarded research grants at the recent annual meeting of the American Society of Primatologists in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Their proposals were 2 of only 4 proposals funded out of 52 submissions.

Margaret’s project ("Leaving home: genetic correlates of owl monkey (Aotus azarae) dispersal in a naturally fragmented habitat”) will investigate dispersal patterns in free-ranging monogamous owl monkeys at the level of the community by genetically sampling individuals in a variety of habitats. Combined with ongoing research on the hormonal and behavioral correlates of owl monkey dispersal, this research will shed light on how monogamous social structure relates to patterns of dispersal and how dispersal affects the genetic structure of populations in fragmented habitats.

Andrea’s project (“Olfactory signals and partner choice in monogamous owl monkeys (Aotus nancymaae”) will investigate olfactory communication as a potential mechanism of pair formation in owl monkeys, focusing on potential chemical signals associated with sex, age, pair-status, and kinship cues.  Andrea’s project has already received a grant from the International Society of Primatologists this past Spring.