Science on Tap

Imperiled Next of Kin: Exploring Chimpanzee Behavioral Flexibility in a Human-Dominated Landscape of Uganda

Presented by Dr. Maureen McCarthey, University of Southern California

As close relatives of humans, chimpanzees share many of our traits, including complex social relationships, sophisticated cognitive skills, and diverse behavioral traditions. Even after more than 50 years of research, scientists continue to discover new behaviors in wild chimpanzees throughout Equatorial Africa. Simultaneously, chimpanzees are endangered due to serious survival threats including habitat loss, hunting, and disease transmission. Using genetic data and behavioral observations, I have explored behavioral flexibility among chimpanzees living in small forest fragments amid a human-dominated landscape in Uganda. This work underscores both the resilience of our next of kin and the urgent need to conserve their remaining habitat in Uganda and beyond.

https://cwu.zoom.us/j/84448510615?pwd=WHJjaE5vZ1lYNlZYckZWR3dRcTI2QT09

Meeting ID: 844 4851 0615

Passcode: chimpanzee