People
Primate Reproductive Ecology and Evolution
New York University
Alumni Lab Members
click for website
(PhD Student, 2017-2022)
(PhD student, 2014-2021)
(affiliated researcher, 2014-2021)
(PhD student, 2015-2021)
(PhD student, 2013-2021)
(PhD student, 2014-2021)
(MA student, 2017-2020)
(MA student, 2017-2020)
(PhD student, 2013-2019)
(PhD student, 2012-2019)
Benjamin Ragen
(Postdoc, 2015-2017)
(MA student, 2013-2015)
(Postdoc, 2012-2014)
Undergraduate Students
Current* & Alumni
Eva Merce-Fuentes
Ailin Xu
Gabby Galindo
Ruby Mustill
Maddy Hillegas
Sofia Villegas
Varvy Rousseau
Deanna Hartog
Allegra DePasquale
Noelle Desir
Lisa Ramirez
Elise Blegen
Judy Dang
Flavia Stanton
Constanza Galindo
Paul Brown
High School Students
Current* & Alumni
Bella Villanueva
Ahaylee Rahman
Ella Andonov
Giana Adote
Xinyi Gilda Gao
Tahsin Uddin
Emily Willett
Gabrielle Piña
Yovanna Smith
Djemila Campaore
Madison Mushnick
Etta Harshaw
Zofia Caes
Grace Passannante
Kelly Heinzerling
Cayo Santiago Research Assistants
Current* & Alumni
D. Kyle Breault*
Lilly Kurina*
Jamie Raupp*
Eva Merce-Fuentes
Francesca Kaser
Jovana Maksic
Brooklynn Scott
Natalia Melendez
Sylvia Silva
Andrea Rodriguez
Amy Sutley
Anita Montero
Yasmina Ahdab
Maddy Hillegas
Laura Gomez
Angelica Cruz
Becky LaVictoire
Gisela Crespo
Connie Rojas
Louisa Radosevich
Victoria Johnson
James Higham
Professor of Anthropology
Publications
As Editor
Higham, J.P. & Roney, J. (Eds). 2017. Field endocrinology of nonhuman and human primates.
Hormones and Behavior 91.
Higham, J.P. & Hebets, E.A. (Eds). 2013. Multimodal communication.
Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 67 (9)
Higham, J.P. & Semple, S. (Eds). 2013. Primate signals.
American Journal of Primatology 75 (7)
Higham, J.P. (Ed). 2009. Primate coloration: measurement, mechanisms and function.
International Journal of Primatology 30 (6)
Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles
Fernandes, A.G., Alexopoulos, P., Burgos-Rodriguez, A., Martinez, M.I., Cayo Biobank Research Unit, Ghassibi, M., Leskov, I., Brent, L.J.N., Snyder-Mackler, N., Danias, J., Wollstein, G., Higham, J.P. ' & Melin, A.D. ' Age-related differences in ocular features of a naturalistic free-ranging population of rhesus macaques Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science In Press
'These authors contributed equally to this work
Higham, J.P. The sexual selection landscape and sexually-selected traits of the crested macaque (Macaca nigra). International Journal of Primatology In Press
Siracusa, E.R., Pereira, A.S., Bohr Brask, J., Negron-Del Valle, J., Phillips, D., Cayo Biobank Research Unit, Platt, M.L., Higham, J.P., Snyder-Mackler, N. & Brent, L.J.N. (2023). Ageing in a collective: the impact of ageing individuals on social network structure. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B 378: 20220061 https://doi.org/10.1098%2Frstb.2022.0061
Higham, J.P. 2022. Evolution: Kin selection spreads eLife 11:e84142. https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.84142
Siracusa, E.R., Negrón-Del Valle, J.E., Phillips, D., Platt, M.L., Higham, J.P., Snyder-Mackler, N., & Brent, L.J.N. 2022. Within-individual changes reveal increasing social selectivity with age in rhesus macaques. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, 119(49): e2209180119 https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2209180119
Moreira, L.A.A., Watsa, M., Erkenswick, G., Higham, J.P. & Melin, A.D. 2022. Evaluating genital skin color varition as a putative sexual signal in wild populations of saddleback (Leontocebus weddelli) and emperor (Saguinus imperator) tamarins. American Journal of Primatology, e23456 https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.23456
Colby, A.E., DeCasien, A.R., Cooper, E.B. & Higham, J.P. 2022. Greater variability in rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) endocranial volume among males than females. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 289: 20220728. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2022.0728
Chiou, K.L., DeCasien, A.R., Rees, K.P, Testard, C., Spurrell, C.H., Gogate, A.A., Pliner, H.A., Tremblay, S., Mercer, A., Whalen, C.J., Negrón-Del Valle, J.E., Janiak, M.C., Bauman Surratt, S.E., González, O., Compo, N.R., Stock, M.K., Ruiz-Lambides, A.V., Martínez, M.I., Cayo Biobank Research Unit, Wilson, M.A., Melin, A.D., Antón, S.C., Walker, C.S., Sallet, J., Newbern, J.M., Starita, L.M., Shendure, J., Higham, J.P., Brent, L.J.N., Montague, M.J., Platt, M.L., & Snyder-Mackler, N. 2022. Multiregion transcriptomic profiling of the primate brain reveals signatures of aging and the social environment. Nature Neuroscience, 25:1714–1723. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-022-01197-0
Pavez-Fox, M.A., Kimock, C.M., Rivera-Barreto, N., Negrón-Del Valle, J.E., Phillips, D., Ruiz-Lambides, A., Snyder-Mackler, N., Higham, J.P., Siracusa, E.R. and Brent, L.J.N. 2022. Reduced injury risk links sociality to survival in a group-living primate. iScience 105454 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2022.105454
Petersen, R.M., Bergey, C.M., Roos, C. & Higham, J.P. 2022. Relationship between genome-wide and MHC class I and II genetic diversity and complementarity in a nonhuman primate. Ecology and Evolution 12: e9346. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.9346
Cooper, E.B., Watowich, M.M., Beeby, N., Whalen, C., Montague, M.J., Cayo Biobank Research Unit, Brent, L.J.N., Snyder-Mackler, N., & Higham, J.P. 2022. Concentrations of urinary neopterin, but not suPAR, positively correlate with age in rhesus macaques. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 10: 1007052 https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2022.1007052
Cooper, E.B., Brent, L.J.N., Snyder-Mackler, N., Singh, M., Sengupta, A., Khatiwada, S., Malaivijitnond, S., Qi Hai, Z. & Higham, J.P. 2022. The natural history of model organisms: The rhesus macaque as a success story of the Anthropocene. eLife 11: e78169
DeCasien, A.R., Trujillo, A.E., Janiak, M.C., Harshaw, E.P., Caes, Z.N., Galindo, G.A., Petersen R.M. & Higham, J.P. 2022. Equivocal evidence for a link between megalencephaly-related genes and primate brain size evolution. Scientific Reports 12: 10902 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-12953-4
Munds, R.A., Cooper, E., Janiak, M.C., Lam, L.G., DeCasien, A.R., Bauman Surratt, S., Montague, M., Martinez, M., Cayo Biobank Research Unit, Kawamura, S., Higham, J.P. ' & Melin, A.D. ' 2022. Variation and heritability of retinal cone ratios in a free-ranging population of rhesus macaque. Evolution 76(8): 1776-1789
'These authors contributed equally to this work
Winters, S. & Higham, J.P. 2022. Simulated evolution of mating signal diversification in a primate radiation. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 209: 20220734
Kimock, C.M., Dubuc, C., Brent, LJ.N. & Higham, J.P. 2022. Body size and canine size do not confer a competitive advantage in male rhesus macaques. Animal Behaviour 187: 281-290
Testard, C., Brent, L.J.N., Andersson, J., Chiou, K.L., Negron-Del Valle, J.E., DeCasien, A.R., Acevedo-Ithier, A.R., Stock, M.K., Antón, S.A., Gonzalez, O., Walker, C.S., Foxley, S., Compo, N.R., Bauman,S., Ruiz-Lambides, A.V., Martinez, M.I., Skene, J.H.P, Horvath, J.E., Cayo Biobank Research Unit, Higham, J.P., Miller, K., Snyder-Mackler, N., Montague, M.J., Platt, M.L., Sallet, J. 2022. Social connections predict brain structure in a multidimensional free-ranging primate society. Science Advances 18:15
DeCasien, A.R., Barton, R.A., & Higham, J.P. 2022. Understanding the human brain: insights from comparative biology. Trends in Cognitive Sciences 26:5 432-445
Lee, D.S., Knittel, T., Deschner, T., Heistermann, H. & Higham, J.P. 2022. Testing the role of testosterone versus estrogens in mediating reproductive transitions in female rhesus macaques. Hormones and Behavior 139: 105123
Siracusa, E., Snyder-Mackler, M., Higham, J.P. & Brent, L. 2022. Social aging: exploring the drivers of late-life changes in social behavior in mammals. Biology Letters 18: 20210643
DeLacey, P.M., Perlman, R.F., Sen, S., Schneider-Crease, I., Chiou, K.L., Lemma, A., Ayele, F., Higham, J.P., Lu, A., Snyder-Mackler, N., Beehner, J.C. & Bergman, T.J. 2022. Assessing male gelada chest patches: color measurement and physiological mechanisms. Mammalian Biology https://doi.org/10.1007/s42991-021-00211-5
Turcotte, C.M., Mann, E.H.J., Stock, M.K., Villamil, C.I., Montague, M.J., Dickinson, E., Bauman Surratt, S., Martinez, M., Williams, S.A., Antón, S.C. & Higham, J.P. 2022. The ontogeny of sexual dimorphism in free-ranging rhesus macaques. American Journal of Biological Anthropology 177: 314-327
Lee, D.S., Kang, Y., Ruiz-Lambides, A. & Higham, J.P. 2021. The observed pattern and hidden process of female reproductive trajectories across the lifespan in a nonhuman primate. Journal of Animal Ecology 90: 2901-2914
Petersen, R.M., Heistermann, M. & Higham, J.P. 2021. Social and sexual behaviors predict immune system activation, but not adrenocortical activation, in male rhesus macaques. Behavioral Ecology & Sociobiology 75: 159
Pavez-Fox, M., Montague. M.J., Negron-Del Valle, J.E., Platt, M.L., Synder-Mackler M., Higham, J.P. & Brent, L.J.N. 2021. Sociality predicts individual variation in the immunity of free-ranging rhesus macaques. Physiology and Behavior 241: 113560
Higham, J.P. 2021. Studying the colors of monkeys: a comment on Caro et al. 2021.
Behavioral Ecology 32: 570-571
Testard, C., Larson, S.M., Watowich, M., Kaplinsky, C.H., Bernau, A., Faulder, M., Marshall, H.H., Lehmann, J., Ruiz-Lambides, A., Higham, J.P., Montague, M., Snyder-Mackler, N., Platt, M.L., Brent, L.J.N. 2021. Rhesus macaques build new social connections after a natural disaster.
Current Biology 31: 2299-2309
Melin, A.D., Orkin, J.D., Janiak, M.C., Valenzuela, A., Kuderna, L., Marrone III, F., Ramangason, H., Horvath, J.E., Roos, C., Kitchener, A.C., Khor, C.C., Lim, W.K., Lee, J.G.H., Tan, P., Umapathy, G., Raveendram, M., Harris, R.A., Gut, I., Gut, M., Lizano, E., Nadler, T., Zinner, D., Le, M.D., Manu, S., Rabarivola, C.J., Zaraomody, A., Andriaholinirina, N., Johnson, S.E., Jarvis, E.D., Fredigo, O., Wu, D., Zhang, G. Farh, K.K-H., Rogers, J., Marques-Bonet, T., Navarro, A., Juan, D., Arora, P.S. & Higham, J.P. 2021. Variation in predicted COVID-19 risk among lemurs and lorises.
American Journal of Primatology 83, e23255
Janiak, M.C., Montague, M.J., Villamil, C.I., Stock, M.J., Trujillo, A.E., DePasquale, A., Orkin, J., Bauman Surratt, S., Gonzalez, O., Platt, M.L., Martinez, M., Antón S., Dominguez-Bello, M.G., Melin, A.D., Higham, J.P. 2021. Age and sex-associated variation in the multi-site microbiome of an entire social group of free-ranging rhesus macaques.
Microbiome 9: 68
Higham, J.P., Heistermann, M., Agil, M., Perwitasari-Farajallah, D., Widdig, A. & Engelhardt, A. 2021. Female fertile phase synchrony, and male mating and reproductive skew, in the crested macaque.
Scientific Reports 11: 4251
Colby, A.E., Kimock, C.M. & Higham, J.P. 2021. Endocranial volume is variable and heritable, but not related to fitness, in a free-ranging primate.
Scientific Reports 11: 4235
Higham, J.P., Kimock, C.M., Mandalaywala, T.M., Heistermann M., Cascio, J., Petersdorf, M., Winters, S., Allen, W.L., & Dubuc, C. 2021. Female ornaments: is red skin color attractive to males and related to condition in rhesus macaques?
Behavioral Ecology 32: 236-247
Ghazanfar, A.A., Kelly, L.M., Takahashi, D.Y., Winters, S., Terrett, R. & Higham, J.P. 2020. Domestication phenotype linked to vocal communication in a nonhuman primate.
Current Biology 30: 5026-5032
Melin, A.D., Janiak, M.C., Marrone, F., Arora, P.S. & Higham, J.P. 2020. Comparative ACE2 variation and primate COVID-19 risk.
Communications Biology 3: 641
DeCasien, A.R. & Higham, J.P. 2020. Relative cerebellum size is not sexually dimorphic across primates.
Brain, Behavior and Evolution 95: 93-101
Chiou, K.L., Montague, M.J., Goldman, E.A., Watowich, M.M, Sams, S.N., Song, J., Horvath, J.E., Sterner, K.N., Ruiz-Lambides, A.V., Martínez, M.I., Higham, J.P., Brent, L.J.N, Platt, M.L. & Snyder-Mackler, N. 2020. Rhesus macaques as a tractable physiological model of human ageing .
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B 375: 20190612
Lee, D.S., Mandalaywala, T., Dubuc, C., Widdig, A., Higham, J.P. 2020. Higher early life mortality with lower infant body mass in a free‐ranging primate.
Journal of Animal Ecology 89: 2300-2310
Petersen, R.M. & Higham, J.P. 2020. The role of sexual selection in the evolution of facial displays in male nonhuman primates and men.
Adaptive Human Behavior & Physiology 6: 249–276
DeCasien, A.R., Sherwood C.C., Schapiro, S.J. & Higham, J.P. 2020. Greater variability in chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) brain structure among males.
Proceedings of the Royal Society B 287: 20192858
Higham, J.P., Stahl-Hennig, C., & Heistermann, M. 2020. Urinary suPAR: a non-invasive biomarker of infection and tissue inflammation for use in studies of large free-ranging mammals.
Royal Society Open Science 7: 191825
Thompson, N.A., Higham, J.P., Heistermann, M., Vogel, E.R., & Cords, M. 2020. Energy balance but not competitive environment corresponds with allostatic load during development in an Old World monkey.
Hormones and Behavior 119: 104664
Winters, S., Allen, W.L., Higham, J.P. 2020.The structure of species discrimination signals across a primate radiation.
eLife 9: e47428
Young, M.I.M., Winters, S., Young, C., Weiß, B.M., Troscianko, J., Ganswindt, A., Barrett, L., Henzi, S.P., Higham, J.P., Widdig, A. 2020. Male characteristics as predictors of genital color and display variation in vervet monkeys.
Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 74:14.
Kimock, C., Dubuc, C., Brent, L.J.N., Higham, J.P. 2019. Male morphological traits are heritable but do not predict reproductive success in a sexually-dimorphic primate.
Scientific Reports 9: 19794
Fischer, J.*, Higham, J.P.*, Alberts, S.C., Barrett, L., Beehner, J.C., Bergman, T.J., Carter, A.J., Collins A., Elton, S., Fagot, J., Ferreira da Silva, M.J., Hammerschmidt, K., Henzi, P., Jolly, C., Knauf, S., Kopp, G.H., Rogers, J., Roos, C., Ross, C., Seyfarth, R.M., Silk, J., Snyder-Mackler, N., Städele, V., Swedell, L., Wilson, M.L, Zinner, D. 2019. Insights into the evolution of social systems and species from baboon studies. *These authors contributed equally to this work
eLife 8: e50989
Higham, J.P. 2019. A comparative perspective on measures of cycle phase, and how they relate to cues, signals, and mating behavior: a commentary on Gangestad et al.
Evolution and Human Behavior 40: 533-536
Moreira, L.A.A., Duytschaever, G., Higham, J.P. Melin, A.D. 2019. Platyrrhine color signals: New horizons to pursue.
Evolutionary Anthropology 28: 236-248
DeCasien, A.R., Higham, J.P. 2019. Primate mosaic brain evolution reflects selection on sensory and cognitive specialization.
Nature Ecology and Evolution 3: 1483–1493.
Petersdorf, M., Weyher, A.H., Kamilar, J.M., Dubuc, C., Higham, J.P. 2019. Sexual selection in the Kinda baboon.
Journal of Human Evolution 135: 102635.
Rigaill, L., Higham, J.P., Winters, S., Garcia, C. 2019. The redder the better? Information content of red skin coloration in female Japanese macaques.
Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 73: 103.
Lee, D.S., Ruiz-Lambides, A.V., Higham, J.P. 2019. Higher offspring mortality with short interbirth intervals in free-ranging rhesus macaques
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 116: 6057-6062
Rosenfield, K.A., Semple, S., Georgiev, A.V., Maestripieri, D., Higham, J.P., Dubuc, C. 2019. Experimental evidence that female rhesus macaques Macaca mulattaperceive variation in male facial masculinity
Royal Society Open Science 6: 181415.
Ma, W.J. & Higham, J.P. 2018. The role of familiarity in signaler-receiver interactions.
Journal of the Royal Society Interface 15: 20180568
Higham J.P., Dominy N.J. 2018. The promise of primatology fulfilled?
American Journal of Physical Anthropology 166: 783–790.
Dominy, N.J., Winters, S., Pease, D.E., Higham, J.P. 2018. Dr Seuss and the real Lorax.
Nature Ecology and Evolution 2: 1196–1198.
Mandalaywala, T.M., Petrullo, L., Parker, K., Maestripieri, D. & Higham, J.P. Vigilance for threat accounts for inter-individual variation in physiological responses to adversity in rhesus macaques: a cognition x environment approach.
Developmental Psychobiology 59: 1031-1038.
Petersdorf, M., Dubuc, C., Georgiev, A., Winters, S. & Higham, J.P. 2017. Is the red facial coloration of male rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) subject to intrasexual selection?
Behavioral Ecology 28: 1472-148.
Hiramatsu, C., Melin, A.D., Allen, W.L., Dubuc, C. & Higham, J.P. 2017. Experimental evidence that primate trichromacy is well suited for detecting primate social colour signals.
Proceedings of the Royal Society B 284: 20162458.
Roney, J.R. & Higham, J.P. 2017. Synthesizing research on field endocrinology of nonhuman primates and humans.
Hormones and Behavior 91: 1-2.
DeCasien, A.R., Williams, S.A. & Higham, J.P. 2017. Primate brain size is predicted by diet but not sociality.
Nature Ecology and Evolution 1:0112.
Hammond, A.S., Johnson, V.P. & Higham, J.P. 2017. Hip joint mobility in free-ranging rhesus macaques.
American Journal of Physical Anthropology 58: 83-91
Rigaill, L., MacIntosh, A.J.J., Higham, J.P., Winters, S., Shimizu, K., Mouri, K., Suzumura, T., Furuichi, T., Garcia, C. 2017. Testing for links between face color and age, dominance status, parity, weight, and intestinal nematode infection in a sample of female Japanese macaques.
Primates 58: 83-91.
Petrullo, L., Mandalaywala, T.M., Parker, K., Maestripieri, D. & Higham, J.P. 2016. Effects of early-life adversity on cortisol/salivary alpha-amylase symmetry in free-ranging juvenile rhesus macaques.
Hormones and Behavior 86: 78-84.
Higham, J.P. 2016. Field endocrinology of nonhuman primates: past, present and future.
Hormones and Behavior 84: 145-155
Dubuc, C., Allen, W.L., Cascio, J., Lee, D.S., Maestripieri, D., Petersdorf, M., Winters, S. & Higham, J.P. 2016. Who cares? Experimental attention biases provide new insights into a mammalian sexual signal.
Behavioral Ecology 27: 68-74
Grueter, C.C., Zhu, P., Allen, W.L., Higham, J.P., Ren, B. & Li, M. 2015. Sexually-selected lip colour indicates male group-holding status in the mating season in a multi-level primate society.
Royal Society Open Science 2: 150490
Heistermann, M. & Higham, J.P. 2015 Urinary neopterin, a non-invasive marker of mammalian cellular immune activation, is highly stable under field conditions.
Scientific Reports 5: 16308
Fischer, J., Wheeler, B.C., & Higham, J.P. 2015. Is there any evidence for vocal learning in chimpanzee food calls?
Current Biology 25, R1-R2
Rigaill, L., MacIntosh, A.J.J., Higham, J.P., Winters, S., Shimizu, K., Mouri, K., Takeshi, F. & Garcia, C. Multimodal advertisement of pregnancy in free-ranging female Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata).
PLOS One 10(8): e0135127
Higham, J.P., Kraus, C., Stahl-Hennig, C., Engelhardt, A., Fuchs, D. & Heistermann, M. 2015. Evaluating non-invasive markers of non-human primate immune activation and inflammation.
American Journal of Physical Anthropology 158: 673-684
Winters, S., Dubuc, C. & Higham, J.P. 2015. The looking time experimental paradigm in studies of animal visual perception and cognition.
Ethology 121: 625-640
Allen, W.L. & Higham, J.P. 2015. Assessing the potential information content of multicomponent visual signals: A machine learning approach.
Proceedings of the Royal Society B 282: 20142284
MacLarnon, A.M., Sommer, V., Goffe, A.S., Higham, J.P., Lodge, E., Tkaczynski, P. & Ross, C. 2015. Assessing adaptability and reactive scope: a new measure and a case study of environmental stress in forest-living baboons.
General and Comparative Endocrinology 215: 10-24
Dubuc, C., Winters, S., Allen, W.L., Brent, L.J.N., Cascio, J., Maestripieri, D.M., Ruiz-Lambides, A., Widdig, A. & Higham, J.P. 2014. Sexually-selected skin color is heritable and related to fecundity in a non-human primate.
Proceedings of the Royal Society B 281: 20141602
Mandalaywala, T.M., Higham, J.P., Heistermann, M., Parker, K.J. & Maestripieri D. 2014. Physiological and behavioral stress responses to weaning conflict in free-ranging primate infants.
Animal Behaviour 91: 241-247
Hughes, K.D., Higham, J.P., Allen, W.L., Elliot, A.J. & Hayden, B.Y. 2015. Extraneous red drives female macaques’ gaze toward photographs of male conspecifics.
Evolution and Human Behavior 36: 25-31
Allen, W.L., Stevens, M & Higham, J.P. 2014. Character displacement of Cercopithecini primate visual signals.
Nature Communications 5: 4266
Higham, J.P. & Maestripieri, D. 2014. The costs of reproductive success in Cayo Santiago male rhesus macaques.
International Journal of Primatology 35: 661-676
Dubuc, C., Allen, W.L., Maestripieri, D. & Higham, J.P. 2014. Is male rhesus macaque red colour ornamentation attractive to females?
Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 68: 1215-1224
Higham, J.P. 2014. How does honest costly signaling work?Behavioral Ecology 25: 8-11
Higham, J.P. & Hebets, E.A. 2013. An introduction to multimodal communication.
Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 67: 1381-1388
Wilson A., Dean, M. & Higham, J.P. 2013. A game theoretic approach to multimodal communication.
Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 67: 1399-1415
Higham, J.P., Pfefferle, D., Heistermann, M., Maestripieri, D. & Stevens, M. 2013. Signaling in multiple modalities in male rhesus macaques: barks and sex skin coloration in relation to androgen levels, social status and mating behavior.
Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 67: 1457-1469
Semple, S. & Higham, J.P. 2013. Primate signals: Current issues and perspectives.
American Journal of Primatology 75: 613-620
Allen, W.L. & Higham, J.P. 2013. Analyzing visual signals as visual scenes.
American Journal of Primatology 75: 664-682
Rigaill, L., Higham, J.P., Lee, PC., Blin, A. & Garcia, C. 2013. Multimodal sexual signaling and mating behavior in olive baboons (Papio anubis).
American Journal of Primatology 75: 774-787
Higham, J.P., Heistermann, M. & Maestripieri, D. 2013. The endocrinology of male rhesus macaque social and reproductive status: a test of the challenge and social stress hypotheses.
Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 67: 19-30
Higham, J.P., Heistermann, M., Saggau, C., Agil, M., Perwitasari-Farajallah, D. & Engelhardt, A. 2012. Sexual signaling in the crested macaque and the evolution of primate fertility signals.
BMC Evolutionary Biology 12: 89
Mandalaywala, T.M., Higham, J.P., Heistermann, M. & Maestripieri, D. 2011. Infant bystanders modulate the effects of ovarian hormones on socio-sexual behaviour in free-ranging female rhesus macaques.
Behaviour 148: 1137-1155
Higham, J.P., Girard-Buttoz, C., Engelhardt, A. & Heistermann, M. 2011 Urinary C-peptide of insulin as a non-invasive marker of nutritional status: some practicalities.
PLoS One 6: e22398
Higham, J.P., Hughes, K.D., Brent, L.J.N., Dubuc, C., Engelhardt, A., Heistermann, M., Maestripieri, D., Santos, L.R & Stevens, M. 2011. Familiarity affects assessment of facial signals of female fertility by free-ranging male rhesus macaques.
Proceedings of the Royal Society B 278: 3452-3458
Hoffman, C.L., Higham, J.P., Heistermann, M., Prendergast, B., Coe, C. & Maestripieri, D. 2011. Immune function and HPA axis activity in free-ranging rhesus macaques.
Physiology and Behavior 104: 507-514
Girard-Buttoz, C., Higham, J.P., Heistermann, M., Wedegärtner, S., Maestripieri, D. & Engelhardt, A. 2011. Urinary c-peptide measurement as a marker of nutritional status in macaques.
PLoS One 6: e18042
Higham, J.P., Heistermann, M. & Maestripieri, D. 2011. The energetics of male-male endurance rivalry in rhesus macaques.
Animal Behaviour 81: 1001-1007
Higham, J.P., Barr, C.S., Hoffman, C.L., Mandalaywala, T.M., Parker, K.J. & Maestripieri, D. 2011. Mu-opioid receptor (OPRM1) variation, oxytocin levels and maternal behavior in free-ranging rhesus macaques.
Behavioral Neuroscience 125: 131-136
De Vere, R., Warren, Y., Nicholas, A., MacKenzie, M.E. & Higham, J.P. 2011. Nest site ecology of the Cross River gorilla (Gorilla gorilla diehli) in the Kagwene Gorilla Sanctuary, Cameroon, with special reference to anthropogenic influence.
American Journal of Primatology 73: 253-261
Higham, J.P. & Maestripieri, D. 2010. Revolutionary coalitions in male rhesus macaques.
Behaviour 147: 1889-1908
Higham, J.P., Vitale, A.B., Mas-Rivera, A., Ayala, J.E. & Maestripieri, D. 2010. Measuring salivary analytes from free-ranging monkeys.
Physiology & Behavior 101: 601-607
Hoffman, C.L., Higham, J.P., Mas-Rivera, A., Ayala, J.E. & Maestripieri, D. 2010. Terminal investment and senescence in rhesus macaques on Cayo Santiago.
Behavioral Ecology 21: 972-978
Higham, J.P., Brent, L.J.N., Dubuc, C., Accamando, A,K., Engelhardt, A., Gerald, M.S., Heistermann, M. & Stevens, M. 2010. Color signal information content and the eye of the beholder: a case study in the rhesus macaque.
Behavioral Ecology 21: 739-746
Higham, J.P. MacLarnon, A.M., Heistermann, M., Ross, C. & Semple, S. 2009. Self-directed behaviours and faecal glucocorticoid levels are not correlated in female wild olive baboons.
Stress 12: 526-532
Higham, J.P. Primate Coloration – An introduction to the special issue. 2009.
International Journal of Primatology 30: 749-751
Marty, J.M., Higham, J.P., Gadsby, E.L., & Ross, C. 2009 Color, dominance and social and sexual behavior in male drills.
International Journal of Primatology 30: 807-823
Stevens, M., Stoddard, M.C., & Higham, J.P. 2009. Studying primate color: towards visual system dependent methods.
International Journal of Primatology 30: 893-917
Higham, J.P., Semple, S. MacLarnon, A., Heistermann, M. & Ross, C. 2009. Female reproductive signals, and male mating behavior, in the olive baboon.
Hormones and Behavior 55: 60-67
Higham, J.P., Warren, Y., Adanu, J. Bubu, U. MacLarnon, A., Sommer, V. & Ross, C. 2009. Living on the edge: Life-history of olive baboons at Gashaka-Gumti National Park, Nigeria.
American Journal of Primatology 71: 293-304
Higham, J.P., MacLarnon, A., Ross, C., Heistermann, M. & Semple, S. 2008 Baboon sexual swellings: Information content of size and color.
Hormones and Behavior 53: 452-462
Higham, J.P. Heistermann, M., Ross, C., Semple, S. & MacLarnon, A. 2008. The timing of ovulation with respect to sexual swelling detumescence in wild olive baboons.
Primates 49: 295-299
Higham, J.P., Ross, C., Warren, Y., Heistermann, M. & MacLarnon, A. 2007 Reduced reproductive function in wild baboons (Papio hamadryas anubis) related to natural consumption of the African black plum (Vitex doniana).
Hormones and Behavior 52: 384-390
Asakura, T., Umemura, K., Nakazawa, Y., Hirose, H., Higham, J.P. & Knight, D. 2007 Some observations on the structure and function of the spinning apparatus in the silkworm Bombyx mori.
Biomacromolecules 8: 175-181
Higham, J.P. & Gosler, A.G. 2006 Speckled eggs: water loss and incubation behaviour in the Great tit Parus major.
Oecologia 149: 561-570
Gosler, A.G., Higham, J.P. & Reynolds, S.J. 2005 Why are birds’ eggs speckled?
Ecology Letters 8: 1105-1113
Book Chapters & Encyclopedia Entries
Winters S, Petersdorf M, Higham JP. 2019. Charles Darwin and selection in relation to sex in colors of monkeys.
In: Darwin’s Roadmap to the Curriculum: Evolutionary Studies in Higher Education. Eds DS Wilson, G Geher, H Mativetsky, AC Gallup. Oxford University Press: New York.
Petersen R.M., Dubuc C., Higham J.P. 2018. Facial displays of dominance in non-human primates.
In: The Facial Displays of Leaders. Ed Senior, C. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Petersdorf, M. & Higham, J.P. 2017. Mating systems, Primates.
In: International Encyclopedia of Biological Anthropology John Wiley and Sons, Inc. Hoboken: New Jersey.
Higham, J.P. 2017. Sperm competition.
In: The International Encyclopedia of Primatology. Wiley Blackwell. Hoboken: New Jersey. In Press
Higham, J.P. & Petersdorf, M. 2017. Sexual swellings.
In: The International Encyclopedia of Primatology. Wiley Blackwell. Hoboken: New Jersey. In Press
Petersdorf, M. & Higham, J.P. 2017. Mating systems.
In: The International Encyclopedia of Primatology. Wiley Blackwell. Hoboken: New Jersey. In Press
Higham, J.P. 2016. Multimodal Communication.
In: The missing lemur link: an ancestral step in human evolution (Palagi, E. & Norscia I.) Cambridge University Press: Cambridge.
Higham, J.P. & Dubuc, C. 2015. The evolution of female fertility signals in macaques.
In: eLS (Encyclopedia of Life Sciences). Wiley Blackwell. Hoboken: New Jersey.
Higham, J.P. & Winters, S. 2015. Color and mate choice in nonhuman animals.
In: The handbook of color psychology Eds Elliot, A.J. & Fairchild, M.D. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK. pp 502-530. ISBN: 978-1-107-04323-7
Higham, J.P. 2013. Primate visual signals.
In: McGraw-Hill Yearbook of Science and Technology 2014. McGraw-Hill Professional: New York
Warren, Y., Higham, J.P., MacLarnon, A. & Ross, C. 2011. Crop-raiding and commensalism: the costs and benefits of living with humans.
In: Primates of Gashaka Eds. Sommer, V & Ross, C. Developments in primatology: progress and prospects. Springer. Series Ed. Tuttle, R.H.
Ross, C., Warren, Y., MacLarnon, A. & Higham, J.P. 2011. How different are Gashaka’s baboons? A comparison of forest-living and open-country populations.
In: Primates of Gashaka Eds. Sommer, V & Ross, C. Developments in primatology: progress and prospects. Springer. Series Ed. Tuttle, R.H.
Other journal publications
Setchell, J.M., Fernandez-Duque, E. Higham, J.P., Rothman, J.M., Schulke, O. 2016. Editorial: Changes and clarifications to the policies of the International Journal of Primatology to promote transparency and open communication.
International Journal of Primatology 37: 617-627.
Petersdorf, M. & Higham, J.P. 2015. Katja Liebal, Bridget M. Waller, Anne M. Burrows, Katie E. Slocombe: Primate Communication: A Multimodal Approach.
International Journal of Primatology 36: 1055-1059
Winters, S. & Higham, J.P. 2015. Martin Stevens: Sensory Ecology, Behaviour, and Evolution.
International Journal of Primatology 36: 205-208
Dubuc, C. & Higham, J.P. 2014. Quite the complexion: rhesus monkey face redness is passed on to their offspring, and affects their reproductive fitness.
Biosphere 2: 50-55
Higham, J.P., Amann, A.L., Bryer, M.A.H., Thompson, N.A. & Winters, S. 2013. Review of “The Evolution of Primate Societies” (Eds. John C. Mitani, Josep Call, Peter M. Kappeler, Ryne A. Palombit & Joan B. Silk).
International Journal of Primatology 34: 1298-1303
Higham, J.P. 2011. Review of “The Japanese Macaques” (Eds., Naofumi, N., Nakamichi, N. & Sugiura, H.).
International Journal of Primatology 32: 1033-1036
Semple, S., Higham, J.P., MacLarnon, A., Ross, C. & Lehmann, J. 2010. Comment on ‘Pan Thanatology’.
Current Biology http://www.cell.com/current-biology/comments/S0960-9822(10)00145-4
Wiseman, R., Warren, Y., Nicholas, A., MacKenzie, M., & Higham, J.P. 2008. A GIS habitat map for the Kagwene Gorilla Sanctuary, Cameroon.
Gorilla Journal 37: 12-14
Eve Cooper
she/her
Postdoctoral Researcher, 2020-present
Research Interests
I am broadly interested in understanding the proximate and ultimate mechanisms driving between-individual variation in aging and senescence. As a member of the NYU Primatology lab, I’ll be investigating how social connectedness and social status influence the aging process, and especially immunosenescence (age-related deterioration of the immune system) using the free-ranging population of rhesus macaques in Cayo Santiago, Puerto Rico.
Education
2020 Ph.D. Biology, Australian National University
2016 B.S. (honours) Environmental Science, University of Guelph
Publications
Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles
Colby, A.E., DeCasien, A.R., Cooper, E.B. & Higham, J.P. 2022. Greater variability in rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) endocranial volume among males than females. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 289: 20220728. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2022.0728
Cooper, E.B., Watowich, M.M., Beeby, N., Whalen, C., Montague, M.J., Cayo Biobank Research Unit, Brent, L.J.N., Snyder-Mackler, N., & Higham, J.P. 2022. Concentrations of urinary neopterin, but not suPAR, positively correlate with age in rhesus macaques. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 10:1007052 https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2022.1007052
Cooper, E.B., Brent, L.J.N., Snyder-Mackler, N., Singh, M., Sengupta, A., Khatiwada, S., Malaivijitnond, S., Qi Hai, Z. & Higham, J.P. 2022. The natural history of model organisms: The rhesus macaque as a success story of the Anthropocene. eLife 11: e78169
Munds, R.A., Cooper, E., Janiak, M.C., Lam, L.G., DeCasien, A.R., Bauman Surratt, S., Montague, M., Martinez, M., Cayo Biobank Research Unit, Kawamura, S., Higham, J.P. ' & Melin, A.D. ' 2022. Variation and heritability of retinal cone ratios in a free-ranging population of rhesus macaque. Evolution 76(8): 1776-1789
'These authors contributed equally to this work
EB Cooper, T Bonnet, H Osmond, A Cockburn, LEB Kruuk. (2020) “Do the ages of parents or helpers affect offspring fitness in a cooperatively breeding bird?” Journal of Evolutionary Biology.
EB Cooper, T Bonnet, H Osmond, A Cockburn, LEB Kruuk. (2020) “Ageing and senescence across reproductive traits and survival in superb fairy-wrens (Malurus cyaneus)” American Naturalist.
S Nakagawa, AG Dunn, M Lagisz, A Bannach-Brown, EM Grames, A Sánchez-Tójar, RE O’Dea, DWA Noble, MJ Westgate, PA Arnold, S Barrrow, A Bethel, EB Cooper, YZ Foo, SR Geange, E Hennessy, W Mapanga, K Mengersen, C Munera, MJ Page, V Welch, NR Haddaway. (2020) “A new ecosystem for evidence synthesis” Nature Ecology & Evolution.
EB Cooper, and LEB Kruuk. (2018) “Ageing with a silver‐spoon: A meta‐analysis of the effect of developmental environment on senescence” Evolution Letters.
EB Cooper, RW Taylor, AD Kelley, AR Martinig, S Boutin, MM Humphries, B Dantzer, JE Lane, AG McAdam. (2017) “Personality is correlated with natal dispersal in North American red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus)” Behaviour.
Digests
EB Cooper. (2020) “Digest: Indirect genetic effects of males on female reproductive traits in the wild” Evolution.
Sam Patterson
they/them/theirs
Postdoctoral Researcher, 2021-present
Research Interests
I am broadly interested in the evolution of social behavior, development, and aging. More specifically, I am interested in how early life experiences impact developmental trajectories and contribute to variation in sociality, reproduction, survival, and aging health later in life.
Education
2021 Ph.D. Anthropology, Arizona State University
2016 M.A. Anthropology, Arizona State University
2013 B.S. (Honors) Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Publications
Patterson, S.K., Hinde, K., Bond, A.B., Trumble, B.C., Strum, S.C., & Silk, J.B. Effects of early life adversity on maternal effort and glucocorticoids in wild olive baboons. (Accepted) Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology.
Patterson, S.K., Strum, S.C., & Silk, J.B. Resource competition shapes female-female aggression in olive baboons. (2021) Animal Behaviour,176: 23-41.
Silk, J.B., Roberts, E.R, Barrett, B.J., Patterson, S.K., & Strum, S.C. Female-male relationships influence the form of female-female relationships in olive baboons, Papio anubis. (2017) Animal Behaviour, 131: 89-98.
Sandel, A.A., Miller, J.A., Mitani, J.C., Nunn,C.L., Patterson, S.K., & Garamszegi, L.Z. Assessing sources of error in comparative analyses of primate behavior: intraspecific variation in group size and the social brain hypothesis. (2016) Journal of Human Evolution, 94: 126-133.
Patterson, S. K., Sandel, A. A., Miller, J. A., & Mitani, J. C. Data quality and the comparative method: The case of primate group size. (2014) International Journal of Primatology: 1-14.
Arthur Fernandes
he/him/his
Postdoctoral Researcher, 2021-Present
Co-Advised with Amanda Melin (University of Calgary)
Contact Information
e-mail: arthur.fernandes@ucalgary.ca
Research Interests
I am broadly interested in understanding the effects of aging and pathology on sensorial systems, mainly in terms of vision. As part of my current project, I am evaluating the vision characteristics of a free-ranging population of rhesus macaques in Cayo Santiago, Puerto Rico, and closely following up those diagnosed with glaucoma in our baseline evaluation.
Education
2020 Ph.D. Visual Sciences and Ophthalmology, Federal University of Sao Paulo, Brazil
2020 B.S. Biological Sciences, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil
2016 M.P.H. Epidemiology, Tulane University, New Orleans/LA
2008 B.S. Ophthalmic Technology, Federal University of Sao Paulo, Brazil
Main Publications
Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles
Fernandes, A. G., Alves, M., Nascimento, R., Valdrighi, N. Y., de Almeida, R. C., & Nakano, C. T. (2021). Visual impairment and blindness in the Xingu Indigenous Park - Brazil. International Journal for Equity in Health20(1), 197.
Fernandes, A. G., & Ferraz, N. N. (2021). The effects of amblyopia on children's reading performance after patching treatment. European Journal of Ophthalmology 1120672121998248.
Fernandes, A. G., Berezovsky, A., Watanabe, S., Mitsuhiro, M., Cypel, M. C., Ferraz, N. N., Furtado, J. M., Sacai, P. Y., Muñoz, S., Cunha, C. C., Vasconcelos, G. C., Morales, P., Cohen, M. J., Cohen, J. M., Campos, M., Belfort, R., Jr, & Salomão, S. R. (2021). Prevalence of ocular findings regardless of visual acuity status in older adults from the Brazilian Amazon Region. Scientific Reports 11(1), 23710.
Fernandes, A. G., Bastawrous, A., Ferraz, N. N., Hennig, B., Lima, V. L., Viana, R. G., Campos, M., & Furtado, J. M. (2020). Eye clinic attendance at the olympic and paralympic games Rio 2016 and its correlation to the WHO indicators on eye health. British Journal of Sports Medicine bjsports-2020-102706.
Fernandes, A. G., Salomão, S. R., Ferraz, N. N., Mitsuhiro, M. H., Furtado, J. M., Muñoz, S., Cypel, M. C., Cunha, C. C., Vasconcelos, G. C., Sacai, P. Y., Morales, P. H., Cohen, M. J., Cohen, J. M., Watanabe, S. S., Campos, M., Belfort Junior, R., & Berezovsky, A. (2020). Pterygium in adults from the Brazilian Amazon Region: prevalence, visual status and refractive errors. The British Journal of Ophthalmology, 104(6), 757–763.
Fernandes, A. G., Pollock, B. D., & Rabito, F. A. (2018). Retinoblastoma in the United States: A 40-Year Incidence and Survival Analysis. Journal of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus 55(3), 182–188.
Fernandes, A. G., Salomão, S. R., Pereira, J. M., & Berezovsky, A. (2016). Full-field electroretinogram recorded with skin electrodes in normal adults. Arquivos Brasileiros de Oftalmologia 79(6), 390–394.
Research Interests
I am interested in molecular mechanisms underlying the co-evolutionary relationship between primates and malaria. Combining comparative evolutionary and functional genomics and transcriptomics, my research is focused on characterizing the molecular immune response of primates (including humans) to malaria, and determining which differences may be adaptations to malaria-mediated selection.
Education
2020 M.Phil. Biological Anthropology, New York University
2016 B.S. Biology, University of New Mexico
Publications
Publications
DeCasien, A.R., Trujillo, A.E., Janiak, M.C., Harshaw, E.P., Caes, Z.N., Galindo, G.A., Petersen R.M. & Higham, J.P. 2022. Equivocal evidence for a link between megalencephaly-related genes and primate brain size evolution. Scientific Reports 12: 10902
Janiak, MC., Montague, MJ., Villamil, CI., Stock, MJ., Trujillo, AE., DePasquale, A., Orkin, J., Bauman Surratt, S., Gonzalez, O., Platt, ML., Martinez, M., Antón S., Dominguez-Bello, MG., Melin, AD., Higham, JP. 2021. Age and sex-associated variation in the multi-site microbiome of an entire social group of free-ranging rhesus macaques. Microbiome 9: 68
Published Abstracts
Trujillo, AE., Chaney, ME., Bergey, CM. (2020). Genomic sequence assembly for the malaria-like
parasite Hepatocystis using primate whole genome sequencing datasets (abstract). American Journal of Physical Anthropologists.
Bergey, CM., Trujillo, AE., Disotell, TR., Tosi, AJ., Burrell, AS. (2020) Genomics of adaptation, convergence, and evolutionary conservation in haplorrhine primates (abstract). American Journal of Physical Anthropologists.
Janiak., MC, Montague, MJ., Villamil, C., Stock, MK., Trujillo, AE., DePasquale, A., Orkin, JD., Surrat, SEB.,
Gonzalez, O., Platt, ML., Martinez, M., Antón, SC., Dominguez-Bello, G., Melin, AD., Higham, JP. (2020). Age-associated changes in the microbiome of rhesus macaques on Cayo Santiago (abstract). American Journal of Physical Anthropologists
Trujillo, AE., Gilbert, CC. (2018). Craniometric variation and taxonomy in papionin monkeys: the case of Parapapio (abstract). American Journal of Physical Anthropologists.
Book Chapters
Trujillo, AE., Janiak, M., Naji, S., Disotell, TR. (in press). A comparative genetic analysis of acellular cementum. In Dental Cementum in Anthropology. Cambridge (England): Cambridge University Press
Laura Newman
PhD Candidate, 2017-present
Research Interests
I am broadly interested in molecular changes that occur over the aging process, how sex and social integration modulate these changes, and the impact of these changes on phenotypic markers of aging. I am also interested in primate behavioral endocrinology, especially the relationship between stress, sociality, and health.
Education
2015 B.S. Biology, Boston College
Publications
Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles
Ballard, E. D., Waldman, L., Yarrington, J. S., Gerlus, N., Newman, L. E., Lee, L., Sparks, M., Liberty, V., Pao, M., Park, L., & Zarate, C. A. (2020). Neurobiological research with suicidal participants: A framework for investigators. General Hospital Psychiatry, 62, 43–48.
Worley, N. B., Dumais, K. M., Yuan, J. C., Newman, L. E., Alonso, A. G., Gillespie, T. C., Hobbs, N.J., Breedlove, S. M., Jordan, C. L., Bredewold, R., & Veenema, A. H. (2019). Oestrogen and androgen receptor activation contribute to the masculinisation of oxytocin receptors in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis of rats. Journal of Neuroendocrinology, 31(8), e12760.
Richards, E. M., Zanotti-Fregonara, P., Fujita, M., Newman, L.E., Farmer, C., Ballard, E. D., ... & Henter, I. D. (2018). PET radioligand binding to translocator protein (TSPO) is increased in unmedicated depressed subjects. EJNMMI research, 8(1), 57.
Park M., Newman L.E., Gold P.W., Luckenbaugh D.A., Yuan P., Machado-Vieira R., Zarate C.A. Jr. (2016). Change in Cytokine Levels is Not Associated with Antidepressant Response to Ketamine in Patients with Treatment-Resistant Depression. The Journal of Psychiatric Research 84:113-118.
Lucantonio F., Gardner M.P., Mirenzi A., Newman L.E., Takahashi Y.K., Schoenbaum G. (2015). Neural Estimates of Imagined Outcomes in Basolateral Amygdala Depend on Orbitofrontal Cortex. Journal of Neuroscience 35(50): 16521–16530.
Book chapters and encyclopedia entries
Newman, L. E., & Higham, J. P. (2019). Intrasexual Male Competition. In T. K. Shackelford & V. A. Weekes-Shackelford (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science (pp. 1–7). Springer International Publishing.
Research Interests
I am interested in the molecular mechanisms underlying non-human primate response to change and stress across the lifespan. My focus is on the genetic basis of gene regulation and relative contributions of epigenetic and environmental factors to differences in gene expression and its downstream biological consequences (immediate and long-term). Using functional genomics, I hope to identify genetic associations with regulatory phenotypes and variants mediating response to large natural disturbances like hurricanes, focusing on immune and stress response pathways, as well as age-associated processes.
Education
2018 B.S. Biology, B.A. Anthropology, Syracuse University
Published Abstracts
Fuchs, A. J., Kitrinos, C. and Costa, C. E. (2020) ‘The fifth annual Northeastern Evolutionary Primatologists meeting at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst’, Evolutionary Anthropology, 29(1), pp. 3–5.
Costa, CE., Braun, DR., Matsuzawa, T., Carvalho, S., Almeida‐Warren, K. (2019). Water Sources and Tool Site Distributions: Hominins and Chimpanzees Compared (abstract). PaleoAnthropology.
Jessica Gunson
she/her
PhD Candidate, 2019-present
Contact Information
e-mail: jessica.gunson@nyu.edu
website: jessicagunson.weebly.com
twitter: @GunsonWildlife
Research Interests
I am broadly interested in sexual selection and sexual signaling. My research centers on the evolution of sexually selected traits, with a particular focus on sexual coloration. My current project involves investigating the coloration of sexual swellings in female Kinda baboons (Papio kindae).
Education
2016 B.S. Biology, University of Florida
Publications
Montgomery, T. M., Greenberg, J. R., Gunson, J. L., John, K., Laubach, Z. M., Nonnamaker, E., ... & Beehner, J. C. (2022). Measuring salivary cortisol in wild carnivores. Hormones and Behavior. 137:105082.
Kitrinos, C. E., Fuchs, A. J., Claypool, C. G., Gunson, J. L., & Kamilar, J. M. (2021). Primatology at the last meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists. Evolutionary Anthropology: Issues, News, and Reviews. 30(4), 233-235.
Petersdorf, M., Weyher, A. H., Heistermann, M., Govaerts, A., Gunson, J. L., & Higham, J. P. (2021). Female Kinda baboon sexual signals are less accurate indicators of fertility. American Journal of Physical Anthropology. 174: 84.
Emily Nonnamaker
they/them
PhD Candidate, 2017-present
Research Interests
I am a behavioral ecologist in the Archie lab in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Notre Dame. I study multi-level dynamics between microbial communities and their animal hosts, from the social significance of single-site microbiomes to multi-body site dynamics to microbes shared throughout an entire ecosystem.
Education
2016 B.S. Environmental Biology, Tulane University
2017 M.Sc. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Publications
Kandra Cruz
PhD student, 2021-present
Contact Information
e-mail: kcruz@nyu.edu
Research Interests
I am interested in studying the mechanisms supporting energetically costly reproduction in primates and analyzing how different hormonal pathways are interacting and influencing life history trade offs between reproduction and maintenance in females.
Education
2020 B.A. Anthropology, B.A. Human Biology, Hunter College
Stacy-Anne R. Parke
PhD Student (2022-present)
Contact Information
e-mail: stacyanne.parke@nyu.edu
Research Interests
I am broadly interested in primate biology with an emphasis on utilizing techniques from reproductive and behavioral ecology, morphology, and genomics.
Education
2022 M.A. Anthropology, Florida Atlantic University
2019 B.A. Anthropology, Boston University
Research Interests
I am interested in host-pathogen dynamics and using these relationships to understand the impacts of natural disasters and climate change on an ecosystem. I am particularly interested in using parasites as sentinels for ecosystem function and in combining the fields of animal biology and disease ecology to produce a comprehensive understanding of ecosystems as a whole.
Education
2018 B.S. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz
Publications
Chiou, K.L., DeCasien, A.R., Rees, K.P, Testard, C., Spurrell, C.H., Gogate, A.A., Pliner, H.A., Tremblay, S., Mercer, A., Whalen, C.J., Negrón-Del Valle, J.E., Janiak, M.C., Bauman Surratt, S.E., González, O., Compo, N.R., Stock, M.K., Ruiz-Lambides, A.V., Martínez, M.I., Cayo Biobank Research Unit, Wilson, M.A., Melin, A.D., Antón, S.C., Walker, C.S., Sallet, J., Newbern, J.M., Starita, L.M., Shendure, J., Higham, J.P., Brent, L.J.N., Montague, M.J., Platt, M.L., & Snyder-Mackler, N. 2022. Multiregion transcriptomic profiling of the primate brain reveals signatures of aging and the social environment. Nature Neuroscience, 25:1714–1723. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-022-01197-0
Cooper, E.B., Watowich, M.M., Beeby, N., Whalen, C., Montague, M.J., Cayo Biobank Research Unit, Brent, L.J.N., Snyder-Mackler, N., & Higham, J.P. 2022. Concentrations of urinary neopterin, but not suPAR, positively correlate with age in rhesus macaques. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 10: 1007052 https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2022.1007052
Mareike Janiak
she/her
Postdoctoral Consultant, 2022-Present
Contact Information
e-mail: mareike.janiak@gmail.com
website: mareikejaniak.weebly.com
twitter: @MareikeCora
GitHub: github.com/MareikeJaniak
Research Interests
I am broadly interested in the ways that animals adapt to the specific demands of their ecological niches, both on a genomic and a metagenomic level. To this end, I combine genomic information with dietary data or behavioral observations to understand the genetic and/or behavioral changes that allow a species to survive in its environment. I enjoy working with big data, coding, and data visualization.
Education
2018 Ph.D. Anthropology, Rutgers University
2014 M.A. Anthropology, Rutgers University
2010 B.A. (with honors) Psychology, University of Texas at Austin
Publications
Chiou, K.L., DeCasien, A.R., Rees, K.P, Testard, C., Spurrell, C.H., Gogate, A.A., Pliner, H.A., Tremblay, S., Mercer, A., Whalen, C.J., Negrón-Del Valle, J.E., Janiak, M.C., Bauman Surratt, S.E., González, O., Compo, N.R., Stock, M.K., Ruiz-Lambides, A.V., Martínez, M.I., Cayo Biobank Research Unit, Wilson, M.A., Melin, A.D., Antón, S.C., Walker, C.S., Sallet, J., Newbern, J.M., Starita, L.M., Shendure, J., Higham, J.P., Brent, L.J.N., Montague, M.J., Platt, M.L., & Snyder-Mackler, N. 2022. Multiregion transcriptomic profiling of the primate brain reveals signatures of aging and the social environment. Nature Neuroscience, 25:1714–1723. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-022-01197-0
DeCasien, A.R., Trujillo, A.E., Janiak, M.C., Harshaw, E.P., Caes, Z.N., Galindo, G.A., Petersen R.M. & Higham, J.P. 2022. Equivocal evidence for a link between megalencephaly-related genes and primate brain size evolution. Scientific Reports 12: 10902
Munds, R.A., Cooper, E., Janiak, M.C., Lam, L.G., DeCasien, A.R., Bauman Surratt, S., Montague, M., Martinez, M., Cayo Biobank Research Unit, Kawamura, S., Higham, J.P. ' & Melin, A.D. ' 2022. Variation and heritability of retinal cone ratios in a free-ranging population of rhesus macaque. Evolution 76(8): 1776-1789
'These authors contributed equally to this work
Boubli, JP, Janiak, MC, Porter, L, de la Torre, S, Cortés-Ortiz, L, da Silva, MNF, Rylands, AB, Nash, S, Bertuol, F, Byrne, H, Silva, FE, de Vries, D, Beck, RMD, Ruiz-Gartzia, I, Kuderna, LFK, Marques-Bonet, T, Hrbek, T, Farias, IP, van Heteren, A, & Roos, C. (2021). Ancient DNA of the pygmy marmoset type specimen Cebuella pygmaea (Spix, 1823) resolves a taxonomic conundrum. Zoological Research 42(6): 761-771. Link.
Melin, AD, Orkin, JD, Janiak, MC, [29 other authors], Arora, PS, & Higham, JP. (2021). Variation in predicted COVID-19 risk among lemurs and lorises. American Journal of Primatology 83: e23255. Link.
Janiak, MC, Montague, MJ, Villamil, CI, Stock, MK, Trujillo, AE, DePasquale, AN, Orkin, JD, Bauman Surratt, SE, Gonzalez, O, Platt, ML, Martinez, M, Antón, SC, Dominguez-Bello, MG, Melin, AD, & Higham, JP (2021). Age and sex-associated variation in the multi-site microbiome of an entire social group of free-ranging rhesus macaques. Microbiome 9: 68. Link.
Orkin, JD, Montague, MJ, Tejada-Martinez, D, de Manuel, M, del Campo, J, Cheves Hernandez, S, Di Fiore, A, Fontsere, C, Hodgson, JA, Janiak, MC, Kuderna, LFK, Lizano, E, Pia Martin, M, Niimura, Y, Perry, GH, Soto Valverde, C, Tang, J, Warren, WC, de Magalhães, JP, Kawamura, S, Marquès-Bonet, T, Krawetz, R, & Melin, AD (2021). The genomics of ecological flexibility, large brains, and long lives in capuchin monkeys revealed with fecalFACS. PNAS 118(7): e2010632118. Link.
Melin, AD*, Janiak, MC*, Marrone, F, Arora, PS, & Higham, JP. (2020). Comparative ACE2 variation and primate COVID-19 risk. Communications Biology 3: 641. Link.
*These authors contributed equally.
Janiak, MC, Pinto, S, Duytschaever, G, Carrigan, MA, & Melin, AD. (2020). Genetic evidence of widespread variation in ethanol metabolism among mammals: Revisiting the "myth" of natural intoxication. Biology Letters 16(4): 20200070. Link.
Janiak, MC, Burrell, AS, Orkin, JD, & Disotell, TR. (2019). Duplication and parallel evolution of the
pancreatic ribonuclease gene (RNASE1) in folivorous non-colobine primates, the howler monkeys (Alouatta spp.). Scientific Reports 9: 20366. Link.
Janiak, MC. (2019). Of Starch and Spit. Insight Article. eLife 8: e47523. Link.
Duytschaever, G, Janiak, MC, Ong, P, Wells, K, Dominy, NJ, & Melin, AD. (2019). Opsin genes of
select treeshrews resolve ancestral character states within Scandentia. Royal Society Open Science 6(4): 182037. Link.
Kries, K, Barros, MAS, Duytschaever, G, Orkin, JD, Janiak, MC, Pessoa, DMA, & Melin, AD. (2018). Independent losses of colour vision in leaf-nosed bats (Phyllostomidae): links to cave roosting and dietary specialization on blood. Molecular Ecology 27(18): 3627-3640. Link.
Janiak, MC. (2018). No evidence of copy number variation in acidic mammalian chitinase genes
(CHIA) in New World and Old World monkeys. International Journal of Primatology 39(2): 269-284. Link.
Janiak, MC, Chaney, ME, & Tosi, AJ. (2018). Evolution of acidic mammalian chitinase genes (CHIA) is related to body mass and insectivory in primates. Molecular Biology and Evolution 35(3): 607-622. Link.
Lewis, DMG, Al-Shawaf, L., Janiak, MC, & Akunebu, S. (2018). Integrating molecular genetics and evolutionary psychology: sexual jealousy and the androgen receptor (AR) gene. Personality and Individual Differences 120: 276-282. Link.
Janiak, MC. (2016). Digestive enzymes of human and non-human primates. Evolutionary Anthropology 25(5): 253-266. Link.
Susie Lee
PhD alumna, 2013-2019
Contact Information
e-mail: susielee.on@gmail.com
Current position: Research Associate, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research
Research Interests
My long-term goal is to understand how, why and when attachment behaviors evolved in animals. For my doctoral study I focused on patterns of mother-infant relationships in non-human primates.
Education
2019 Ph.D. Biological Anthropology, New York University
2016 M.A. Biological Anthropology, New York University
2009 M.A. Anthropology, Seoul National University
2005 B.A. Child Development & Anthropology, Seoul National University
Publications
See Google Scholar for an up-to-date list of publications.
Sandra Winters
PhD alumna, 2012-2019
Contact Information
e-mail: sandra.winters@nyu.edu
website: link
twitter: @SandraWinters22
Current position: Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Bristol
Research Interests
For my dissertation I studied the form and function of guenon face patterns. Guenons are a group of forest monkeys in Africa that exhibit an extraordinary variety of colorful facial displays. Guenons often form polyspecfic groups in which up to six species live side by side, however hybridization between species, while possible, is rare in undisturbed circumstances. This indicates that there are likely pre-mating barriers to heterospecific mating; previous research in the lab has indicated that the face patterns exhibited by guenons are likely contributing to maintaining species boundaries and have been under selective pressures to diversify (i.e. there is evidence of character displacement in sympatric species groups). I extended this research using a variety of techniques, including computational recognition algorithms based on photographs of guenon faces, modeling of evolutionary scenarios, experiments to assess guenon preferences, and measurements of guenon behavior and ecology.
Education
2019 Ph.D. Biological Anthropology, New York University
2015 M.A. Biological Anthropology, New York University
2011 M.S. Primate Behavior, Central Washington University
2008 B.S. Anthropology and Psychology, University of Maryland
Publications
See https://camolab.com/members.php?s=winters for an up-to-date list of publications
Alex DeCasien
PhD alumna, 2014-2021
Contact Information
e-mail: alex.decasien@gmail.com
website: alex-decasien.strikingly.com
twitter: @AlexDeCasien
Current position: Postdoctoral Researcher, NIMH Section on Developmental Neurogenomics
Research Interests
I am interested in how sexual selection has shaped primate cognitive evolution. Sex differences in behavior and cognitive abilities have been demonstrated in humans and non-human primates, but the specific neurobiological underpinnings of such differences remain unknown.
Education
2021 Ph.D Biological Anthropology, New York University
2016 M.A. Biological Anthropology, New York University
2014 B.S. Economics & Biological Anthropology, New York University, Leonard N. Stern School of Business
Publications
See alex-decasien.strikingly.com for an up-to-date list of publications.
Megan Petersdorf
she/her
PhD alumna, 2013-2021
Contact Information
e-mail: megan.d.petersdorf@durham.ac.uk
web: meganpetersdorf.com
twitter: @meganpetersdorf
Current position: Lecturer in Evolutionary Anthropology, Durham University
Education
2021 Ph.D Biological Anthropology, New York University
2016 M.A. Biological Anthropology, New York University
2012 M.Res Primate Biology, Behavior, and Conservation, University of Roehampton
2009 B.A. Biological Anthropology, University of California San Diego.
Publications
See meganpetersdorf.com for an up-to-date list of publications.
Clare Kimock
PhD alumna, 2015-2021
Co-Advised with Shara Bailey
Contact Information
e-mail: clare.kimock@gmail.com
website: clarekimock.strikingly.com
twitter: @clare_kimock
Current position: Research Fellow in Psychology, Nottingham Trent University
Research Interests
I am interested in the evolution of sexually dimorphic traits in primates and other mammals. For my dissertation, I studied the evolution and function of large male canine teeth in rhesus macaques from Cayo Santiago, Puerto Rico. I integrated morphological, genetic, and behavioral data to better understand how variation in canine tooth size is produced and maintained.
Education
2021 Ph.D Biological Anthropology, New York University
2015 M.A. Anthropology, George Washington University
2013 B.A. Anthropology, American University
Publications
See clarekimock.strikingly.com for an up-to-date list of publications.
Constance Dubuc
Affiliated Researcher alumna, 2014-2021
Postdoctoral Researcher, 2012-2014
Contact Information
e-mail: constance.dubuc@umontreal.ca
Publications
See Google Scholar for an up-to-date list of publications.
Rachel Petersen
PhD alumna, 2014-2021
Research Interests
For my masters project I studied the relationship between sociality and fitness in the rhesus macaque through non-invasive markers of immune activation and HPA axis function. This research aimed to uncover the role of the immune and endocrine system in mediating the negative health consequences associated with low social integration. For my PhD dissertation, I am studying both pre- and post-copulatory mechanisms by which female primates bias paternity. Specifically, I am interested in mechanisms of cryptic female choice and exploring how sexual selection has acted on female physiology in order to better understand the co-evolution of reproductive strategies in male and female primates.
Education
2017 M.A. Biological Anthropology, New York University
2013 B.S. Animal Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Publications
See Google Scholar for an up-to-date list of publications.
Research Interests
My research interest is in visual and chemical communication in Platyrrhines.
Education
2013 M.A. Psycobiology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
2010 B.A. Biology, Universidade de Brasília, Brazil
Publications
Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles
Moreira, L.A.A., Duytschaever, G., Higham, J.P., & Melin, A.D. 2019. Platyrrhine color signals: A whole New World, with new horizons to pursue. Evolutionary Anthropology In Press
Moreira, L.A.A., de Oliveira, D.G.R., de Sousa, M.B.C., & Pessoa, D.M.A. 2015. Parturition signaling by visual cues in female marmosets (Callithrix jacchus). PLoS ONE 10(6): e0129319.
Moreira L.A.A., Pessoa D.M.A., & Sousa, M.B.C. 2013. Socio-sexual communication: A review of the sensory modalities used by non-human primates. Oecologia Australis, 17, 113-129.
Published abstracts
Moreira, L.A.A., Pessoa, D.M.A., & Sousa, M.B.C. 2013. Chromatic signaling of reproductive condition in common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus). Sociedade Brasileira de Etologia.
Moreira, L.A.A., Saletti P.G., Pessoa V.F., & Pessoa D.M.A. 2011. Detecção de variação cromática em genitálias de fêmeas de macaco-prego (Cebus libidinosus). Sociedade Brasileira de Primatologia.
Cassandra Turcotte
Postdoctoral Researcher, 2018-present
Contact Information
e-mail: ct1313@nyu.edu
Research Interests
Comparative and functional anatomy, musculoskeletal biology, digital imaging and microscopy, 3D modeling, muscle-bone attachment regions
Current work: Relationships between soft tissue morphology and skeletal correlates in the rhesus macaques of Cayo Santiago. This post-doctoral position is focused on the reconstruction of soft tissue and life history variables from skeletal remains using the rhesus macaque population of Cayo Santiago, Puerto Rico. This project collects antemortem somatometric and microbiome data for comparison against skeletonized tissues to assess the utility of forensic skeletal markers for the reconstruction of living behavior.
Education
2018 Ph.D. Human Paleobiology, George Washington University
2012 B.A. Physical Anthropology and Geology, University of Pennsylvania
Publications
Turcotte, C.M., Mann, E.H.J., Stock, M.K., Villamil, C.I., Montague, M.J., Dickinson, E., Bauman Surratt, S., Martinez, M., Williams, S.A., Antón, S.C. & Higham, J.P. 2022. The ontogeny of sexual dimorphism in free-ranging rhesus macaques. American Journal of Biological Anthropology 177: 314-327
Diogo R, Potau JM, Pastor JF, de Paz FJ, Arias Martorell J, Turcotte C, Hammond A, Shearer B, Vereecke E, Vanhoof M, Nauwelaerts S and B Wood (2017) Photographic and Descriptive Musculoskeletal Atlas of Bonobos. 1st ed. Springer.
Copyright 2021