Abstract

Friendly Foes & Shared Spaces: How primates and people negotiate the risks and rewards of rapidly changing landscapes 

Amanda L. Ellwanger

Humans are prolific niche constructors—we not only shape our habitats but also influence the selective pressures acting on other species. Behaviorally flexible primates that can successfully exploit the rural-urban edge or adapt to changing climatic conditions may be particularly important for our understanding of the effects of human niche construction. In these coupled social and ecological landscapes, people and primates must negotiate the risks and rewards of rapidly changing landscapes and shared spaces. In this talk, I will focus on several major interrelated themes that define my research including the landscape of fear, conflict and coexistence, and resilience. I will share examples from research with chacma baboons (Papio ursinus) in South Africa and moor macaques (Macaca maura) in Sulawesi, while highlighting the integrative and collaborative research methodologies that I use to investigate the primate-human interface.