Mentor Areas
- Behavioral biology
- Biological anthropology
- Animal behavior
- Animal welfare
- Zoo science
- Primate research/methods
- Cognitive science
- Evolution
- Community engagement and outreach
Description:
This project is a collaboration between the University of Pennsylvania’s Department of Anthropology, and the Philadelphia Zoo – two community-engaged institutions of greater Philadelphia. As an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the Philadelphia Zoo is responsible for assessing the welfare of each animal in their collection; welfare refers to an animal’s collective physical, mental, and emotional states over a period of time. While the Philadelphia Zoo does engage in such welfare assessments, the zoo lacks robust data for evaluating and comparing more intricate behavioral and biological measures of welfare, specifically in their primate collection. This work aims to collect information on the behavior of four primate species housed at the Philadelphia Zoo: white-handed gibbons (Hylobates lar), western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla), mongoose lemurs (Eulemur mongoz), and white-faced sakis (Pithecia pithecia), for use by the Philadelphia Zoo to make more informed welfare decisions.
Dr. Caroline Jones and select undergraduate researcher assistants will observe primates on exhibit at the zoo, and collect behavioral data using ZooMonitor™ software. This data will then be used to create time/activity budgets for each individual and/or primate species. For those internal states not observable (stress, comfort), urine and fecal samples will be collected by zoo staff for further analysis of hormones and diet. In addition, surveys will be drafted and distributed to inquire about other zoos’ experiences regarding species-typical behavior, as well as husbandry and management practices. The results from this study will not only aid the Philadelphia Zoo in the care of their primate collection, but will serve as an opportunity for undergraduate students from the University of Pennsylvania to engage in the research process, while contributing to their community.
*Please be aware that no internal funding is available, though work study students are welcome, as well as those with external funding, independent studies, and of course, volunteers.
Preferred Qualifications
Students who wish to apply must:
- have prior experience and/or course work in animal behavior or primate studies
- have their own transportation to the zoo
- have weekly availability to collect data
- be reliable, dedicated, independent, and conscientious
Project Website
Learn more about the researcher and/or the project here. Dr. Jones - University of Pennsylvania
Details:
Preferred Student Year
Second-Year, Junior, Senior
Academic Term
Fall, Spring
I prefer to have students start during the above term(s).Volunteer
Yes
Yes indicates that faculty are open to volunteers.Paid
No
Yes indicates that faculty are open to paying students they engage in their research, regardless of their work-study eligibility.Work Study
Yes
Yes indicates that faculty are open to hiring work-study-eligible students.