1. What do you study related to biodiversity (what are your research questions, what organisms do you work on)?
|
|
 My research over the past 35 years has consistently focused on the evolutionary biology of primates (lemurs, lorises, tarsiers, monkeys, apes and humans). Although my primary interest has been in analyzing primate biodiversity in order to reconstruct their evolutionary tree, I have become increasingly engaged in issues relating to conservation. Of the 350 species of living primates, one third are under immediate threat and another third are vulnerable, largely because of deforestation and the associated fragmentation of natural habitat areas.
One main research topic has been to search for lessons that can be drawn for conservation from the evolutionary history of primates, notably with respect to processes of extinction. I have also been actively involved in captive breeding and potential reintroduction of endangered primate species as part of a comprehensive approach to conservation.
Most recently, I have been working on the genetic effects of fragmentation of natural populations, as this is likely to be a key factor in extinction. Initially, my research focused on the lemurs of Madagascar, but I have since worked on conservation-related issues with a wide range of primate species. In recent years, I have worked particularly on the Barbary macaque as a model for conservation genetics of primates.
|
2. How do you study biodiversity (for example, what technological tools and methodologies do you use in your research)?
|
|
My approach has ranged from general study of the evolutionary history of primates through studies of reproduction of endangered primate species in captivity (using hormone assays and DNA typing) and on to studies of variability of genetic markers in endangered populations.
|
3. Where do you study biodiversity?
|
|
 Research has involved general study of the variability of primates using museum collections and other resources; studies of reproduction in captivity; and field studies of wild primate populations. My initial fieldwork on lemurs was conducted in Madagascar, but I have since studied wild primate populations in Africa and South America. Most recently, my research has involved populations of Barbary macaques in Algeria, Morocco and Gibraltar.
|
4. How might your research have implications for biological conservation?
|
|
My research has implications for biological conservation through the general lessons to be learnt from the evolutionary history of primates, through the information gained from captive breeding of endangered species and through the results of studying genetic variability in relation to population fragmentation. One key question is: “What is the minimal viable size for a natural population?”
|
5. How did you become interested in science? What made you want to be a scientist, and how did you get to The Field Museum?
|
|
I first became interested in science because I had a truly excellent biology teacher at school. This led on to university studies of zoology for my first degree and then to a Ph.D. in animal behavior. I became interested in primate evolution during my doctoral studies and have pursued this interest ever since. In the course of my career, I have held positions at University College London, the Zoological Society of London, Yale University, the University of Zurich (Switzerland) and, most recently, The Field Museum. I took up my present post at The Field Museum two years ago.
|
6. Describe important collaborations for your scientific endeavors (describe your work with other researchers, organizations, or scientific groups, local or indigenous peoples, etc.)
|
|
In the course of my fieldwork over the years, I have worked particularly closely with local collaborators in Madagascar, Brazil, Panama, Gabon, Algeria, Morocco and Gibraltar. My work on captive breeding of primates involved close collaboration with numerous institutions attached to zoos, most notably the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, the Zoological Society of London and the Chicago Zoological Society.
|
