Best Darwins Monkey Podcasts (2024)

1
S3 E9 Ximena Bernal on Eavesdropping Animals and Bilingualism in Science 43:03

9M ago43:03

43:03

In this conversation, Matthew speaks with Dr. Ximena Bernal, professor of biological sciences at Purdue University. They discuss Ximena's research into spies in the túngara frog communication system. After the break, they talk about Ximena's journey as a native Spanish speaker working as a scientist in a field whose primary language is English and …

1
S3 E9 (¡En Español!) Ximena Bernal sobre animales espías y bilingüismo en la ciencia 43:28

9M ago43:28

43:28

En esta conversación, Matthew habla con Dr. Ximena Bernal, profesora de biología en la Universidad Purdue. Hablan de la investigación de Ximena sobre espías en el sistema de comunicación de la rana túngara. Después del descanso, hablan sobre el viaje de Ximena como hablante nativa de español trabajando como científica en un campo cuyo idioma princi…

1
From Cacophony to Symphony: The Harmonious Interplay of Animal Cognition and Communication with Dr. Tecumseh Fitch 1:07:55

9M ago1:07:55

1:07:55

In today’s installment of the podcast, I’m really excited to share a fascinating conversation I had with Dr. Tecumseh Fitch about the evolution of cognition and communication. Tecumseh Fitch is Professor of Cognitive Biology at the University of Vienna where he co-founded the Department of Cognitive Biology and plays a leading role in the radically…

1
Unraveling the Secrets of Cold Adaptation and Hybridization in Primates with Evolutionary Anthropologist Dr. Laura Buck 1:19:24

10M ago1:19:24

1:19:24

For this episode, I sat down in the studio with evolutionary anthropologist Dr. Laura Buck in the Research Centre for Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology of Liverpool John Moores University. Dr. Susumu Tomiya of CICASP also joined the conversation. After waxing on the plausibility that some ancient hominins in cold climates might have hiber…

1
Exploring Human-Primate Coexistence with Dr. Paula Pebsworth: A Journey from the Vineyards of Napa Valley to the Wilds of Africa, Asia and Beyond 49:59

10M ago49:59

49:59

In today’s lecture, Dr. Paula Pebsworth joined us from her home in Texas to give a lecture titled “You never know where life will take you: an interdisciplinary and unconventional path”. This lecture was extra special for me, because Paula and I were grad students together at Kyoto University’s Primate Research Institute over a decade ago, both und…

1
Change: Primate Populations in an Anthropogenic World with Primatologist and Conservation Biologist Dr. Colin Chapman 35:02

11M ago35:02

35:02

In today’s origin story, Dr. Colin Chapman joined us over Zoom from his home on Vancouver Island to talk about, quote, “A Few Fun Things I have Learned Studying Primates". Colin Chapman has a whole bunch of titles that are worth a quick once over: he is a Killam Research Fellow, a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, a fellow at Humboldt Foundati…

1
Understanding the Ins and Outs of Tool Use in Capuchin Monkeys with Professor Patricia Izar 50:40

12M ago50:40

50:40

In this episode of The PrimateCast origins, we’re sharing a lecture from primatologist and cognitive ethologist, Patricia Izar from the University of São Paulo. Pat is one of the eminent Latin American primatologists, and along with her close friends and colleagues Drs. Dorothy Fragaszy and Elisabetta Visalberghi - see episode #68 for more on this …

1
S3E8 Maren Vitousek on Stress in Tree Swallows and Motherhood in Academia 1:02:33

11M ago1:02:33

1:02:33

In this week's episode, Maren Vitousek joins the show to talk about stress and her work in tree swallows. She starts by describing what stress is and what it is not. Matthew and Maren talk about the development of the stress response and its long-term implications. Then Maren's talk about the tree swallow project that she co-directs and what her la…

1
S3E7 Jenny Tung on Synergy Between Molecular Biology and Behavior 1:06:48

12M ago1:06:48

1:06:48

This week Matthew speaks with Jenny Tung, McArthur fellow and the director of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. They start out by discussing the mutual benefits that molecular biologists and behavioral ecologists can gain from bringing their methods and frameworks together. They discuss two examples of the power of that synerg…

1
S3E6: Tim Clutton-Brock on Cooperative Breeding and an Academic Life 1:08:12

1y ago1:08:12

1:08:12

In this episode, Matthew travels to South Africa to talk with legendary zoologist and behavioral ecologist, Tim Clutton-Brock. They discuss how Tim came to study meerkats and the logistical benefits of meerkats as a study system. Then they dig in to cooperative breeding and its implications for evolution. In the second half of the show, they discus…

1
Exploring Comparative Primate Cognition with Dr. Reggie Gazes and Dr. Ikuma Adachi 1:02:12

1y ago1:02:12

1:02:12

In this episode, comparative cognitive scientist Dr. Reggie Gazes and my office neighbor Dr. Ikuma Adachi. Reggie is an associate professor of psychology and animal behavior at Bucknell University in Lewisburg Pennsylvania. She and Ikuma overlapped as trainees in the lab of Dr. Robert Hampton at the now-named Emory National Primate Research Center.…

1
S3E5: Robert Seyfarth on What Monkeys Know and an AMA 1:09:06

1y ago1:09:06

1:09:06

In this episode, Matthew speaks with Robert Seyfarth, professor emeritus in the psychology department at the University of Pennsylvania. In the first half of the show, they discuss in detail some of the foundational playback experiments that Robert performed in partnership with his late wife Dorothy Cheney. These legendary experiments revealed fund…

1
From Gorillas to Elephants: Dr. Ian Redmond on Wildlife Conservation in Africa 1:33:17

1y ago1:33:17

1:33:17

In this episode of The PrimateCast origins, we’re sharing a lecture given by wildlife biologist and conservationist Dr. Ian Redmond, OBE. Ian is renowned for his work with gorillas and elephants in Africa. Through research, filming, ecotourism, and conservation science and activism, he’s spent over 40 years cultivating the wisdom and the network ne…

1
S3E4: Live From Portland! Ft. Swanne Gordon and Jeff Podos 53:11

1y ago53:11

53:11

Matthew hosts a live episode of the podcast at the 2023 meeting of the Animal Behavior Society in Portland, Oregon. The show features friends of the pod Swanne Gordon and Jeff Podos, as well as special guests Steve Nowicki and Ted Stankowich. Content relevant to this episode: 1. Buy books of poems written by Janie E. Bibbie, the poet from whom Swan…

1
S3E3 Sara Lewis on Firefly Behavior and Conservation 46:32

1y ago46:32

46:32

In this episode, Matthew speaks with Sara Lewis about her book, "Silent Sparks" and her career studying fireflies. They discuss the sexually selected behaviors that are so central to fireflies' lives. After the break, they talk about Sara's conservation work focused on documenting firefly population dynamics and threat levels that different species…

1
Journey into the Wild with The Orangutan Conservation Project's Leif Cocks 1:07:01

1y ago1:07:01

1:07:01

In this episode, conservationist, author and founder of The Orangutan Project, Leif Cocks. Leif is a tireless conservationist who seems to be involved in innumerable conservation projects throughout Southeast Asia, but most notably The Orangutan Project, which he founded in 1998. We talk about Leif’s path to conservation, which began early on with …

1
S3E2 Thore Bergman on Updating and Applying Niko Tinbergen's Four Questions 34:49

1y ago34:49

34:49

In this episode, Matthew speaks with Thore Bergman about Niko Tinbergen's 1963 paper "On Aims and Methods of Ethology." They discuss Tinbergen's four questions as well as additional context for each and Thore describes how he has applied Tinbergen's principles to his own work. After the break, they discuss a paper that Thore and Jacinta Beehner pub…

1
Tarzan meets Darwin in conservation and evolution with conservationist and evolutionary biologist Dr. Fred Bercovitch 1:10:18

1y ago1:10:18

1:10:18

This episode of The PrimateCast: Origins is taken from CICASP's International Primatology Lecture Series: Past, Present and Future Perspectives of the Field. The IPLS is dedicated to providing origin stories told by experienced researchers in primatology and related fields. The lectures are conducted via Zoom within our CICASP Seminar in Science Co…

1
S3E1 William Kimler on Darwin and Chapter 7 of the Origin 56:49

1y ago56:49

56:49

In the first episode of Season 3, we kick off our new miniseries, "Foundations of Animal Behavior" in a conversation between Matthew and Darwin scholar and intellectual historian Dr. William Kimler. We recommend that you read Chapter 7 either before or after this conversation. Here is the version (1st edition) that William and Matthew reference, st…

1
Born Free USA's Devan Schowe on animal advocacy, ethics, welfare and conservation in the USA 1:37:55

1+ y ago1:37:55

1:37:55

This episode features a conversation with Devan Schowe, Campaigns Associate with animal advocacy and wildlife nonprofit, Born Free USA. Born Free USA, and its parent Born Free, are charitable organizations advocating for animal welfare and compassionate conservation, with the ultimate goal of ending human exploitation of animals for any reason. In …

1
Walking with gorillas and Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, Uganda's first wildlife veterinarian 52:46

1+ y ago52:46

52:46

This episode of The PrimateCast: Origins is taken from CICASP's International Primatology Lecture Series: Past, Present and Future Perspectives of the Field. The IPLS is dedicated to providing origin stories told by experienced researchers in primatology and related fields. The lectures are conducted via Zoom within our CICASP Seminar in Science Co…

1
What teeth can tell us about the life histories and behavior of extinct species (and cool science communication!) with Dr. Tesla Monson 1:36:27

1+ y ago1:36:27

1:36:27

This episode features a conversation with Dr. Tesla Monson, Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology at Western Washington University. Tesla was in Japan visiting our own Dr. Susumu Tomiya to start some work with our collection of primate bones, so I asked Susumu to join us in the studio as well. Tesla runs the Primate Evolution Lab at…

1
Fairness and economic behavior in human and nonhuman primates with distinguished professor and primatologist Dr. Sarah Brosnan 50:33

1+ y ago50:33

50:33

“You should always collaborate with your friends!” - Sarah Brosnan In this episode I am really excited to be able to bring to you an interview with Dr. Sarah Brosnan, Distinguished Professor of Psychology, Philosophy and Neuroscience in the Language Research Center at Georgia State University. Dr. Ikuma Adachi, from Kyoto University's Center for th…

1
A Conversation about animal cognition and emotions, anthropomorphism versus anthropodenial, and the power of storytelling in science with distinguished Professor Emeritus Dr. Frans de Waal 1:07:06

1+ y ago1:07:06

1:07:06

This episode of The PrimateCast: Origins is taken from CICASP's International Primatology Lecture Series: Past, Present and Future Perspectives of the Field. The IPLS is dedicated to providing origin stories told by experienced researchers in primatology and related fields. The lectures are conducted via Zoom within our CICASP Seminar in Science Co…

1
Why you should care deeply about primate eponyms with Dr. Elaine Guevara 1:11:20

1+ y ago1:11:20

1:11:20

This episode is all about where, how and why primates got their names! No, we won't be talking about popular primates like Kanzi the bonobo or Pan-kun (if you're in Japan), but rather the terms we use for the common and scientific names of primates across their taxonomy. Dr. Elaine Guevara is a Lecturer in Evolutionary Anthropology at Duke Universi…

1
A half-century journey into primatology and wildlife biology with Professor Mewa Singh 1:22:24

2y ago1:22:24

1:22:24

This episode of The PrimateCast: Origins is taken from CICASP's International Primatology Lecture Series: Past, Present and Future Perspectives of the Field. The IPLS is dedicated to providing origin stories told by experienced researchers in primatology and related fields. The lectures are conducted via Zoom within our CICASP Seminar in Science Co…

1
A conversation about what makes us human, paleontological time machines and bigging up science education with Dr. Briana Pobiner 1:06:29

2y ago1:06:29

1:06:29

This episode features paleoanthropologist and science educator Dr. Briana Pobiner. Briana works in the Department of Anthropology at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. She is also Associate Research Professor in the Department of Anthropology at George Washington University. Briana’s anthropological research focuses on understandin…

1
Bonus Update: Kate Laskowski on Development of Individuality 4:33

2y ago4:33

4:33

Matthew talks with Kate Laskowski about a recently published update to her work on the development of individuality in genetically identical organisms. If you missed the original episode, be sure to go check up Season 2 Episode 8! Read the paper here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-34113-y…

1
A life among the apes with primatologist Dr. John Mitani 58:32

2y ago58:32

58:32

This episode of The PrimateCast: Origins is taken from CICASP's International Primatology Lecture Series: Past, Present and Future Perspectives of the Field. The IPLS is dedicated to providing origin stories told by experienced researchers in primatology and related fields. The lectures are conducted via Zoom within our CICASP Seminar in Science Co…

1
A conversation about what music means to us, and monkeys, with Dr. Charles (Chuck) Snowdon 32:58

2y ago32:58

32:58

This episode features distinguished primatologist Dr. Charles Snowdon, or Chuck Snowdon, as he’s maybe better known by. Chuck is Hilldale Professor of Psychology Emeritus at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and he’s widely known for his work on primate social development, communication and cognition. He ran the Snowdon Primate Center in the De…

1
Language, anthropomorphism, and metaphor in science, and translating Kinji Imanishi and the flow of Japanese primatology with Dr. Pamela Asquith 1:14:39

2y ago1:14:39

1:14:39

This episode presents an interview with Dr. Pamela Asquith, and anthropologist and meta-primatologist who has studied how primatology was done historically in Japan, and tackled the challenge of language, metaphor and anthropomorphism in science. In March 2022, she delivered an excellent talk for CICASP in our International Primatology Lecture Seri…

1
S2E10 Zuleyma Tang-Martinez on Individual Odors, Challenging Bateman's Principle, and The ABS 36:38

2y ago36:38

36:38

In this episode, Amy speaks with guest Zuleyma Tang-Martinez, emeritus Professor of Biology at the University of Missouri - St. Louis. They open by discussing the social function of individual odors and the potential factors driving the evolution of individual recognition systems in animals. Then, they chat about work by Zuleyma (and others) challe…

1
S2E9 Andy Sih on Animal Personality, Behavioral Skill, and 'Big Picture' Thinking 38:43

2y ago38:43

38:43

In this episode, Amy speaks with guest Andy Sih, a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Environmental Science and Policy within the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at UC Davis. They open by discussing the concept of animal personalities (a.k.a 'behavioral syndromes' or 'consistent individual differences in behavior'). T…

1
S2E8 Kate Laskowski on the Development of Individual Differences and Data Reproducibility 42:22

2y ago42:22

42:22

In this episode, Matthew speaks with guest Kate Laskowski (@KateLaskowski), an Assistant Professor in the Department of Evolution, and Ecology at the University of California, Davis They discuss what it means for animals to display individuality, how frequent individual repeatable differences are, and Kate's work in Amazon mollies that attempts to …

1
Weaving between theory and practice in behavioral ecology and conservation with Dr. Karen Strier 1:16:33

2y ago1:16:33

1:16:33

This episode of The PrimateCast: Origins is taken from CICASP's International Primatology Lecture Series: Past, Present and Future Perspectives of the Field. The IPLS is dedicated to providing origin stories told by experienced researchers in primatology and related fields. The lectures are conducted via Zoom within our CICASP Seminar in Science Co…

1
S2E7 Gerry Carter on Animal Cooperation and Incentive Structures in Academia 46:45

2y ago46:45

46:45

In this episode, Amy speaks with guest Gerry Carter (@gerrygcarter), an Assistant Professor in the Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology at The Ohio State University. They open by discussing cooperation and conflict in animal social structures. Then, they dig into variation in individual food-sharing relationships in bats, and th…

1
Bonobos, Wamba Village in the DRC, and building theories of human behavioral evolution with Dr. Takeshi Furuichi 1:39:48

2y ago1:39:48

1:39:48

This is podcast #69 with Dr. Takeshi Furuichi. I was really excited about this interview. I've known our guest - Dr. Takeshi Furuichi - since I was a grad student in the Section of Social Systems Evolution at Kyoto University's now rebranded Primate Research Institute. He was the Section Head until this year when we were all redistributed together …

1
Come Meet Us in Costa Rica! 0:37

2y ago0:37

0:37

ABS 2022 is just around the corner and The Animal Behavior Podcast will be there! Come meet us!By The Animal Behavior Podcast

1
S2E6 Karen Warkentin on Treefrogs, Phenotypic Plasticity, and Linking Gender & Sexuality Studies with Biology 36:52

2y ago36:52

36:52

In this episode, Amy speaks with guest Karen Warkentin, a Professor of Biology and a Professor of Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality Studies at Boston University. They open by discussing the adaptive value of phenotypic plasticity, particularly at critical moments in complex life cycles. Then, they dig into the mechanisms underlying environmentally-cued …

1
Being a Primate, Becoming a Primatologist with Dr. Elisabetta Visalberghi 55:01

2y ago55:01

55:01

In this installment of The PrimateCast we continue with our International Primatology Lecture Series: Past, Present and Future Perspectives of the Field. The IPLS is dedicated to providing origin stories about experienced researchers of primatology and related fields, through lectures delivered by those very individuals. The lectures are conducted …

1
S2E5 Nora H. Prior on Social Interactions - Linking Brain and Behavior 40:00

2y ago40:00

40:00

In this episode, Amy speaks with guest Nora H. Prior (@NhPrior), a Senior Research Associate in the Department of Psychology at Cornell University. They open by discussing the many types of social relationships that animals experience throughout their lives, and the impact that these diverse social interactions may have on the involved individuals.…

1
Paleontology, the past, present and future of biodiversity, beardogs, and doing and communicating science with CICASP’s Dr. Susumu Tomiya 1:25:09

2y ago1:25:09

1:25:09

This is podcast #67 with Dr. Susumu Tomiya. It's such a pleasure to be able to share my interview with Dr. Susumu Tomiya, my colleague for the past 3+ years in the Center for International Collaboration and Advanced Studies in Primatology (CICASP). Susumu and I have worked closely over that time toward developing our capacity at Kyoto University to…

1
S2E4 Jesse Goldberg on Neurobiology and Vocal Learning in Song Birds 52:39

2y ago52:39

52:39

In this episode, Matthew speaks with Jesse Goldberg (@jesseGlab), Associate Professor and Robert R. Capranica Fellow in the neurobiology and behavior department at Cornell University. They first cover Jesse's perspectives on some basics of neurobiology-- what he identifies as a brain's function and the brain's role in creating predictions and contr…

1
S2E3 Swanne Gordon on Evolution of Polymorphism and Diversity in Biological Sciences 49:16

2+ y ago49:16

49:16

In this episode, Matthew speaks with Swanne Gordon (@Swanne Gordon), Assistant Professor of Biology at Washington University in St. Louis. They talk about diversity in both nature and in the biological sciences. The research focus of the conversation focuses on Swanne's experimental and modeling work to understand polymorphism among aposematic wood…

1
S2E2 Tamra Mendelson on Signal Evolution and Processing Bias 38:13

2+ y ago38:13

38:13

In this episode, Matthew speaks with Tamra Mendelson (@tamram), Professor of Biological Sciences at UMBC. They talk about Tamra's work studying sexual signal evolution. They discuss the processing bias hypothesis, with a focus on the importance of the ease of processing a signal on the receivers preference for signals. They talk about evidence that…

1
How the social brain evolved with Dr. Robin Dunbar 52:51

2+ y ago52:51

52:51

In this installment of The PrimateCast we continue with our International Primatology Lecture Series: Past, Present and Future Perspectives of the Field.. The IPLS is dedicated to providing origin stories about experienced researchers of primatology and related fields, through lectures delivered by those very individuals. The lectures are conducted…

1
S2E1 Jenn Smith on Ground Squirrels, Female Leadership, and SLACs 53:44

2+ y ago53:44

53:44

In this episode, Matthew speaks with Jenn Smith (@JennSmithSocBeh), associate professor of biology at Mills College. They talk about Jenn's work directing a long-term study of the social behavior of California ground squirrels, including the opportunities and risks presented by remote data collection technologies. They also discuss Jenn's work conn…

1
Comparative Cognition and Managing a Chimpanzee Research Program with Dr. Ikuma Adachi 1:17:50

2+ y ago1:17:50

1:17:50

This is podcast #65 with Dr. Ikuma Adachi. Before getting into the interview, I announce with great sadness the passing of Dr. Steve Ross, as announced by Lincoln Park Zoo. Steve was a formidable figure in chimpanzee conservation and animal welfare science in general, in addition to being an all around good person and key figure at Chicago's Lincol…

1
On NOT being a primatologist with Dr. Ramesh "Zimbo" Boonratana 35:22

2+ y ago35:22

35:22

In this installment of The PrimateCast we continue with our International Primatology Lecture Series: Past, Present and Future Perspectives of the Field. "Dreams are not destinations, they're journeys. So, dare to dream" - Zimbo In the third podcast in this lecture series, we hear from Dr. Ramesh Boonratana, Zimbo, talking about why he's not a prim…

1
Zoos, conservation, and empowering Earth's future guardians with Drs. Chia Tan and Fred Bercovitch 38:33

2+ y ago38:33

38:33

This is podcast #63 with Drs. Chia Tan and Fred Bercovitch - and was recorded in March 2015. The setting for this interview was one of the symposiums for our Primatology and Wildlife Science graduate program at Kyoto University, where students and wildlife professionals gathered to share their research and efforts towards conservation, environmenta…

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