Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior

Research projects

Research projects

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To stay together, group-living animals must reach consensus about where to go and what to do. Because individuals differ in their needs and capabilities, group members’ preferences will not always align. Resolving such conflicts of interest is a key challenge to living in stable, socially complex societies. How is influence exerted? How is consensus achieved?

How do baboon troops decide?

in Meerkats, Coatis, Hyenas, Wild dogs, Dholes

Communication and Coordination

Unlike their mainland kin, white-faced capuchin monkeys (Cebus imitator) living on the islands of Jicarón and Coiba, in Panama, habitually use stone tools. This gives capuchins efficient access to invertebrate prey and allows them to incorporate new fruits and nuts into their diets. But, how and why are only a few groups of capuchins in the Coiban archipelago developing this tradition? Across species, we see that tool use is over-represented on islands. What ecological aspects of island living make Coiba National Park the only place in the world where capuchins in the genus Cebus use stone tools?

Are islands innovation hubs?

Do monkeys forage smarter?

How does life in the canopy shape the evolution of the mind? The foraging decisions of kinkajous - an elusive species that forages in neo-tropical forest canopies at night - may offer some clues. The central aim of this project is to identify the processes of learning and memory that allow kinkajous to keep track of when and where to find their favorite food: fruit. By comparing our findings to what is known about primates, which also live in the canopy and eat fruit, we can gain a better understanding of the general ecological factors that lead to the evolution of greater intelligence. In turn, we may be able to identify how certain habitats facilitate the emergence of complex societies by selecting for brains that are better able to learn about relationships, be they social or spatial.

Learning and Decision Making in the Canopy

Sleep is an inherently risky behavioral state, defined by decreased sensitivity to environmental stimuli. Sleeping together with other individuals offers a variety of advantages, including protection from predators and buffering against cold nighttime temperatures. However, group members also compete with each other over access to the safest, warmest, most comfortable sleeping spots, or the chance to sleep next to their preferred co-sleeping partners. Decisions about where to sleep are important, but assessing the options is complicated: the availability and quality of each position within the sleep site depends on the choices made by other group members.

Sleeping in Groups

How do meerkats use vocal signaling to maintain cohesion, coordinate and make decisions while on the move?

Meerkats on the Move

dolphins & fishermenCourtesy of Fabio Daura-Jorge, UFSC

Why do humans and dolphins fish together?

Have you ever wondered how animals communicate with one another? Or perhaps, how decisions, such as where to eat, are made in species which live in groups? These questions have puzzled many biologists, but with recent developments in animal tracking technology, answers to these questions can finally be addressed. In my research, I am investigating the role of communication in collective decision making in social animals, by examining how vocal signals are used in group living white-nosed coatis.

Calling to Consensus

in Fosa and SifakaCourtesy of Rebecca Lewis

Collective Ecology

Coming soon:

in spider mokeys, capuchins and bats

Social Foraging

Cooperative Hunting

Cooperative Hunting

Why do friends matter?

Sexual Selection

Capuchin Movement Ecology

Capuchin Movement Ecology

(under construction)

Bonobo Foraging Decisions