Julia Mörchen
Main Focus
Throughout human history migrants have been drivers of cultural change,
contributing to the formation and diversity of local cultures by transmitting
new skills and knowledge. Before the age of global connectedness, human
cultural evolution critically depended on knowledge transmission during
migration events, next to independent local invention and spread of variants. While
social tolerance fosters mutual exchange of knowledge, and the likelihood of
beneficial knowledge transfer with critical fitness value, xenophobic
perceptions of unfamiliar individuals likely prevent cultural exchange. However,
social learning between unfamiliar individuals can also entail costs, such as
competition over resources, or the increased likelihood of harmful disease
transmission. Accordingly, there is likely strong selective pressure on traits that
allow individuals to balance the costs and benefits of associating and social
learning from an unfamiliar individual.
In my Ph.D. project, I investigate the evolutionary roots
of the underlying behavioral adaptions of
migrants and locals to the consequences of migration, by using the highly
socially tolerant Sumatran orangutan (Pongo
abelii) and the less tolerant Bornean
orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii) as
model species. The two species differ in their evolved levels of social
tolerance due to differences in the island’s forests` productivity. In both species, orangutan males
disperse over large distances when reaching sexual maturity. Orangutans are
known to be highly cultural great apes and are thus the ideal study system for this project.
The ultimate goal for this Ph.D. project is to
examine how the exchange of beneficial knowledge between
unfamiliar individuals can affect i.) their social learning behaviour ii.) the
quality of their cultural repertories and thus likely their overall fitness. To
assess potential links between social integration
and fitness, we will iii.) link levels of social integration with
measures of reproductive success including copulation frequencies, body condition,
and ecological competence.
Curriculum Vitae
Current position
2023. PhD
candidate, Development and Evolution of Cognition Research Group, Max Planck
Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
2019-2023. PhD candidate, Primate Behavioral Ecology Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig & Behavioral Ecology Research Group, Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig
Education
2013-2016. Master
of Science in Biology, University of Hamburg, Germany, Supervised by: Prof.
Carel van Schaik & Prof. Jutta Schneider, Final grade: excellent (GPA 1.19).
Master Thesis: “Learning from the immigrants: dispersing orangutan males as
cultural vectors”
2014-2015. Erasmus
Mobility Student, University of Zurich, Switzerland
2010-2013. Bachelor
of Science in Biology, University of Hamburg, Supervised by: Prof. Julia
Fischer & Prof. Jutta Schneider, Final grade: excellent (GPA 1.25). Bachelor
Thesis: “Effects of Ageing in social interest in Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus) - testing predictions
from socio-emotional selectivity theory”
2008-2010. Research
student & Veterinary assistant, Zoo Palmitos Park, Canary Island, Study
abroad Program of Free University Berlin, during Bachelor Biology studies
2008. Matura, Friedrich- von- Spee School, Paderborn, Germany
Work experience
2019-2021. Project
leader, SORAYA Orangutan project (www.suaq.org)
2014,
2017-2018. Freelance Biologist, Agency for Environment and Energy, City of
Hamburg, Department of Conservation
2017. Freelance
Biologist, “Hadabuan Hills” Expedition, North Sumatra, Indonesia
2017. Scientific
advisor GEO Magazine, for a reportage on Culture in Sumatran Orangutans,
Indonesia
2017. Freelance
Biologist, NGO “Lebensraum Regenwald e.V.” in collaboration with BOSF (Bornean
Orangutan Survival Foundation)
2011-2012. Research
Assistant, Zoological Institute & Museum, University of Hamburg
2012. Volunteer
Research student, “Living Links to Human Evolution” Research Center, Edinburgh
Zoo, University of St. Andrews, School of Psychology, United Kingdom
2011. Research
assistant, Bio Center Klein Flottbek, University of Hamburg, Germany, Course
“Biodiversity of plants”, Supervised: Dr. Barbara Rudolph
2009-2010. Research student, Zoo Palmitos Park, Canary Island, Study abroad Program of Free University Berlin
Publications and selected talks
Mörchen J,
Luhn F, Wassmer O, Kunz JA, Kulik L, van Noordwijk MA, van Schaik CP, Rianti P,
Utami Atmoko SS, Widdig A and Schuppli C. (2023). “Migrant orangutan males use
social learning to adapt to new habitat after dispersal”. Frontiers in Ecology
and Evolution, 11:1158887. doi: 10.3389/fevo.2023.1158887. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2023.1158887/full
Mörchen J,
Luhn F, Wassmer O, Kunz JA, Kulik L, van Noordwijk MA, Rianti P, Rahmaeti T,
Utami Atmoko SS, Widdig A and Schuppli C. (Submitted). “Orangutan males make
increased use of social learning opportunities, when resource availability is
high”. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4603950 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4603950
Ehmann B,
van Schaik CP, Ashbury AM, Mörchen J, Musdarlia H, Utami Atmoko SS, van
Noordwijk MA, & Schuppli C. (2021). “Immature wild orangutans acquire
relevant ecological knowledge through sex-specific attentional biases during
social learning”. PLoS Biology, 19: e3001173. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3001173
Gruber T, Luncz LV, Mörchen J, Schuppli C, Kendal RL, &
Hockings K. (2019). “Cultural
change in animals: A flexible behavioural adaptation to human disturbance”.
Palgrave Communications 5, 64 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-019-0271-4
Mörchen J.
(2023). Oral presentation. “Migrant orangutan males use social learning to
learn about new habitat after dispersal”. IPS-MPS Conference, Kuching,
Malaysia.
Mörchen J.
(2022). Oral presentation. “A lifetime of social learning in orangutans: adult
male migrants learn after dispersal”. Invited talk at the Scientific discussion
meeting “The emergence of collective knowledge and cumulative culture in
animals, humans and machines”, The Royal Society, London. https://royalsociety.org/science-events-and-lectures/2022/03/knowledge-culture/
Mörchen J.
(2020). Oral presentation. “Why Orangutans need their culture”, Lecture “Series
in Biology”, Bogor University, Indonesia
Mörchen J, van Noordwijk MA & van Schaik CP (2017). Oral presentation. “Learning from
the immigrants: dispersing orangutan males as cultural vectors”, EFP
conference, University of Strasbourg, France