PYI: Field Research on Woolly Spider Monkeys (Brachyteles Arachnoides)

Karen Strier博士获得了美国国家科学基金会颁发的总统青年研究员奖，她将继续对巴西东南部濒临灭绝的毛蛛猴进行长期研究。使这个物种与众不同的是，在同性的成年成员之间明显缺乏竞争，斯特里尔博士希望找出原因。自1982年以来，系统地收集了关于人口统计和生活史变量以及关于粮食资源分配和可得性的数据。人们的注意力也集中在如何利用沟通来调解社会关系上。斯特里尔博士最近在这项研究中增加了一个比较方面，并开始观察另一个森林中的第二个种群，这个种群在大小、花卉和动物组成上都有所不同。在国家科学基金会的支持下，她将继续这项研究。这项工作之所以重要，有几个原因。这将增加人们对一种濒危灵长类动物的认识，并直接有助于其保护。它还将为我们进一步了解灵长类动物的行为适应提供比较数据。它还将协助一位极有前途的年轻科学家的专业发展。

With a Presidential Young Investigator award from the National Science Foundation, Dr. Karen Strier will continue her long-term study of the endangered woolly spider monkey of southeastern Brazil. What makes this species unusual is the apparent lack of competition among adult members of the same sex, and Dr. Strier wishes to determine the reasons for this. Since 1982, systematic data has been collected on demography and life history variables and on the distribution and availability of food resources. Attention has also been focused on how communication is employed to mediate social relationships. Dr. Strier recently added a comparative aspect to this research and began observation of a second population in a different forest which differs in size, floral, and faunal composition. With NSF support she will continue this research. This work is important for several reasons. It will increase the knowledge of an endangered primate species and directly assist in its conservation. It will also provide comparative data to further our understanding of primate behavioral adaptations. It will also assist in the professional development of an extremely promising young scientist.