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Primatology and Conservation

Group Leader(s): Professor Giuseppe Donati, Professor Vincent Nijman

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About us

With expertise in primatology and conservation established at Oxford Brookes since 1975, the Primatology and Conservation Group brings together researchers from across the University with an interest in conservation, sustainability, education and welfare in relation to non-human primates.

Under the umbrella of this group are the award-winning MSc Primate Conservation, as well as the MRes Primatology and Conservation and Primatology PhD programmes. The group offers a regular weekly seminar series; houses a specialised primate computer lab; and curates the Tess Lemmon Memorial Library of the Primate Society of Great Britain. 

The Critically Endangered western purple-faced langur crop foraging in Sri Lanka.

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Related courses

Research impact

Siamang exhibit at our partner institution Twycross Zoo.

We provide expertise to international bodies in assessing the conservation status of primates through:

  • the IUCN Red List for Threatened Species
  • providing data towards CITES listings
  • working with government bodies, zoos, rescue centres and NGOs to improve the conservation and welfare of primates.

Membership

Staff

Name Role Email
Dr Michela Balestri Associate Lecturer mbalestri@brookes.ac.uk
Dr Susan Cheyne Senior Lecturer in Biological Anthropology and Primate Conservation s.cheyne@brookes.ac.uk
Professor Giuseppe Donati Professor in Biological Anthropology gdonati@brookes.ac.uk
Professor Catherine (Kate) Hill Professor in Anthropology cmhill@brookes.ac.uk
Professor Vincent Nijman Professor in Anthropology vnijman@brookes.ac.uk
Dr Magdalena Svensson MSc Primate Conservation Lecturer and Laboratory Technician m.svensson@brookes.ac.uk

Key publications

  • Cheyne SM, Thompson C, Martin A, Aulia AA, Birot H, et al. 2024. The power of gibbon songs: Going beyond the research to inform conservation actions. American Journal of Primatology 86 (7), 23626.
  • Torres‐Romero EJ, Nijman V, Fernández D, Eppley TM 2023. Human‐modified landscapes driving the global primate extinction crisis. Global Change Biology 29 (20), 5775-5787.
  • Fuh T, Todd A, Feistner A, Donati G, Masi S 2022. Group differences in feeding and diet composition of wild western gorillas. Scientific Reports 12 (1), 9569.
  • Bersacola E, Hill CM, Hockings KJ 2021. Chimpanzees balance resources and risk in an anthropogenic landscape of fear. Scientific Reports 11 (1), 4569.
  • Balestri M, Barresi M, Campera M, Serra V, Ramanamanjato JB, et al. 2014. Habitat degradation and seasonality affect physiological stress levels of Eulemur collaris in littoral forest fragments. PloS One, 9 (9), 107698.
  • Eppley TM, Santini L, Tinsman JC, Donati G 2020. Do functional traits offset the effects of fragmentation? The case of large‐bodied diurnal lemur species. American Journal of Primatology 82 (4), 23104.