The
DuMond Conservancy is responsible for coordinating all
primate study and research activities at Monkey Jungle,
a commercial zoological park in Miami, Florida that
was opened to the public in 1935. The current research
activities of the DuMond Conservancy focus on the semi
free-ranging populations maintained in two large areas
of the sub-tropical hardwood forest in which Monkey
Jungle is located. In addition, the DuMond Conservancy
uses Monkey Jungle as a natural classroom for educating
students of all ages about primatology.
Recent
Studies
- Episodic
memory in a western lowland gorilla (Florida International
University)
See Primate Cognition Project below for more information.
- Food sharing in owl monkeys (a collaboration with
students from the University of Miami and the University
of Andes, Bogota, Columbia)
- Anointing in owl monkeys (a collaboration of students
from Florida International University and the Smithsonian
Institute)
- Food preparation in orangutans (a collaboration of
students from Randolf Macon College)
- Communication and grooming in Java macaques (Pine
Crest High School, Fort Lauderdale, FL). See Grooming,
Language, and Social Bonding below for more information.
Grooming,
Language, and Social Bonding
As
a high school sophomore at Pine Crest High School
in Fort Lauderdale, Amy Schnidman approached the
DuMond Conservancy about the possibility of conducting
her own research project at Monkey Jungle. Specifically,
she wanted to investigate Dr. Robin Dunbar's theory
that language evolved in hominids as a more efficient
method of social bonding.
Dunbar suggests that grooming is the primary
mechanism for social bonding in non-human primates.
However, as group size increased during primate
evolution, primates did not have enough time to
maintain social bonds through grooming. This may
have created pressure to develop a more efficient
method of establishing and maintaining bonds within
in a group, and Dunbar proposes that language
developed as that method.
Research investigating human conversation support
Dunbar's hypothesis. Such studies have revealed
that approximately two-thirds of conversations
were social gossip. Dunbar suggests the function
of gossip is similar to grooming in our primate
cousins.
Before Amy began doing her own research at the
DuMond Conservancy she contacted Robin Dunbar
for advice. She also shared her ideas with Japanese
primatologist, Nakamura, who studies a similar
question in chimpanzee social groups. After talking
with these and other primatologists, Amy decided
to study the large group of over one hundred Java
macaques at the Conservancy...
Amy observed the macaques grooming in large grooming
cliques of up to eight monkeys. This is probably
much larger than any grooming clique that would
be observed in nature, and it may be a result
of the protection and food resources made available
to the monkeys at our facility. Amy also investigated
the role of communication in grooming. She found
that communication was used to initiate grooming,
but was not observed during grooming.
Amy has interpreted these results as not supporting
Dunbar's hypothesis, but she is continuing to
investigate the topic. She has received state-wide
recognition for her scientific abilities, and
was recently granted first prize in the Florida
Junior Academy of Science Competition. We wish
her all the luck in her future studies and research.
primate
cognition project
One
of the more recent studies being conducted at Monkey
Jungle is an investigation into the memory processes
of a western lowland gorilla and two orangutans. More
specifically, the ongoing study is looking into a particular
kind of memory that cognitive psychologists call episodic
memory.
Episodic memory is the kind of memory that allows people
to remember specific events from their lives. Episodic
memories can include recent events as well as fairly
distant events. Episodic memory also includes more significant
events that we retain for much longer periods of time,
such as a first kiss.
Dr. Bennett Schwartz set to find out if gorillas and
orangutans might possess these types of memories. For
more information about his research or to contact him
you can visit his website at http://www.fiu.edu/~schwartb/.
training
opportunities
The DuMond
Conservancy provides special education programs in primatology
for middle and high school students, including a 9-week
program for a local magnet middle school and a supplementary
education program for mentally-challenged students.
College students conduct field trips at Monkey Jungle
using on-site accommodations and educational opportunities
are available for Pre-College, Undergraduate, and Graduate
field work and internships. Research emphasizes behavioral
studies of semi-free ranging populations of squirrel,
capuchin, and java monkeys, but may also include other
areas of interest. Projects that span broad aspects
of primate biology are encouraged. Veterinary support
is available as is access to a primate library. Financial
support is rarely available
Students or teachers interested in studying with the
DuMond Conservancy should make an application to Dr.
S. Evans, Programs Coordinator, via email at dumond@dumondconservancy.org.
other
topics of study
Over
time our facility has allowed studies covering
a variety of topics including posture, color vision,
cognitive mapping, self-recognition, locomotion,
and positional behavior.
The species included in studies most often are
squirrel monkeys, owl monkeys, capuchins, red
howler monkeys, several species of tamarins and
marmosets, orangutans and a gorilla.
We have had researchers from all over the country
and the world including those from Florida International
University, the University of Waterloo, the University
of Puerto Rico, SUNY-Stony Brook, UC-Santa Barbara,
the University of Miami,Lehman College, CUNY,Eckerd
College, and more.
In particular, behavioral research on the Owl
Monkey (Aotus spp.) has been conducted
at the conservancy. To read more about some of
the studies carried out by students and other
researchers, as well as to learn more about these
unique primates, follow the link below:
Go to the Owl Monkey research page