Field Projects International has openings left for our field biology course in August, as well as several research assistant positions beginning in July. All are conducted on site in southern Peru.
FIELD COURSE: TROPICAL BIOLOGY & PRIMATOLOGY Credit Available: Yes Dates: August 1st - 14th Fee: $1950 (includes hostel stay in Puerto Maldonado, transportation from PM to field site and back, all meals and snacks, room and board at field station) Description: This course takes an activity-based approach to learning field research methods, with particular focus on the 11 species of primate found at our field site. During training modules covering ornithology, entomology, herpetology, botany, primatology, and more, lectures and readings of primary literature are accompanied by exercises related to orienteering and navigation, tree climbing, mist netting, observational techniques and behavioral sampling protocols, etc. More information: https://fieldprojects.org/course/tropical-biology-and-primatology-august-2016/ RESEARCH ASSISTANTSHIP: COMMUNITY DISEASE ECOLOGY This training program involves primate disease ecology of 11 primate species, and hinges on collecting and analyzing the feces of each of them. Using these samples, we can identify an individual primate, determine its sex, tell if it is sexually mature, assess its stress level, and describe its health status (particularly in terms of parasites and disease). If we collect from these primates consistently over time, we can eventually follow parasites and diseases as they spread through populations and possibly spill over between species (an exceedingly important consideration for humans). We can also conduct population genetics on these monkeys, which – among other things – is a major tool for monitoring primate conservation status. Start date: July 10th, 2016 Minimum stay: 4 weeks Cost: $450/week. (Food, lodging, travel from Puerto Maldonado to the field station, training, and field equipment will be covered by your fee.) At the end of the program, research assistants will be able to: - Track primates by movement and vocalizations, as well as radio telemetry - Work off trail systems and conduct full-day follows - Conduct behavioral observations on known-individuals (scan and focal animal sampling) - Record data on feeding ecology - Correctly sex individual primates - Collect GPS data on species movements to create a large, overarching primate movement database. - Become proficient in collecting and storing primate fecal samples in field conditions, and optionally later participating in downstream applications like endocrinology and parasite analyses. - Input sample and movement information into databases for further analyses. Learn more: fieldprojects.org/research/community-disease-ecology/ RESEARCH ASSISTANTSHIP: PRIMATE COMMUNICATION We work with several groups of saddleback and emperor tamarins that are individually identified and habituated to human observers. We study chemical (scent) and vocal signals used to convey information inter- and intra-specifically. With scent communication, we want to understand the mechanisms that underlie the behavioral and physiological phenomenon known as reproductive suppression. What forms of communication from dominant female are responsible for suppressing maturation of subordinate females? As for vocal communication, we are interested in the function of vocal communication in reproduction, dispersal, and the location of mates. Start date: July 10th, 2016 Minimum stay: 6 weeks Cost: $450/week. (Food, lodging, travel from Puerto Maldonado to the field station, training, and field equipment will be covered by your fee.) At the end of the program, you will be able to: - Comfortably and safely work on and off trail systems - Conduct half and full-day primate follows - Identify primates based on individual identification markers - Track primates by movement and vocalizations - Perform scan and focal animal behavior sampling - Use radio telemetry systems - Operate high pitch audio recording systems and use audio analyzing software - Collate data into a usable database for further analyses - Record data ad libitum on several unique behaviors such as mating, aggression, competition, and grooming - Identify life-stages of the tamarins, and specific behaviors particular to those time stages Learn more: fieldprojects.org/research/primate-communication/ RESEARCH ASSISTANTSHIP: PRIMATE SENSORY PERCEPTION This program examines sensory perception in neotropical primates, in part because they have an interesting sex-linked color vision disparity. Excluding howler monkeys, male platyrrhines are all dichromatic, meaning they can discern only two wavelengths. On the other hand, about half of all the females have trichromatic vision, which allows them to perceive three wavelengths on the light spectrum. This phenomenon allows us to design experiments in the field, such as testing what senses primates use to select ripe fruit, for example. Start dates: July 12, 2016 Minimum stay: 4 weeks Cost: $450/week. (Food, lodging, travel from Puerto Maldonado to the field station, training, and field equipment will be covered by your fee.) At the end of the program, research assistants will be able to: - Record focal behavioral data - Work with video recording equipment - Complete basic video edits - Understand relational databases - Perform basic behavioral data analyses - Recognize all 11 species of primate at our field site - Distinguish species-specific vocalizations Learn more: fieldprojects.org/research/sensory-experiments/
