Monday Seminar
When
Where
Environment and Natural Resources 2 Building, room S225
Event Description
Much comparative research on wild chimpanzees seeks to illuminate forces shaping the human life course. Just as ethological studies of chimpanzees have challenged many assumptions about human behavioral “uniqueness,” integrative biological research continues to reveal surprising similarities between human and chimpanzee lifespans and aging trajectories. In this talk, Dr. Negrey will share research on the Ngogo chimpanzees of Kibale National Park, Uganda, who have been studied continuously for approximately 30 years and exhibit life expectancies that fall within the ranges of modern human populations. Dr. Negrey will discuss reasons why the Ngogo chimpanzees have historically lived such long lives, what aging “looks like” in these chimpanzees, and ways in which Ngogo aging patterns are both like and unlike human aging patterns. Dr. Negrey will also reflect on the recent, permanent schism of the Ngogo chimpanzee social group into two competing groups, which triggered violent conflict and reshaped patterns of health and survival in this population.
Presenter Details
Jacob Negrey is an assistant professor in the School of Anthropology at the University of Arizona. He studies the behavior, health, and aging of nonhuman primates and co-directs the Ngogo Chimpanzee Project, which oversees the long-term study and conservation of chimpanzees living at Ngogo in Kibale National Park, Uganda.