I am interested in sociality and development in wild chimpanzees, specifically within the mother-infant context. During my graduate studies, I plan to study orphan outcomes and adoption as part of a larger project on sociality and variation in development. I am particularly interested in quantifying outcomes of development by directly and indirectly measuring fitness. Creating a better understanding of how certain factors (i.e., maternal loss, siblings, maternal gregariousness) affect development could provide insights as to why protracted maternal care and dependence evolved in great apes.
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