Paleo-Primate Project Gorongosa Newsletter - May 2020

Paleo-Primate Project Gorongosa Newsletter - May 2020 

Welcome to the May 2020 edition of our monthly newsletter for the Paleo-Primate Project Gorongosa. We hope that you and your families are all okay and keeping well amid the current circumstances. Please have a read of the updates below and do get in touch and share any news and progress of your own, academic or otherwise - we would love to hear from you and spread some much welcome positivity!

In the Primate Models for Behavioural Evolution Lab, alongside the academic outputs, we have also been drawing attention to our non-academic activities in order to promote the important message that productivity should not be the sole focus right now - we should be supporting ourselves and our community first and foremost. Check out what we have been up to on our website or Twitter thread and share your own #LockdownOutputs with us!

Image: Susana has been making bread and many delicious dishes from scratch - Andrés has also started to bake!

Some of our team members have been busy delivering online classes to Mozambican Masters students enrolled in the Conservation Biology MSc programme coordinated by Gorongosa National Park, the Universidade Lúrio, Universidade Zambeze, and Instituto Superior Politécnico de Manica. Topics discussed included population genetics, macroevolution and systematics.

Image: René, João, and Thomas in a recent online class with the Masters students

We are still yet to receive some of the annual reports from senior team members - could those we are waiting on please send their reports as soon as possible. Thank you in advance, and thank you again to the senior team members from whom we have already received reports.

Image: The compilation of PPPG field reports from 2018

I am sure this will come as no surprise, but we must share that, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the decision has been made to cancel this year's Oxford-Gorongosa Paleo-Primate Field School. We have spoken with the selected students and are hopeful that we will be able to resume the field school the following summer. We shall use this time wisely to work on making next year's field school our best yet!

Image: A group photo from the Oxford-Gorongosa Paleo-Primate Field School 2019

As you could see from our last update, the new Paleo-Primate building in Chitengo Camp of Gorongosa National Park is pretty much complete now! Starting from next week, Jason and the team hope to begin moving some of the fossils and bones into their new home. We are very excited to get settled in for ourselves when it is safe and possible to do so.

Image: The Paleo-Primate building as of 29th April 2020 - photo taken by Jason Denlinger

Gorongosa Guide Test Malunga has been providing a welcome escape from lockdown through virtual safari videos featuring the wildlife of Gorongosa National Park. The videos are both beautiful and informative and can be enjoyed from the comfort of your own home - click here to visit the Gorongosa National Park Instagram page and check them out for yourself.

Image: A glimpse at some of the Gorongosa National Park safari experience videos available online