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Joya, a young female chimpanzee, walking bipedally while carrying a pair of stone tools (anvil and hammer). Photo by Jules Doré.

Chimpanzees of Bossou, Guinea

Since 2006, the research of our Lab Head, Dr Susana Carvalho, has focused on wild chimpanzee stone tool use in the forests of Bossou and Diecké

Chimpanzee technology

Important update

Please note, as of 31st December 2023, Dr Carvalho has left her Professorship at the University of Oxford. Dr Carvalho is starting a new position as Director of Paleoanthropology and Primatology at Gorongosa National Park on 1st April 2024, and as an Integrated Researcher at ICArEHB, coordinating the Primate Models for Hominin Evolution research theme. For any enquiries regarding postgraduate mentorship, field research, or the Gorongosa field school, please contact Dr Carvalho at susana.carvalho@gorongosa.net

Learn more about Gorongosa National Park

The Paleo-Primate Project Gorongosa team at the PPPG 2023 Workshop at Universidade do Algarve, Portugal

Latest news and updates from the Paleo-Primate Project Gorongosa

The Paleo-Primate Project Gorongosa has a newsletter which celebrates progress and achievements of the interdisciplinary team studying fossils and living primates in Gorongosa National Park to shed light on human origins. Check out the latest edition of the newsletter below and subscribe if you want to receive future updates.

PPPG Newsletter - November 2023

The Primate Models for Behavioural Evolution Lab photographed at IPS-MPS ’23 – Kuching, Malaysia – Joint Meeting of the International Primatological Society and the Malaysian Primatological Society

The Primate Models for Behavioural Evolution Lab on tour in Kuching, Malaysia!

We were delighted to present our research and attend so many fascinating presentations and discussions at IPS-MPS ’23, the Joint Meeting of the International Primatological Society and the Malaysian Primatological Society held in Kuching, Malaysia.

IPS '23 Programme

Oxford-Gorongosa Paleo-Primate Field School 2023

A group of students from Universidade Eduardo Mondlane in Mozambique and University of Oxford travelled to Gorongosa National Park this summer to receive training in primatology, palaeoanthropology, archaeology. After an exciting series of lectures and practical classes, students got stuck in and experienced fieldwork, joining the paleontology team in the search for fossils at the Park's fossil sites located at the base of the East African Rift System.

Field School

Jacinto Mathe (left) collecting hartbeest bones in Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique with Gorongosa interns Helma Essupa and Francisco Capece. Photo: Arquimedes André

Jacinto Mathe awarded Baldwin Fellowship by The Leakey Foundation

The Baldwin Fellowship aims to expand access to advanced degrees for students of paleoanthropology and primatology from countries with limited educational opportunities in fields of research related to human origins, investing in outstanding scholars and helping them become leaders in their home countries. Many congratulations to DPhil student Jacinto Mathe for this prestigious acheivement!

2023 Baldwin Fellows

Celebrating achievements at the Primate Models for Behavioural Evolution Lab christmas dinner 2022

A wonderful get together to mark the holiday season and celebrate the many accomplishments of Lab members over the past year!

A group of people stand together and smile for the camera

Our lab at EFP-GfP 2022 in Arnhem

(Almost) all our lab got together in Arnhem for our fist conference post-lockdown. We had a great time listening to some fantastic talks, catching up with colleagues, and exploring Burgers' Zoo.

Welcome (back) to our latest Post-Doc & Leverhulme Early Career Fellow, Dr. Katarina Almeida-Warren!

Our first DPhil, Dr. Katarina Almeida-Warren, has just been awarded the prestigious Leverhume Early Career Fellowship - Double Congratulations! She will be returning to our lab as a post-doctoral fellow in November 2022 to work on her exciting new project - Primate Archaeology beyond Technology! We are thrilled!

Primate Conversations 2021/22 series available online

Our virtual seminar series may be over for the year, but you can stream all talks over on our Primate Models for Behavioural Evolution Lab YouTube channel

Primate Conversations on YouTube

Images of our first four post-doctoral fellows - Drs Lydia Luncz, Thomas Püschel, Alejandra Pascual-Garrido & Alex Mielke - who have moved on to stellar positions

Post-doctoral research positions

Our first post-doctoral fellows have conducted outstanding research and moved on to stellar positions - please contact our lab head, Professor Susana Carvalho, if you wish to discuss possible post-doctoral research projects with us

Find our current projects here

An undergraduate Archaeology and Anthropology student examining fossil hominin skull casts during a practical teaching session taught by Susana Carvalho and René Bobe in Trinity Term 2021, photo by Ian Cartwright

Teaching the next generation of primatologists & paleoanthropologists

This year, Archaeology & Anthropology undergraduates at the University of Oxford had the opportunity to examine casts of fossil hominin skulls in one of the beautiful School of Anthropology gardens as part of their human origins course with Drs Susana Carvalho and René Bobe

Support for Students

Illustration of raw material sourcing for termite-fishing tools by wild chimpanzees, created by Luis da Silva, published in Pascual-Garrido & Almeida-Warren (2021)

Archaeology of the Perishable

A milestone comparative study led by Lab members Alejandra Pascual-Garrido and Katarina Almeida-Warren, out now in Current Anthropology

Read the paper here

Polaroid-style photographs of the members of the Primate Models for Behavioural Evolution Lab as of March 2021, created by João d'Oliveira Coelho

Getting creative for our Spring 2021 Lab group photo

Even though we have not been able to recreate our usual Lab group photo since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are still keeping the tradition going and supporting one another virtually

Paleo-Primate Project, Gorongosa - Baboon, season 2018. Photo by René Bobe

Baboons of Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique

A number of our Lab members study troops of baboons in Gorongosa - you can read about some of their research on our projects pages

Projects

Vervet Monkeys feeding on the flowers of the Flame Creeper (Combretum microphyllum) in Gorongosa National Park - photograph by Lee Bennett

Vervet monkeys of Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique

One of our study species is the vervet monkey (Chlorocebus pygerythrus), pictured here feeding on the flowers of the flame creeper (Combretum microphyllum) in Gorongosa - photo by Lee Bennett

Paleo-Primate Team surveying in Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique

The Paleo-Primate Project team surveying for fossils in Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique

Learn all about the team's research in the Gorongosa Rift Valley through the project page below

Paleo-Primate Project

Our Primate Models for Behavioural Evolution Lab members participarting in a virtual celebration quiz via a Zoom call - there were points for the best hat so everyone is sporting headware of some kind (the winning hat featured a chicken)!

Our 2020 Lab group photo

Taken during a virtual celebration quiz in lockdown times - a bit different to our usual Lab get togethers, but still lots of fun

Chimpanzees of Bossou, Guinea

Since 2006, the research of our Lab Head, Dr Susana Carvalho, has focused on wild chimpanzee stone tool use in the forests of Bossou and Diecké

Chimpanzee technology

Important update

Learn more about Gorongosa National Park

Chimpanzees of Bossou, Guinea

Important update

Latest news and updates from the Paleo-Primate Project Gorongosa

The Primate Models for Behavioural Evolution Lab on tour in Kuching, Malaysia!

Oxford-Gorongosa Paleo-Primate Field School 2023

Jacinto Mathe awarded Baldwin Fellowship by The Leakey Foundation

Celebrating achievements at the Primate Models for Behavioural Evolution Lab christmas dinner 2022

Our lab at EFP-GfP 2022 in Arnhem

Welcome (back) to our latest Post-Doc & Leverhulme Early Career Fellow, Dr. Katarina Almeida-Warren!

Primate Conversations 2021/22 series available online

Post-doctoral research positions

Teaching the next generation of primatologists & paleoanthropologists

Archaeology of the Perishable

Getting creative for our Spring 2021 Lab group photo

Baboons of Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique

Vervet monkeys of Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique

The Paleo-Primate Project team surveying for fossils in Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique

Our 2020 Lab group photo

Chimpanzees of Bossou, Guinea

Important update

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