American Society of Primatologists

American Society of Primatologists

The American Society of Primatologists is a professional association founded to advance the study of nonhuman primates and their conservation. The Society connects researchers, educators, and conservationists working on topics related to primate behavior, ecology, physiology, and welfare across institutions such as National Institutes of Health, Smithsonian Institution, University of Oxford, Harvard University, and University of California, Davis. It promotes collaboration among scientists affiliated with organizations like World Wildlife Fund, Jane Goodall Institute, Conservation International, Wildlife Conservation Society, and National Geographic Society.

History

The Society emerged during a period of expanding primatology shaped by figures associated with Yale University, University of Cambridge, Princeton University, Columbia University, and Stanford University. Early meetings attracted primatologists linked to projects at Gombe Stream National Park, Kibale National Park, Taï National Park, Madagascar, and Amazon Rainforest field sites. Influential contemporaries included researchers connected to Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, Birutė Galdikas, Sherwood Washburn, and Adolph Schultz. The Society's formation paralleled developments at entities such as American Association for the Advancement of Science, National Science Foundation, National Research Council, and Society for Neuroscience.

Mission and Activities

The Society's mission emphasizes scientific research, ethical standards, and primate conservation, aligning with initiatives from IUCN, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, United Nations Environment Programme, Convention on Biological Diversity, and Ramsar Convention. Activities include promoting field research at sites like Serengeti National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, and Manú National Park; fostering captive care practices influenced by policies from American Veterinary Medical Association, Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and European Association of Zoos and Aquaria; and advocating ethical guidelines paralleling work by Society for Applied Anthropology and Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee protocols. The Society collaborates with agencies such as U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Environmental Protection Agency, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and World Health Organization on zoonotic and conservation issues.

Membership and Organization

Membership spans academics and practitioners affiliated with institutions including Duke University, University of Chicago, Yale University, University of Michigan, University of California, Los Angeles, Columbia University, New York University, University of Washington, and Cornell University. Organizational structure features elected officers, regional representatives, and committees modeled after governance seen in American Anthropological Association, Ecological Society of America, and Society for Conservation Biology. Student chapters often coordinate with programs at Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, International Primatological Society, and regional centers affiliated with Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.

Publications and Conferences

The Society supports scholarly communication through meetings and endorsed outlets, engaging with journals and publishers linked to Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, Springer Nature, Elsevier, and Wiley-Blackwell. Annual conferences attract presenters associated with field sites like Gombe Stream National Park, Kakamega Forest, Khao Yai National Park, and institutions such as University of California, Berkeley and University of Texas at Austin. Proceedings and symposia reflect themes common to publications from Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, American Journal of Primatology, Journal of Human Evolution, Primates (journal), and Evolutionary Anthropology.

Awards and Grants

The Society administers awards and grants to support research, travel, and student development, paralleling funding mechanisms of National Science Foundation, National Geographic Society, Lounsbery Foundation, McArthur Foundation, and Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Named honors recognize contributions in areas associated with pioneers linked to Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, Birutė Galdikas, Sherwood Washburn, and Irven DeVore. Grant programs facilitate work at conservation sites including Madagascar, Borneo, Sumatra, Amazon Rainforest, and Central African Republic field projects, and coordinate with institutions like Smithsonian Institution, World Wildlife Fund, and Conservation International for capacity building.

Category:Scientific societies Category:Primatology