Julian Saunders
Behavioural Ecology Research Group, University of KwaZulu-Natal
I am a behavioural ecologist interested in social behaviour, sexual strategies, and their evolution in birds and mammals. I completed my Masters degree in the School of Biological and Conservation Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal. I am currently completing my PhD which investigates the vocalizations of chacma (Papio hamadryas ursinus) and hamadryas baboons (Papio hamadryas hamadryas). Comparative data for this project were collected in the De Hoop Nature Reserve, Western Cape, South Africa (as part of the De Hoop Baboon Project) and the Filoha site in the Awash National Park, Ethiopia (as part of the Filoha Hamadryas Project). I am currently developing additional comparative projects between hamadryas and chacma baboons in collaboration with Larissa Swedell. These projects focus on baboon vocal behaviour, the impact of skewed sex ratio on male and female reproductive strategies, and behavioural flexibility in baboons. In addition, Larissa and I have initiated a baboon research website (BaboonsOnline.com) in the hope that it will lead to greater collaboration across baboon research groups and field sites.
