Evelyn L. Pain
Doctoral Candidate
IDPAS, Stony Brook University
Entered IDPAS Fall 2011
Advisor: Andreas Koenig
Research Interests
I am primarily interested in the evolution of primate social systems and reproductive strategies. I am interested in both mechanistic and ultimate explanations for the development of alternative reproductive strategies. My dissertation work focuses on the behavior and physical development of male woolly monkeys (Lagothrix poeppigii) in lowland Ecuador. Woolly monkey males display moderate sexual size dimorphism and extreme canine dimorphism which suggests a relatively high level of male competition. Despite their morphology, males in this species have been described as highly tolerant of one another. Additionally, males seem to vary to a high degree in their body mass. My project seeks to determine whether males engage in alternative reproductive strategies, including a morphological component, to mitigate the intensity of intrasexual competition by combining morphological, behavioral, ecological and hormonal data.
I am primarily interested in the evolution of primate social systems and reproductive strategies. I am interested in both mechanistic and ultimate explanations for the development of alternative reproductive strategies. My dissertation work focuses on the behavior and physical development of male woolly monkeys (Lagothrix poeppigii) in lowland Ecuador. Woolly monkey males display moderate sexual size dimorphism and extreme canine dimorphism which suggests a relatively high level of male competition. Despite their morphology, males in this species have been described as highly tolerant of one another. Additionally, males seem to vary to a high degree in their body mass. My project seeks to determine whether males engage in alternative reproductive strategies, including a morphological component, to mitigate the intensity of intrasexual competition by combining morphological, behavioral, ecological and hormonal data.
