Human Biology and Primate Cognition
Welcome to our website
Welcome to the Human Biology and Primate Cognition website at the Faculty of Life Sciences at Leipzig University.
News
Below you will find all the latest information from our research group.
Offer for a student assistant position: In the project "Compositionality in chimpanzee gestural communication" we investigate the gestural and facial communication of chimpanzees. We examine whether and how they combine different gestures and facial expressions in a meaningful way. We are looking for a student assistant for up to 10h/week for a period of one year to start as soon as possible; an extension is possible (project ends 12/2025). The activities mainly include the coding of the extensive corpus of video footage with the software BORIS as well as support in the preparation of publications (e.g. literature research). We offer the opportunity to work in an exciting project and very good supervision by the project team (Chiara Zulberti (PhD student), Federica Amici and Katja Liebal (project leaders)). This position requires a thorough and reliable way of working, interest in the detailed analysis of behavioral data and good English skills. Existing knowledge in behavioral research, possibly with non-human primates, as well as in the use of BORIS or similar software is an advantage, but not a prerequisite for this position.
If you are interested and have any questions about the project, please contact Chiara Zulberti (chiara.zulberti@uni-leipzig.de).
We offer a Master's thesis on gestural communication in chimpanzees. It is possible to combine this with the “Theoretikum” and “Laborpraktikum”. Please contact Chiara Zulberti if you are interested or have any questions.
2023
Videolink
(Auf einen Kaffee mit ..., Folge 38, 15. Dezember 2023) [in German]
What defines a human being? – There are religious, moral, legal, and medical answers to this question, but there are also answers from behavioural biology. In this podcast episode [in German], primatologist Katja Liebal explains what behaviour she has not yet been able to observe in any other animal species despite years of research. She also talks about aspects in which apes living in zoos might differ from their counterparts in wild populations and her efforts to make research fairer. She also reveals what her favourite cuddly toy was when she was a child...
Radio report
Deutschlandradio, Deutschlandfunk, Zwischentöne "Katja Liebal: Das Wichtigste ist Respekt vor dem anderen Lebewesen", 16.07.2023
Article
University of Leipzig, Das Leipziger Universitätsmagazin, "Working group "Children and Nature" in the LeipzigLab: Studentin Blanca Striegler erforscht, wie Schimpansen ihre Jungen erziehen", 04.07.2023
Blanca Striegler is studying behavioural biology and comparative cultural psychology. Recently, she spent five weeks in Chimfunshi, Zambia. There, she conducted a study for the LeipzigLab Group “Children and Nature” and collected data for her Master thesis looking into the relationship between chimpanzee mothers’ parenting styles and the social behaviour of their offspring.
Contact
Prof. Dr. Katja Liebal
Blanca Striegler
Article
University of Leipzig, News Portal, "LeipzigLab Group “Children and Nature” at the Animal Advocacy Conference: Wie Kinder das Leben von Tieren wahrnehmen", 26.06.2023
The Animal Advocacy Conference was held at the University of Kent, Canterbury, 2023 June 22-24, and brought together scholars from various social and behavioral sciences and animal welfare activists. The Children and Nature Working Group participated with several presentations.
Contact
Prof. Dr. Katja Liebal
Article
elDiario.es, Gesellschaft, "Las jirafas del zoo de Barcelona 'saben' estadística", 04.05.2023
The Times, Science, "Giraffes use statistics to get the tastiest food", 04.05.2023
INDEPENDENT, News, Science, "Giraffes can make predictions based on statistics, scientists suggest", 04.05.2023
Radio report
Deutschlandfunk Kultur, Zeitfragen, "Innovation unter Huftieren: Außenseiter als Problemlöser", 27.04.2023
Article
The New York Times, Science, "Outsiders Solve Problems. Just Ask Goats.", 04.04.2023
Article
University of Leipzig, Das Leipziger Universitätsmagazin, "Von Tieren und Menschen im Leipzig Lab "Kinder und Natur": Mit Katja Liebal unterwegs im Pongoland", 02.12.2020
"What are the earplugs for?", "Why is everything in English here?", "And where are the apes?", Richard, Anton (both 11) and Edgar (9) ask excitedly as they enter the Wolfgang Köhler Primate Research Center, called "Pongoland", at Leipzig Zoo. Prof. Dr Katja Liebal guides them through the research centre of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, where also scientists of Leipzig University study ape behaviour, perception and communication.
Contact
Prof. Dr. Katja Liebal
Research
Publications
Teaching
We are involved in teaching in the biology Bachelor's and Master's programmes at Leipzig University. In our department seminars, we discuss current research results, especially in comparative biology and psychology.
- Understanding of object properties in farm animals
- Quantity discrimination in farm animals
- Risk taking in farm animals
- The function of peering in captive orang-utans and chimpanzees
- The use of formal bites in orangutans and chimpanzees
- Children’s perceptions about plants
- Concepts of “being human” across different cultural contexts
- Prosocial behaviour of children towards “fantasy animals”
- Measuring concepts of biodiversity in children’s drawings of forests
- Interaction patterns, development and communication in the context of feeding in non-human primates in zoos
- Evaluating cognitive and behavioural enrichment for non-human primates in zoos
Contact
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By S-Bahn you can reach us with all lines - stop Hauptbahnhof or Bayrischer Bahnhof
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By Straßenbahn Once you arrive in Leipzig, you can either take streetcar line 15 in the direction of Meusdorf, streetcar line 7 in the direction of Sommerfeld - stop Johannisplatz