German Primate Center, October 17-20, 2017

The symposium took place at the German Primate Center from October 17-20, 2017. Organised by Julia Fischer and Dietmar Zinner, approx. 50 researchers working on a wide variety of topics in baboon and macaque ecology, behaviour and evolution convened to present and discuss their work in a series of talks, poster presentations and informal discussions. The symposium aimed to facilitate the exchange between traditionally disparate approaches to baboon research to achieve a holistic picture of the interaction between genes and behavior.

The keynote lecture was given by Clifford Jolly (New York University) on the complex phylogenetic history characterized by multiple population expansions and contractions, repeated hybridization and introgression events, and extreme socioecological flexibility. The topics presented in oral presentations ranged from baboon phylogenetics and molecular evolution, to developmental responses to undernutrition, the role of social bonds in baboon societies and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases in various species of baboons. The symposium closed with two workshop sessions in which “behaviorists” and “geneticists” discussed specific actions to foster continued communication and future collaborations within the wide range of baboon research.