Other News

Drawing on 21 years of data from 141 infant deaths, this study shows that mountain gorilla mothers frequently carry deceased infants, with patterns shaped by infant age and cause of death. Findings highlight attachment bonds, caregiving roles and primate responses to death.

Among Tsimane adults in Bolivia, different stressors—food insecurity, social conflict and economic problems—were linked to distinct daily cortisol patterns. Results reveal complex associations between stress, health and HPA-axis function in a subsistence society.

From Shallow Markers to Deep Genomes: Seascape Genomics of Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) across Past, Present, and Future Oceans

Population Genomics of Orangutans (genus: Pongo) Using Historical Specimens from Museums and Collections

The University of Zurich’s Top 10 Most-Read Research Stories of 2025 are out — and two of them come straight from our department!

#6 – Bonobo Call Combinations

#8 – Into the Woods with Colin Shaw

This paper shows how higher-order social network models capture group interactions beyond pairwise ties. Using empirical data, it reveals mechanisms of cooperation, contagion and moral behaviour invisible in traditional dyadic network approaches.

Using the largest oxytocin dataset to date from the Tsimane of Bolivia, this study shows sex-specific, nonlinear changes across the life course, linking oxytocin to reproduction, caregiving and health under conditions of energetic constraint.

Comparing wild bonobo and chimpanzee infants, this study finds similar developmental trajectories but distinct social and spatial patterns. Results show how species-specific social systems shape early independence and development in great apes.

Agent-based modelling of wild orangutan behaviour shows that social learning is essential for developing adult-like diet repertoires on time. Findings indicate that orangutan diets are culturally dependent and exceed individual learning limits.