My current interests are in exploring the proximate and ultimate mechanisms influencing reproduction in primates, particularly in catarrhine primates. To date, my research has been focused on the various physiological mechanisms that produce disruptions in female reproductive functioning and what role this may have had in the evolution of reproductive strategies. My aim is to look at the various ways social behavior can influence reproduction in order to reveal whether there are common neuroendocrine mechanisms operating in different species as an adaptation to group living.
Social status regulates ovarian function in captive female gelada baboons.