Mentor: Kelsey Ellis, Ph.D.

Predation is thought to be a strong selective factor in primate sociality and behavior, yet predation events are rarely witnessed in the field. In this study, we aimed to characterize primate responses to predation risk and how this threat impacts primate behavioral patterns. Specifically, we recorded behavioral responses of lowland woolly monkeys (Lagothrix lagotricha poeppigii) to playbacks of aerial and terrestrial predator vocalizations, intermittently paired with a terrestrial predator model, at the Tiputini Biodiversity Station in Ecuador between June and August 2025.

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