Based on the encouragement of a student in an anthropology class I TA'ed this year, I've decided to write a blog to document my field season (end of April to November). I am an evolutionary anthropologist; primatologist in particular. I observe and collect behavioral data from our closest living relatives, the nonhuman primates. Primatology is really great (at least I'm passionate about it) because it helps us understand how our early ancestors may have behaved and how humans may have evolved. Through a better understanding of nonhuman primates, we may be able to answer some of the questions associated with why we do what we do!
I'll write about my adventures and misadventures in Ghana, particularly about the colobus monkeys I'm observing at Boabeng-Fiema-Monkey-Sanctuary. You'll get to read exciting stories about the monkeys' lives (who's copulating with whom, who's having infants, allomothering, who's being "mean"). Watching monkeys is like watching soaps on tv; I might have called this blog 'The Colobus Saga'. Serious scientists don't anthropomorphize their study subjects but I can't help that here! I'll also write about the fun African and non-African people who will be my family during my stay, as well as any other shenanigans we may get into (snakes nesting in my room, getting sick with malaria, tro-tro rides, dreams about eating delicious fast foods, nightmares about eating more yams, etc.).
I've never even kept a diary or journal before, so this blog thing is new and exciting to me. If it's lame you can just look at my monkey pictures (if I can figure out how to post pictures...).
Enjoy and comment please!
