Research Program ~ Research Team ~ Census Team
The Gunung Palung Orangutan Project is
a large multi-faceted research project which is investigating
orangutan reproduction, behavior, social organization and physiology
within an ecological context. Detailed behavioral data is collected
in addition to urine samples from which hormones can be measured.
All orangutan foods are collected and processed to analyze the
caloric and nutrient composition of the orangutan diet. The
project is also investigating broader issues related to great
ape and human evolution. It has relevance for understanding
the limits on the reproductive potential of orangutan populations
and is important for conserving this endangered species.
Since 1994, the project has collected almost 50,000 hours of direct
observation of wild orangutans, one of the most extensive data
sets on a wild great ape ever collected. To date, over 140 food
samples have been analyzed for their nutritional content and
over 2500 urine samples have been collected for hormonal and
health analysis. The research
project is currently collecting data for a wide variety of projects,
including:
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Orangutan
interbirth intervals and female hormonal functioning
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Hormonal,
behavioral and energetic differences between males: bi-maturism
and intra-sexual dimorphism in males
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Juvenile development, dependency and learning
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Sex differences in feeding behavior, nutritional intake and
foraging
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Inter-population comparison of cultural behaviors and tool
use
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Ranging patterns, habitat use and energetics
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Socio-sexual behavior and hormonal correlates
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Orangutan social organization
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Genetic studies of paternity and relatedness
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Skeletal evidence of male-male competition
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Digestion and fecal analysis of juveniles vs. adults
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Infection, parasite load and medicinal plant use
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Habitat quality and orangutan densities
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Canopy locomotion and positional behavior
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Maternal
behavior and energetics.
The Gunung Palung Orangutan Project operates with local support
from the Gunung Palung National Park Office (BTN-GP), Indonesian
Institute for Sciences (LIPI), Center for Research in Development
and Biology (PPPB), Universitas Tanjungpura (UNTAN) - Pontianak,
and the Directorate of Nature Conservation (PHKA).The Gunung
Palung Orangutan Project has been supported by the National Geographic
Society, L.S.B. Leakey Foundation, National Science Foundation,
Great Ape Conservation Fund (U.S. Fish and Wildlife), Wenner-Gren
Foundation, Harvard University's Frederick Sheldon Traveling Fellowship,
Milton Fund of Harvard University, Conservation, Food and Health
Foundation, and the Mellon Foundation.
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Much of our research focuses on the feeding ecology of orangutans and the nutritional composition of their diets . |