Christin Richter


Main research interests

My main research focus lies on primate behavioral ecology, conservation biology and the evolution of social behaviour. I’m also interested in biodiversity studies and the effects of fragmentation of tropical rainforests.
I’m currently studying the so far unknown but threatened Siberut macaque (Macaca siberu) which is one of the four endemic primate species on Siberut island (Mentawai, W-Sumatra).


Curriculum vitae

03. 2010 – present
PhD about “Feeding ecology and food competition in Siberut macaques (Macaca siberu)” at Courant Research Center Evolution of Social Behaviour, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Germany

10. 2001 – 07. 2007
Diplom-Biology, University of Leipzig, Germany
Focus on: Behavioral Biology, Tropical Ecology, Zoology
Diploma Thesis: “Social Relationships in Free-Ranging Male Stumptail Macaques (Macaca arctoides)”, in collaboration with Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany

09. 2003
Prediploma (“Vordiplom“) in Biology, University of Leipzig, Germany


Professional experience and field work

11. 2008 – 03. 2011
Field work in Siberut, W-Sumatra, Indonesia: habituation of 1 group of Siberut macaques (Macaca siberu) from Nov 2008– Feb 2010, behavioral and ecological data collection on Siberut macaques from March 2010 – March 2011 for PhD thesis

11. 2006 – 03. 2007
5 months field work in southern Thailand to collect data for diploma thesis about social relationships in male stumptail macaques (Macaca arctoides)

04. 2005 – 10. 2005
7 months field experience in Brazil; “Projektarbeit” about “The Influence of Fragmentation on Frugivorous and Nectarivorous Bat Communities in the Brazilian Atlantic Moist Forest.”

04. 2004 – 04. 2005
1 year as student research assistant at the Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology: Several studies with chimpanzees, bonobos and gorillas at Zoo Leipzig

04. 2004 – 09. 2004
5 months field work in Germany, project about breeding biology of barn swallows (Hirundo rustica)

01. 2002 – 04. 2002
3 months internship at the Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology: Study about social cognition of domestic goats


Publications

C. Richter, L. Mevis, S. Malaivijitnond, O. Schülke, J. Ostner (2009). Social Relationships in Free-Ranging Male Macaca arctoides. International Journal of Primatology 30 (4): 625-642