Research Objective

The study of primate behaviour can be methodologically challenging, especially when it comes to studying social dynamics of entire populations. Observers must be able to recognize the animals individually, for example, which requires a long training period. Moreover, the study of social dynamics requires a population to be placed under constant observation for a long period of time, the monitoring of social interactions on the group-level, and a consistent maintenance of data quality and -quantity. Only then can we validly and reliably answer any questions on the social dynamics of primates. This is why the behavioural biologists of the Affenberg Research Station are cooperating with IT-scientists of the FH-Kärnten to develop new technological tools that can help us to overcome these challenges. One of these tools is a facial recognition app for Japanese macaques. We are furthermore working on a new database for the immediate storage and analyses of behavioural data, as well as the implementation of wild life cameras for social behaviour observations.