Department of Anthropology, Iowa State University

Study by ISU’s Pruetz finds savanna chimps exhibit sharing behavior like humans

nvanberk — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 21:12:26 +0000

A new study by Iowa State anthropology professor Jill Pruetz (at left) reports that chimpanzees from her Fongoli research site in Senegal also frequently share food and hunting tools with other chimps. Co-authored by ISU anthropology graduate student Stacy Lindshield, it is the first study to document non-meat sharing behavior among chimpanzees.Their study is posted online in Primates and will be published in a future issue of the journal.

Iowa State chimp researcher reviews “Rise of the Planet of the Apes”

nvanberk — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 13:26:53 +0000

AMES, Iowa — The new motion picture “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” has been a box office blockbuster since it opened last month. One moviegoer who may have a more keen interest than most in the way chimpanzee intelligence was portrayed by Hollywood is Jill Pruetz, an Iowa State University professor of anthropology … Continue reading »

ISU anthropology professor studying the Fighting Sioux mascot controversy

nvanberk — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 15:57:36 +0000

Christina Gish Hill — an assistant professor of anthropology and faculty member in American Indian studies at Iowa State — has been so intrigued by the legal controversy at the University of North Dakota over the use of its Fighting Sioux mascot (right) that she plans to write a future journal article about it. Hill says she can’t recall another case involving the use of Indian nicknames and mascots that reached this legal extreme.

News release

A Heart for Africa – Zach Graham

nvanberk — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 15:32:06 +0000

His first trip to Africa was definitely not his last, said Zach Graham. A month-long trip to Tanzania in the summer of 2011 left an indelible mark on the student. “They say once you go to Africa, your heart stays there,” he said.

Graham, a member of the Army ROTC at ISU, was part of a cultural understanding and language program with the United States Army cadet command. As part of the program, he participated in an extensive Swahili language class.

Every day for a month in Tanzania he took two-hour lessons in Swahili. He also learned about gender, health and cultural issues, and the political and educational systems in Tanzania.

After the two-hour daily training, Graham then went out into the community and used the language. He worked at the Magareza Nursery School, located inside a prison compound. He taught Swahili, English and math to the 2- to 6-year olds, who were mostly children of the prison guards.

Groundbreaking Researcher First Holder of Walvoord Professorship at Iowa State

nvanberk — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 16:41:01 +0000

Jill Pruetz, one of Iowa State University’s rising faculty stars, has been named the first holder of the Walvoord Professorship in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS).

Pruetz, associate professor of anthropology, has been recognized by multiple organizations in recent years for her groundbreaking work with chimpanzees in Senegal. The work has captured international attention for her research, which reported that chimpanzees from her site were using spear-shaped tools to hunt.

That discovery was ranked second among Wired News “Top 10 Scientific Breakthroughs of 2007” and led to Pruetz being named a National Geographic Emerging Explorer in 2008. Her research has been a focus of a Public Broadcasting System “Nova” documentary titled “Ape Genius” and the spear-shaped tool used by the chimpanzees was included in an exhibit at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History.