I am interested in the causes and consequences of primate diversity and the analytical techniques employed to answer biological questions. Investigating the nature of biological diversity lends itself to interdisciplinary research. I utilize an integrative approach to explore four major research questions that intersect behavior, ecology, and evolution:

1) How does evolutionary history and natural selection affect the behavioral and ecological diversity of primates? Both evolutionary history and natural selection influence biological diversity, yet we currently have little knowledge about the relative importance of these effects on behavior and ecology. To address this issue, I am conducting several studies examining environmental and evolutionary effects on within-species behavioral and ecological variation. At the behavioral level, my research focuses on well-studied species such as baboons, Hanuman langurs, and brown lemurs, as well as broader analyses involving a wide-range of primate taxa. At the macro level, I am examining how climatic and geographic factors affect the taxonomic structure of primate communities. I also recently initiated a collaborating study analyzing the ecological niche diversity and evolution of Malagasy primates. This research utilizes museum and field based data, and analytical techniques such as GIS and spatial statistics.

2) What factors explain primate pelage color variation? Explanations for primate coloration include a variety of factors including ecological selection pressures, sexual selection, and species recognition, yet comprehensive quantitative analyses are surprisingly few. I am utilizing a museum informatics approach to examine the evolutionary factors shaping the geographic and taxonomic variation in primate pelage color. This project will employ quantitative methods including digital photography, GIS, and phylogenetic comparative methods. In addition to testing evolutionary hypotheses, a major objective of the project is the creation of an online database of color-corrected pelages. I recently created a preliminary webpage for the project that may be accessed at: http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/~jkamilar/primatecoloration.htm

3) How is ecological diversity related to morphological variation? Morphological and ecological characteristics of animals are intimately connected. To examine this relationship in more detail, my colleagues and I conducted a comparative analysis examining the relationship between body size dimorphism and male-female differences in dietary behavior. My postdoctoral research takes a broader approach by comparing the degree of phylogenetic signal in morphological, life history, and ecological traits.

4) What factors are associated with primate extinction risk? Previous research has shown that several factors influence a species risk of extinction, including body mass, dietary niche, and human impacts. I am expanding these studies by focusing on the role that ecological specialization plays in affecting extinction risk.

Many of these projects are collaborative and I have been fortunate to work with several experts in various fields. In addition, this line of research is conducive to teaching and working with students interested in a variety of questions focused on ecology and evolution.