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Center for the Study of Human Origins

Department of
Anthropology

 
New York University

25 Waverly Place
New York City
NY 10003

telephone:
212.992.9785
fax:
212.995.4907

 

Anthony Di Fiore

Dr Di Fiore climbing a tree in Argentina where
he studies the socioecology of monogamy
in owl monkeys.
Dr Di Fiore works in Argentina and Ecuador.
He is pictured here in Argentina where he has
begun a long term comparative study with
Dr. Eduardo Fernandez- Duque.

Position: Associate Professor of Anthropology

Education: B.S. 1990, Cornell
M.A. 1991, University of California Davis
Ph.D. 1997, University of California Davis


E-mail:
anthony.difiore@nyu.edu

Phone: 212-998-3813

Dr Di Fiore working in Ecuador.

Research Sites: The major portion of my field research takes place at two different sites in the Yasuní Biosphere Reserve in Ecuador – at the Proyecto Primates Research Area, which I established in 1994 as a UC Davis Ph.D. student with Dr. Peter Rodman, and at the Tiputini Biodiversity Station, located approximately 40 km away. Both of these sites are lowland rainforest sites and host a diverse primate community consisting of 10 to 12 different species. For more information about the sites, visit www.nyu.edu/projects/difiore/ and click on the link for "Field Site"

Research Focus: My research focuses on the comparative socioecology, mating systems, and population genetic structure of primates, particularly primates of the neotropics. Specifically, I conduct long-term behavioral and ecological field work on several species in the primate community of Amazonian Ecuador to investigate the ways in which ecological conditions and the strategies of conspecifics together shape primate behavior and social relationships and ultimately determine the kinds of societies in which primates live. This is a crucial and central focus in evolutionary anthropology, as understanding the ways in which behavior and social systems are shaped by environmental pressures is a fundamental part of the discipline.

Squirrel monkey in Ecuador
Additionally, I complement my field studies with genetic laboratory work in order to address issues that are typically difficult to explore through observational studies alone, including questions about dispersal behavior, gene flow, mating patterns, population structure, and the fitness consequences of individual behavior. Finally, in collaboration with colleagues at NYU and elsewhere, I have started using molecular techniques to investigate a number of broader questions concern ing the evolutionary history and ecological roles of various New World primates.





Downloadable cv


More images

Chair of March 2006 Molecular Primatology: Progress and Promise Conference

Recent and selected publications: