![]() This summer, Jill was able to travel to East Africa as a speaker for National Geographic Expeditions tours. They have also documented other unusual behaviors in chimps such as escaping the heat by soaking in water. One of the most exciting reports that came from Jill’s group’s research described how the chimpanzees in Senegal use tools to hunt, and the females engaged in this behavior more than males. Fortunately, being able to study the chimpanzees in the wild makes it all worth it! It gets really hot in the summer, there are limited medical resources, and Jill gets sick with malaria nearly every year. This can be quite a struggle sometimes, and the field conditions in Senegal can be brutal. Before the habituation can begin, the research team also faces the difficult task of finding the chimpanzees. Trying to habituate chimpanzees (get them used to the presence of the research team) and get funding for habituation has been a challenge. The Low Points: Failures and Challenges ( 18:26) Taking a field course in college provided her with valuable experience that helped her to secure future positions. In college, she began to learn more about careers in science, and she was drawn to anthropology and primatology. However, Jill wasn’t familiar with many career options that would allow her to incorporate her passion. She would pour over her encyclopedia about animals, and she was particularly fascinated by horses and spider monkeys. ![]() “Success isn’t permanent, and failure isn’t fatal.” – Mike Ditkaįrom an early age, Jill had a strong love of animals. Jill is an anthropologist who studies chimpanzees as a model system to understand behaviors in species that are related to us that existed millions of years ago. She also enjoys traveling to tropical places, reading books, and spend time with her three dogs. ![]() Jill loves being outdoors, whether it’s spending time with chimpanzees in the field or hiking near home. People Behind the Science Podcast Show Notes She is with us today to tell us all about her journey through life and science. Jill and her excellent research have been featured by NPR, BBC, CBC, National Geographic, New Scientist Magazine, The Today Show, and others. Jill then conducted postdoctoral research at Miami University before joining the faculty at Iowa State where she is today. She received her BA in Anthropology from Texas State University and her PhD in Anthropology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In addition, Jill is the founder of the non-profit organization NeighborApe that she founded in 2008. Jill Pruetz is a Professor of Anthropology at Iowa State University and a National Geographic Society Emerging Explorer. ![]()
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