PhD Student (m/f/d) |Community ecology, stone tool use and social behavior in gracile capuchin monkeys

Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior; Radolfzell am Bodensee; On-site; EUR 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

The Max Planck Institut of Animal Behavior in Konstanz/Radolfzell invites applications for a PhD student position in Community Ecology, focused on stone tool use and social behavior in gracile capuchin monkeys. The role integrates fieldwork, data analysis, and theory within a collaborative ISLaS team.

The position is fully funded for four years (TVöD E-13, 65%). Starting summer/fall 2027, work will be conducted in Konstanz, Germany with international collaborations.

Qualifications

• REQUIRED: Masters degree in biology, ecology, anthropology, archaeology, or the quantitative sciences with field research experience.
• DESIRED: Enthusiasm for integrating observational/experimental field data with Bayesian data analysis, causal inference, or theoretical modelling.
• Proficiency in programming and willingness to develop quantitative skills with group guidance; field research in tropical Americas is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Co-develop and implement research ideas to advance the project with a high degree of independence.
• Collaborate with ISLaS group and affiliated institutes on fieldwork and data analysis.
• Engage with the IMPRS-QBEE doctoral program and participate in coursework and conferences.

Skills

Bayesian data analysis

Causal inference

Theoretical modelling

R programming

Python programming

Julia programming

Education

Masters degree in biology/ecology/anthropology/archaeology or quantitative sciences

Job description

PhD Student (m/f/d) |Community ecology, stone tool use and social behavior in gracile capuchin monkeys

Young Researchers

Radolfzell / Konstanz

Developmental and Evolutionary Biology & Genetics

Behavioral Sciences

Microbiology & Ecology

Job Offer from October 23, 2026

The Max Planck Institut of Animal Behavior at its sites in Konstanz and Radolfzell offers an international, interdisciplinary, and collaborative enviroment that opens up unique research opportunities. The goal of our basic research is to develop a quantitative and predictive understanding of the decisions and movements of animals in their natural environment.

The Ecology of Animal Societies at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior would like to fill PhD Student (m/f/d) 100 % - Community ecology, stone tool use and social behavior in gracile capuchin monkeys with a flexible starting date in summer / autumn 2027. This position is fully funded for a period of 4 years. The workplace will be in Konstanz, Germany.

Our Group

The Inheritance and Social Learning across Scales (ISLaS) group investigates how extragenetic modes of inheritance– namely cultural transmission via social learning and the ecological inheritance of home ranges and territories— affect and are affected by social behavior, ecology, and genetic evolution. We aim to integrate quantitative theory with reproducible Bayesian statistical modeling grounded in an appreciation for natural history. Our work integrates theory and tools from cultural evolution, animal behavior, population biology, spatial ecology, and the quantitative social sciences. We are based out of Konstanz, Germany, but our group does field research in Panama, Costa Rica, Colombia, Mozambique, and California. Our current group has projects focused on the adaptive significance of tool use, parasitology, social behavior and ecology in capuchin monkeys, methods development in social network analysis, and computer vision tools for studying longitudinal behavior and population demography using camera traps. We prioritize theoretical and methodological rigor and embracing uncertainty over prestige, and are sympatheticto many social and methodological calls for science reform (i.e. reproducible, open science and in-country field-partnerships and collaboration).

Project Details

We will hire one student for one of two possible projects:

• [A] Community Ecology of Stone Tool Use in Gracile Capuchins This project will focus on combining field experimentation and data collection, analyzing existing data, and analytical or agent-based modeling to tackle varying questions related to stone tool use by white-faced capuchin monkeys (Cebus imitator) living in the archipelago of Coiba National Park, Panama. Most of these groups are unhabituated and highly terrestrial, so camera trapping is central to our research. Field work may consist of a few 2 week trips or longer multi-month stays in Panama depending on the nature of the project. Linking Tool-Use Behavior to Below-ground Ecological Processes Promises and Pitfalls of Capuchin Tool-use to Heterospecifics The Metapopulation Ecology of Stone Tool Sites
• [B] Multi-site comparisons of the social behavior, ecology, and/or movement of gracile capuchin monkeys (genus Cebus) This project is opened up to a motivated and independent PhD student with systems expertise in Cebus trying to answer broad scale questions about the social behavior, population demography, community ecology, movement ecology or any other aspect of Cebus behavior, evolution, and ecology. A desire to develop indirect approaches to measure these biological or environmental traits (camera trapping, remote sensing, biological samples) is a plus. Potential students may work within our study systems in Panama, or foster collaboration between long-term studies where they have previous research experience and support from senior collaborators. The project should dovetail with long-term research goals of our group and yield within group collaborations

Qualifications

• REQUIRED: Applicants are required to have a Masters degree in any scientific discipline including biology, ecology, anthropology, archaeology, or the quantitative sciences and have some previous field research experience.
• DESIRED: The candidate should be enthusiastic about integrating observational and/or experimental field collected data with quantitative approaches in Bayesian data analysis, causal inference, or theoretical modelling. Broad thinking and a desire to link fields and questions across disciplines is a plus. Previous field research experience in remote environments, the desire to conduct field research in the tropical Americas, and the ability to work and communicate in a cross-cultural context is highly desirable. Prior experience with programming (e.g. in R, Python, Julia, Mathematica, NetLogo, etc.) and an enthusiasm for tackling challenging problems is also highly desirable. Researchers with systems expertise, who feel they may be lacking in quantitative skills are encouraged to apply as well if they are willing to put in considerable effort to develop them with the group’s guidance.

The student will be expected to proactively co‑develop and implement research ideas to move the project forward, thus a high degree of independence, and ability to know when to ask for help if needed, is crucial.

The working language of the group is English, the ability to speak Spanish is desirable, and German language skills are not a requirement. Applicants who are shortlisted for interviews are strongly encouraged to talk to current lab members and alumni to feel out if a PhD position in the group is a mutually beneficial fit.

Our Offer

The student will join the Inheritance and Social Learning across Scales (ISLaS) research group led by Dr. Brendan Barrett (he/him) and integrated within the Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies.

They will work closely with a team of collaborators both within the department, outside of the department and at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama. The University of Konstanz and the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior together form a thriving research community representing a global hotspot for behavioral ecology, collective behaviour, and animal movement research, including the Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behavior.

The student will join the International Max Planck Research School for Quantitative Behaviour, Ecology and Evolution from lab to field (IMPRS-QBEE), a cooperative doctoral program between the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior and the University of Konstanz.

The successful candidate will join a supportive, international, and interdisciplinary research team with access to strong academic and career mentorship, the ability to participate in coursework and conferences and opportunities for growth.

The position is fully funded for 4 years (TVöD salary scale E-13, 65%). The Max Planck Society endeavors to employ more severely disabled people. Applications of severely disabled persons are expressly welcome. The Max Planck Society strives for gender and diversity equality. We welcome applications from all backgrounds.

Questions about this position should be addressed to Dr. Brendan Barrett ([e-mail]).