MARCELA E BENÍTEZ
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Dr. Marcela E. Benítez

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR|DEPARTMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY
DIRECTOR SOCIAL COGNITION AND PRIMATE BEHAVIOR LAB
​CO- DIRECTOR CAPUCHINOS DE TABOGA
​
EMORY UNIVERSITY
CV

How do animals make informed social decisions ?

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Education

2016 Joint PhD., Biological Anthropology & Biopsychology, University of Michigan,

2012 MA, Biological Anthropology,
​University of Michigan, 2012

2007 BS, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University
​I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology at Emory broadly​interested in the evolution of primate social cognition, the mechanisms that influence social choices, and the context in which these decisions are adaptive. 
My work unpacks both proximate and ultimate mechanisms of social decision-making in primates, offering a promising avenue for understanding the importance of sociality, cooperation, and conflict on primate cognitive evolution.  
I co-direct a long-term field project, Capuchins de Taboga, on the cognition and behavior of wild white-faced capuchins (Cebus capucinus) in the Guanacaste Region of Costa Rica and continue my affiliation at the Language Research Center at Georgia State University where I study the mechanisms of social choices in captive tufted capuchins (Sapajus apella).  



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Featured Articles

Latest News

Animal Behavior Podcast. Ep 5: Social Comparisons and Cognition in Non-Human Primates
Inside the Lab with Center of Mind, Brain, and Culture
Research Finds Male and Female Capuchin Monkeys Show Visible Differences in Brain Structure
Oxytocin Linked To Social Bonding in Gregarious Capuchin Monkeys 
Wild Monkeys Use Loud Calls To Assess the Relative Strength of Rivals
Our research was recently featured on NPR. Listen to the story below. 

Contact Information

Department of Anthropology
Emory University 
1557 Dickey Drive
Atlanta, GA 30322
email:
marcela.benitez@emory.edu

Funding

My research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the Leakey Foundation, and the Tempelton World Foundation
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Photo credits: Shayna Lieberman, Clay Wilton, Jhonatan Saldana, and Marcela Benitez
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  • Home
  • Research
  • SoCAP Lab
  • Capuchins De Taboga
  • Teaching & Diversity
  • Outreach
  • Publications
  • CV