1. Laboratory Animal Facilities: 
The lab works with two species: 1) a New World monkey called the cotton-top tamarin (Saguinus oedipus) and 2) an open-ended song learning bird called the European starling (Sturnus vulgaris). At any given time, we have approximately 40 cotton-top tamarins, housed in social groups consisting of a mated pair and their offspring, and 10 starlings, housed in pairs.

* View the Tamarin Homeroom

* View the Starling Homeroom

2. Laboratory Testing Rooms:
We have seven testing rooms, of different sizes, each outfitted with viewing cameras and monitors so that all experiments can be observed from the outside, and where necessary, run from the outside. Two of our testing rooms have sound proof chambers where we conduct auditory experiments.

3.  Field Research:
a. Rhesus monkeys, Cayo Santiago, Puerto Rico -- The island of Cayo Santiago is the home of some 1000 rhesus monkeys. This population has been monitored for behavioral and demographic data since 1936. Due to its extensive history, it is an ideal location for both natural observations and field experiments. Current work focuses on acoustic perception and cognition. Students wishing to work on Cayo Santiago can either enroll in PSY1152 ("Animal Cognition Lab", Prof. Hauser, Spring term) and take the 8-10 day field course, or participate in summer research by contacting Professor Hauser.  For more information visit our Cayo Santiago website.

 b. Chimpanzees, Kibale National Park, Uganda -- Since 1987, Richard Wrangham (Professor, Department of Anthropology, Harvard University) has been conducting research on one community of chimpanzees ("Kanyawara") living in the Kibale National Park, Uganda. Professor Hauser joined Wrangham in 1987 when the project started, and now, has initiated a program of research to look at the nature of intercommunity interactions among these chimpanzees. This research uses natural observations and field playback experiments. Students interested in working in Kibale must contact Professor Wrangham, who is the director of the Kibale Forest Chimpanzee Project. [see: http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~primates/]

 c. Chimpanzees, Tchimpounga Sanctuary, People's Republic of the Congo -- This sanctuary is run by the Jane Goodall Institute. In 2005, Dr. Brian Hare began working at this sanctuary, and in 2006 Hauser joined on to create an opportunity for exciting new research on a population of some 130 chimpanzees. These animals were orphaned due to the bush meat trade, and were then taken into the sanctuary where they now enjoy quite a good life. Of the six peer-groups, the majority have an indoor dormitory area and then an outdoor space, which in the best of the situations, is a beautiful track of forest. Over the next few years, from 2007-2009, there are plans to build a new building with a large dormitory space and excellent testing facilities for purely behavioral work. Students interested in working at the Sanctuary must initially have two of the three requirements: 1) French speaking, 2) work on captive apes, and 3) work in Africa. Experience with captive apes can potentially be met by working at the Southwick Zoo or in Leipzig, Germany at the Max Planck. Please contact Professor Hauser for more details, and for photos, see http://homepage.mac.com/hauserharvard/PhotoAlbum12.html.

4.  Funding for Lab and Field Research:
a. Hauser, M.D. (2002-2007). The evolution of language: perceptual and computational constraints. McDonnell foundation; $499,223
b. Hauser, M.D. (2003-2004): The acquisition and evolution of an alarm response to raptors in a free-ranging rhesus population. Leakey Foundation, $10,000
c. Hauser, M.D. (2003-2006): Mechanisms of acoustic communication in cotton-top tamarins. NIH: $475,000
d. Spelke, E.S., Hauser, M.D., & Carey, S. (2004-2007). Sources of mathematical knowledge. ROLE-NSF ($1,750,000)