Why study monkeys anyway?
An approximation of chit-chat between me and strangers: Stranger: What do you do? Me: I'm a graduate student. Stranger: Cool, cool. What are you studying? Me: I study wild monkeys... white-faced capuchins. You know, that monkey you see on TV and in movies? (I always say this with a bit of pride. This is exactly what I wanted to do when I was a kid, after all.) Stranger: ... Why? This is a typical response... Usually, it's not asked unkindly; just out of genuine bewilderment (although sometimes it is asked unkindly). So I wanted to take a bit to explain exactly what I study and why I think it's important. This is Winky: a prime example of a white-faced capuchin monkey! For the record, I'm vehemently opposed to using primates in TV and movies. This poor little monkey makes stress noises the entire time she is on screen. But my rant against having exotic animals as pets and in film is for another day. Heads up: I am going to t...