Giselle Narvaez Rivera

 
I am broadly interested in understanding the dynamics of human-wildlife interactions and interconnections. I am particularly interested in how humans and primates build connections throughout time and learn to live sympatrically. I am also interested in the management of human-primate conflict interactions and exploring ways in which we can coexist. In my dissertation research, I approach the study of anthropogenically introduced primates in Puerto Rico, the rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) and the squirrel monkey (Saimiri spp.), using ethnoprimatological frameworks. I integrate both primatological and ethnographic methods to describe the human-monkey interface and explore emergent ecological and cultural interconnections between monkeys, humans, and the local flora and fauna in northern Puerto Rico. I argue that we must study these novel assemblages to find ways of coexisting in the Anthropocene, especially when introduced species cannot be eradicated. Ultimately, I aim to evaluate the social and environmental implications of the anthropogenically introduced monkeys in the northern coast of Puerto Rico to recommend a more holistic approach to primate management beyond population control.