Prof. Dr. Barbara Fruth
IMPRS Board Member
IMPRS Faculty
IMPRS Spokesperson
Research Group Fruth
Researchers
Main Focus
I am a behavioural ecologist and evolutionary anthropologist. Since 1990, I am studying wild bonobos (Pan paniscus) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Bonobos evolved striking peculiarities contrary to biological paradigms, as well as to its sister species, the chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes). They have a social organisation, with cooperation and bonding among females despite female exogamy; a remarkable mating behaviour, with a broad spectrum of sexual interactions including social sex; moderate aggression, with a resulting female dominated social structure; extensive food sharing of animals and plants; and a wondrous lack of material culture.
I am interested in bonobo social behaviour, their ecological constraints and their role within the ecosystem. I am specifically interested in their life history with focus on their health status as a direct measure of fitness. In this context, I am investigating the transition from plants and other items ingested as food to those used for medicinal purpose. I follow an interdisciplinary approach integrating herbaria, analyses of plant’s phytochemical and pharmacological properties, and their effect on growth, health and fitness of individual bonobos.
Another focus is conservation. The LuiKotale Bonobo project is very remote, and adjacent to Salonga National Park, a World Heritage Site of Nature. In close collaboration with the local population, I develop strategies conserving habitat and species suitable as model for large scale protection.
Curriculum Vitae
Recent Positions & Professional Experiences
since 2021 |
Group Leader, Max-Planck-Institute
of Animal Behavior (MPIAB), Konstanz, D |
2020 |
Professor in Evolutionary Anthropology and Primate Conservation, Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU), Faculty of Science, School of Biological and Environmental Sciences UK |
|
2016-2020 |
Reader/Associate
Professor for
Primate Behaviour and Conservation; Liverpool John Moores University,
Liverpool, UK |
|
2014-2016 |
Senior
Lecturer (Privatdozentin
= PD) & Principal Investigator, Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU)
Munich, Germany / Department Biology II |
|
2014 |
Co-Curator, Rainforest-Exhibition "Regenwald" (Rainforest) in the Museum "Lokschuppen Rosenheim", Germany |
|
2010-2013 |
Senior Research Scientist, long-term research projects & Co-Director of the LKBP at MPIEVAN / Department of Primatology |
|
2004-2010 |
Research group leader, project „The Cuvette Centrale”as a reservoir of medicinal plants" and Co-Director of the LKBP; MPIEVAN / Dept.Prim. |
|
2001-2004 |
Research Scientist and group leader, as above; Max Planck Institute for Behavioural Physiology (MPIV), Seewiesen, Germany. |
Education
|
2013 |
Habilitation1 |
LMU Munich (Mentor: Prof. Dr. Gisela Grupe & Prof. Dr. Benedikt Grothe); “Challenging traditional concepts: Bonobo (Pan paniscus) behaviour and the quest for their habitat conservation by sustainable use of plants”. |
|
1996-2001 |
Post-Doc |
MPIV Seewiesen (Mentor: Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Wickler) |
|
1990-1995 |
Dr. rer. nat. (Ph.D.) |
LMU, Munich (Mentor: Prof. Dr. Gerhard Neuweiler) & Max-Planck Research Unit for Human Ethology and Max-Planck Human Ethology Filmarchive, Erling, Germany (Mentor: Prof. Dr. Irenäus Eibl-Eibesfeldt); “Nests and Nest Groups in Wild Bonobos (Pan paniscus): Ecological and Behavioural Correlates.” |
|
1988-1990 |
Diploma2 (M.Sc.) |
LMU, Munich (Mentors: Prof. Dr. Gerhard Neuweiler; external: Prof. Dr. Christian Vogel & Dr. Christophe Boesch): "Nests, Nutcracking Sites and Population Density of Chimpanzees: Studies on Regional Differences in the South Western Part of Ivory Coast (Rép. de Côte d'Ivoire).” |
|
1983-1988 |
Studies in Biology |
Majors: ecology, human and animal ethology; Minors: botany, palaeontology. |
Research & Fieldwork
|
2001 to date |
Co-director, LuiKotale Bonobo Project: Continuation of the management and scientific supervision of long-term projects on bonobo socio-ecology, human eco-ethology, ethno-botany, floral diversity, and medicinal plants. Focus on prevalence and control of diseases including self-medication of wild bonobos in DRC. Founding, management and scientific supervision of projects with focus on environmental education and conservation. Research & Conservation Collaborations with Zoological Gardens in Europe |
|
2001-2010 |
Founding,
management and scientific supervision of the project „The Cuvette Centrale as
a reservoir of medicinal plants", with focus on the biodiversity in the
central Congo basin, its anthropogenic use and potential for sustainable
use. |
|
1997-2000 |
Experimental investigations of bonobo dominance behaviour across different German zoos. Conceptual design and tutorial for diploma and master theses; teaching. Funding: LMU Munich & Max-Planck-Society (MPG) |
|
1995-1997 |
Continuation of long-term project on bonobo socio-ecology in DRC. Research and teaching in Oxford (OH) USA, Seewiesen and Munich. Funding: Miami University Oxford (OH) & MPG |
|
1990-1995 |
Founding and co-direction of research project on bonobo socio-ecology (Pan paniscus) at Lomako, DRC (then, Zaïre); Work was honoured in 1997 with the research award: “Therese-von-Bayern Preis”. Conceptual design and tutorial for diploma and master theses. Funding: MPG |
|
1988-1990 |
Research in the frame of the project "Tradition in West African Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)" at Ivory Coast (Côte d’Ivoire) (directors: Dr. Ch. & H. Boesch, Univ. of Zurich). Funding: German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) & Leakey Foundation |
1 The "right to lecture" (venia legendi) in German-speaking universities is traditionally restricted to those, who, in addition to possessing a PhD, acquire the degree of "Habilitation". The award is not itself a tenure decision (and thus, carries the title "Privatdozent" (=PD)). However, the habilitation has traditionally been a prerequisite for tenure.
2 Prior to the Bologna-reform, a Diplomarbeit at German Universities was an empirical research project typically conducted over a 1–2 yr period, without taught components, resulting in a dissertation of typically twice the size of a master's thesis at a UK university, leading to the degree of "Diplom-Biologe" / "Diplom-Biologin"
Extra information
I am a behavioural ecologist and evolutionary anthropologist, interested in bonobo social behaviour, their ecological constraints, their role within the ecosystem, and their life history. One of my foci is their food repertoire ranging from items ingested for nutritional to those used for medicinal purpose. For this, I follow an interdisciplinary approach integrating herbaria, analyses of plant’s phytochemical and pharmacological properties, and their effect on growth, health and fitness of individual bonobos.
• Nutritional Ecology • Conservation • Life history • Community Ecology • Bonobos