Welcome to Dr Cyril Grueter

The School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography, University of Oxford is delighted to welcome Dr Cyril Grueter, who joins the School as Associate Professor in Evolutionary Anthropology, and Tutorial Fellow in Human Sciences at Wadham College. 

I am delighted to be joining the School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography. The breadth of expertise and intellectual energy here provide a remarkable foundation for exploring the evolutionary roots of human sociality. I look forward to working with colleagues and students alike to deepen our understanding of what makes us human

Dr Cyril Grueter

Dr Grueter’s research lies at the intersection of behavioural ecology and evolutionary anthropology, with a focus on the evolution of primate and human sociality. He is particularly interested in intergroup tolerance and multilevel societies, examining how core social units integrate into larger collective structures and what this reveals about the origins of social complexity. He also studies how primates adapt to ecologically extreme environments. To address these questions, Dr Grueter leads long-term field programs on snub-nosed monkeys in China and chimpanzees in Rwanda, complemented by comparative, experimental, and cross-cultural collaborations. Current projects span intergroup dynamics, sexual selection, coalitionary behaviour, and behavioural thermoregulation, with the dual aims of advancing our understanding of human evolution and contributing to the conservation of endangered primates. Dr Grueter also serves as Executive Director of the International Centre for Biodiversity and Primate Conservation at Dali University (China) and Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Rwanda.