Philippa Hammond

philippa hammond

Postdoctoral Affiliate

I completed my DPhil in 2022 under the supervision of Professor Susana Carvalho (Anthropology) and Professor Dora Biro (Zoology). My doctoral research explored the "landscapes of fear" of modern primates and what they can teach us about the behavioural ecology and evolution of prehistoric primates, including our hominin ancestors. I studied the effects of risk on baboon behaviour, both through fieldwork in Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique, and through comparative analyses of camera trap data collected across several sites in eastern and southern Africa. Results from these studies highlight links between predation pressure, primate terrestriality, and circadian activity patterns, with implications for our interpretation of primate fossil records and the evolution of hominin locomotion. I am also interested in the application of behavioural science to solving systemic issues faced by modern humans. I am currently a postdoctoral researcher working for the Towards Net Zero Mission with the CSIRO in Australia.