We are interested in how primate visual systems evolved in response to selection pressures related to foraging for food, and other survival activities. To consider these issues, we observe primates in natural habitats and measure optical properties of their environments and important objects. Our goal is to relate the function and organization of the visual system to the properties of these natural stimuli.
There are opportunities for analyzing data from these field studies in the lab in Austin as well as assisting with data collection at a remote field station in Amazonian Ecuador. The field site is in one of the most biodiverse regions in the world and it is a special experience to work there.