Curriculum Vitae

 

 

 

 

CONTACT INFORMATION

​

 

Email: margaret.bryer (at) gmail.com

            mbryer (at) umich.edu

​

 

EDUCATION

 

Ph.D., 2020     

Anthropology            

The Graduate Center of the City University of New York

Dissertation: Nutritional strategy and social environment in redtail monkeys (Cercopithecus ascanius)

Committee: Jessica Rothman (adviser), Larissa Swedell, Andrea Baden, Marina Cords, David Raubenheimer

 

M.Phil., 2016

Anthropology

The Graduate Center of the City University of New York

           

M.A., 2012

Anthropology

Hunter College of the City University of New York

Thesis: Redtail monkey (Cercopithecus ascanius) spatial patterns and insectivory in Uganda

Thesis adviser: Jessica Rothman

 

B.A., 2007               

History

Evolutionary Biology of the Human Species

Columbia University, New York, NY

​

APPOINTMENTS

​

2022-present

Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Psychology, Biopsychology, University of Michigan 

PI: Alexandra Rosati

​

2020-2022

Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Joint Appointment, Departments of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University and

University of California, Berkeley

PIs: Jessica Cantlon and Steven Piantadosi

 

PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL ARTICLES

 

Bryer MAH, Koopman SE, Cantlon JF, Piantadosi ST, MacLean EL, Baker JM, Beran MJ, Jones SM, Jordan KE, Mahamane S, Nieder A, Perdue BM, Range F, Stevens JR, Tomonaga M, Ujfalussy DJ, and J Vonk. (2022) The evolution of quantitative sensitivity. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 377: 20200529. DOI:10.1098/rstb.2020-0529

​

Ross AC, Bryer MAH, Chapman CA, Rothman JM, Nevo O, and K Valenta. (2022) Why eat flowers? Symphonia globulifera flowers provide a fatty resource for red-tailed monkeys. Folia Primatologica. DOI:10.1163/14219980-20211003

 

Bryer MAH, Chapman CA, Raubenheimer D, Lambert JE, and JM Rothman. (2015) Macronutrient and energy contributions of insects to the diet of a frugivorous monkey (Cercopithecus ascanius). International Journal of Primatology, 36:839-854.

 

Rothman JM, Raubenheimer D, Bryer MAH, Takahashi M and CC Gilbert. (2014) Nutritional contributions of insects to primate diets: implications for primate evolution. Journal of Human Evolution, 71: 59-69.

 

Bryer MAH, Chapman CA, and JM Rothman. (2013) Diet and polyspecific associations affect spatial patterns of redtail monkeys (Cercopithecus ascanius). Behaviour, 150:277-293.

 

BOOK CHAPTERS & EDITED VOLUMES

​

Bryer MAH. (in press) Applying a framework of social nutrition to primate behavioral ecology. In: Lambert JE, Rothman JM, Bryer MAH, eds. How Primates Eat: A Synthesis of Nutritional Ecology Across a Mammal Order. University of Chicago Press.

​

Lambert JE, Rothman JM, Bryer MAH. (in press) How Primates Eat: A Synthesis of Nutritional Ecology Across a Mammal Order. University of Chicago Press.

 

Rothman JM and Bryer MAH. (2019) The effects of humans on the primate nutritional landscape: A review. In: Behie A, Teichroeb J, Malone N, eds. Primate Research and Conservation in the Anthropocene. Cambridge Studies in Biological and Evolutionary Anthropology, 82, 199-215.

 

Rothman JM, Nkurunungi JB, Shannon B and MAH Bryer. (2014) High altitude diets: implications for the feeding and nutritional ecology of mountain gorillas. In: Gursky S, Grow, N, eds. High altitude primates. Springer Series Developments in Primatology, 247-264.

 

BOOK REVIEWS & ESSAYS

 

Higham JP, Amann AL, Bryer MAH, Thompson NA and S Winters. (2013) Review of The Evolution of Primate Societies (Eds. John C. Mitani, Josep Call, Peter M. Kappeler, Ryne A. Palombit, and Joan B. Silk). International Journal of Primatology, 34:1298-1303.

​

Bryer, M and S Schwartz (2010) The National Zoo's O Line: The enrichment value of an orangutan transit system. Animal Keepers' Forum 37(2): 73-76.

 

GRANTS & AWARDS

 

2015-2016    

NSF Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grant, $15,719

 

2015               

City University of New York Doctoral Student Research Grant, $700

 

2012-2015       

NSF New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology (NYCEP)-Integrative Graduate Education and Research Training (IGERT) Trainee

​

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

​

Carnegie Mellon University, Department of Psychology:

Animal Minds (co-instructor of record, Spring 2021, Spring 2022)

​

Hunter College of the City University of New York, Department of Anthropology:

Human Biology Senior Capstone (instructor of record, Summer 2020)

The Human Species (instructor of record, Summer 2016, Fall 2017, Winter 2017)

 

Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, Department of Anthropology & Archaeology:

Anthropology of Sex (designed course and instructor of record, Fall 2013, Spring 2014)

Human Origins (instructor of record, Fall 2014)

​

I have also taught laboratory sections for The Human Species (Fall 2018, Spring 2018, Fall 2017, Spring 2017) and Introduction to Human Evolution at Hunter College (Fall 2018, Spring 2018, Fall 2016, Spring 2012, Fall 2011).

 

TEACHING TRAINING

​

2020-2021

Completed Future Faculty Program, Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence and Educational Innovation, Carnegie Mellon University

​

2013-2014      

City University of New York Graduate Teaching Fellow

​

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS

​

Bryer MAH, Barnes P, Sabbi KH, Rukundo J, Machanda ZP, and Rosati AG. 2022. Sex differences in semi-free ranging chimpanzees: Insights into evolution of chimpanzee social behavior. Midwest Primate Interest Group Annual Meeting, Ann Arbor, MI.

​

Camargo Peña N, Brodnan S, Bryer MAH, Otali E, Muller MN, Emery Thompson M, Wrangham RW, Rosati AG, and Machanda ZP. 2022. Individual variation in patterns of tool use in wild Ugandan chimpanzees. Midwest Primate Interest Group Annual Meeting, Ann Arbor, MI.

​

Conti, JJ, Bryer, MAH, Piantadosi ST, and Cantlon JF. 2022. Comparing learning capacity across species and age to identify origins of human uniqueness. Cognitive Development Society Bi-Ennial Conference, Madison, WI.

​

Bryer, MAH and Rothman JM. 2020. Extrinsic and intrinsic effects on nutritional strategy in redtail monkeys (Cercopithecus ascanius). Annual Meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists, Virtual Throwback Program 2021.

​

Bryer, MAH and Rothman JM. 2019. Do polyspecific associations influence nutritional intake of female redtail monkeys (Cercopithecus ascanius)? Annual Meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists, Cleveland, OH.

​

Bryer, MAH, Raubenheimer D, Rothman JM. 2017. Nutritional strategies of female redtail monkeys (Cercopithecus ascanius) in Uganda. Annual Meeting of the American Society  of Primatologists, Washington, DC.

 

Bryer MAH, Raubenheimer D, Rothman JM. 2017. Nutritional strategies of female redtail monkeys. Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) at the City University of New York: Research and Progress Summit, Long Island City, NY.

 

Bryer MAH, Raubenheimer D, Rothman JM. 2017. Nutritional strategies of female redtail monkeys (Cercopithecus ascanius). Annual Meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists, New Orleans, LA.

 

Bryer MAH and Rothman JM. 2016. The effects of humans on primate nutritional landscapes. Symposium: Reconciling Research and Conservation Priorities: Lessons Learned and Future Directions. Joint Meeting of the International Primatological Society and the American Society of Primatologists, Chicago, IL. 

 

Bryer MAH, Swedell L, Chowdhury S. 2016. Fatty food or fertile females? Consortships and raiding behavior in male chacma baboons in the Cape Peninsula, South Africa. Annual Meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists, Atlanta, GA.

 

Bryer MA, Raubenheimer D, Chapman CA, Rothman JM. 2012. Invertebrates provide substantial energy and protein for redtail monkeys (Cercopithecus ascanius) in Uganda. Annual Meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists, Portland, OR.

 

Bryer MA, Chapman CA, Rothman JM. 2011. Diet and polyspecific associations affect nearest-neighbor distances of redtail monkeys in Kibale National Park, Uganda. Annual Meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists, Minneapolis, MN.

 

Bryer MA. The National Zoo’s O Line: The enrichment value of an orangutan transit system. 2009. Association of Zoos and Aquariums Annual Conference, Portland, OR.

​

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

​

2022     

Tchimpounga Chimpanzee Sanctuary, Republic of Congo         
Observational and experimental data collection on chimpanzee social dynamics and cognition
PI: Alexandra Rosati (University of Michigan)

​

2020-2022    

Concepts, Actions and Objects Lab & the computation and language lab
Data collection of behavioral data from touchscreen cognitive tasks by rhesus macaques; meta-analyses and modeling of comparative data using Bayesian and phylogenetic methods 
PIs: Jessica Cantlon (Carnegie Mellon), Steve Piantadosi (UC Berkeley)

​

2016-2018    

Primate Nutritional Ecology Lab 
Nutritional chemistry analyses for dissertation and training of undergraduate 
research assistants
PI: Jessica Rothman (Hunter College of the City University of New York)

​

2015-2016    

Kibale National Park, Uganda
Dissertation research on nutrition and behavior in guenons
PI: Jessica Rothman, (Hunter College of the City University of New York)

​

2011-2012    

Kibale National Park, Uganda 
Master’s thesis on nutrition and behavior in guenons
PI: Jessica Rothman (Hunter College of the City University of New York)

​

2010        

Tokai Forest, Cape Town, South Africa 
Research assistant: behavioral data on chacma baboons (Papio ursinus)
PI: Shahrina Chowdhury (Brooklyn College of the City University of New York) 

​

2009      

Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park, Washington, DC 
Internship: orangutan behavioral research and conservation outreach
PI: Amanda Bania (Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park)

​

2008        

Tiputini Biodiversity Station, Ecuador
Research assistantship collecting behavioral and ranging data on woolly 
monkeys (Lagothrix lagotricha) at Tiputini Biodiversity Station, Ecuador 
(PI: Anthony Di Fiore, University of Texas-Austin)
 

OUTREACH

 

2019-2018

Scientist pen pal with a middle school public school student as part of Letters to a Pre-Scientist program. 

​

2016   

Co-led workshop with New Nature Foundation, local conservation educators, children and elders in community next to Kibale National Park, Uganda, to foster conservation communication across generations

 

2016   

Taught classes on Ugandan primate diversity and conservation to primary and middle school students at Green Circle School in Fort Portal, Uganda. Also developed and distributed primate conservation education materials at the request of Ugandan instructors.

 

2015   

Presented research by the Hunter College Primate Nutrition Project to field school undergraduates at Makerere Biological Field Station, Uganda.

 

2013   

Presented on primate diversity to a pre-kindergarten class, Brooklyn, NY.

 

2009   

Presented orangutan behavior research and spoke to the public about primate conservation at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute’s Autumn Conservation Festival, Front Royal, VA.

 

2008   

Presented information on Tiputini Biodiversity Station’s primate populations to field school students in Ecuador.

 

SERVICE

 

Reviewed manuscripts: African Journal of Ecology (1), American Journal of Primatology (3), Behavioral Ecology (1), Canadian Journal of Zoology (1), Ecology and Evolution (1), International Journal of Primatology (5), Journal of Human Evolution (1), Oecologia (1), PLOS ONE (2)

​

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

 

American Association of Biological Anthropologists, International Primatological Society, The Wildlife Society, Cognitive Science Society

 

​

​

 

​