In most mammals, females invest much more than males into reproduction, yet male investment is not necessarily cheap. For example, some primate males range over large areas and utilize long calls, high-amplitude long-distance vocalizations, as a critical component of their mating strategies – but are these investments costly signals or cheap talk? I study male reproductive strategies in Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus), taking a multifaceted approach that incorporates data on the environment, nutrition, health, energetics, hormones, social behavior, and bioacoustics to understand the processes underlying reproductive investments. Further, through interdisciplinary collaborative research, I work at the human-environment interface to examine the connections between anthropogenic disturbance, ecological shifts, and human and non-human primate health and behavior. By engaging local and international stakeholders through community outreach, training, and mentorship, I work toward generating a greater understanding of the consequences of habitat conversion and loss, and fostering sustainable management of forests for their human and non-human inhabitants. |