The Behavioral Ecology Group (BEG) was originally formed in 1990 by Professors Pat Wright and Charlie Janson, under the name “Primate Interest Group”. The original group, consisting of faculty and students from the Ecology & Evolution and Anthropology departments, met to discuss current topics in primate behavioral ecology. After a few years, the group’s focus broadened to include not just primate studies but all of the animal kingdom (mostly vertebrates, but we have been known to read the odd paper on spiders). Currently, about half of the papers we discuss consider primates while the other half are studies of other animals.

We meet on a weekly basis to discuss new and forthcoming articles published in the many peer-reviewed journals we monitor (e.g. Animal Behavior, Behavioural Ecology, Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, Oecologia, American Journal of Primatology, and International Journal of Primatology). Each BEG member usually chooses one article to present or co-present each semester.

In addition to our weekly discussions, we also pursue prominent behavioral ecologists from other Universities to give lectures at Stony Brook (attendance is made open to the campus community). In the past years our speakers have included Robin Dunbar, Sue Boinski, Joan Silk, Guy Cowlishaw, Ryne Palombit, Andy Sih and Dawn Kitchen.

Funding for these events has been generously provided by the Ecology & Evolution and Anthropology departments, as well as by the Graduate Student Organization.