Tracking Monkeys in the World’s Harshest Place with Dr. Christopher Schmitt

What can monkey feces tell us about human evolution, climate change, and our health? Dr. Christopher Schmitt, who leads the Primate Ecology and Molecular Anthropology Lab at Boston University, studies “extreme monkeys”—including critically endangered yellow-tailed woolly monkeys in the Andes and vervet monkeys in drought-prone South Africa. Using thermal drones, real-time DNA sequencing, and microbiome analysis (yes, starting with poop), his team is uncovering how these primates survive in harsh environments—and what that reveals about our own biology and resilience. This research connects genetics, conservation, and climate science—and challenges who we see as scientists in the field. What surprised you most about this work?