Amanda Melin
Professor of Biological Anthropology at the University of Calgary and a Canada Research Chair in Dietary Ecology and Genomics
In this Q&A, Amanda Melin explores how studying primate senses reveals new perspectives on behaviour, wellbeing, and the future of biomedical research.
What first sparked your interest in studying primates and sensory perception, and how did that lead you to your current research focus?
I was interested in the high frequency of red green colour blindness (dichromacy) present in many monkey species, the impact of colour vision on their behaviours, and whether dichromacy and trichromacy (standard colour vision) might each offer distinct advantages. From here, I became increasingly interested in the role of all sensory systems, the genes and molecular mechanisms that contribute to sensory variation, and how the senses have evolved in humans and nonhuman primates.
What are the key questions your research is trying to answer about how primates experience the world?
The key questions I am trying to answer are: 1) How do sensory systems help primates (including humans) find and select foods and navigate their social and physical environments. 2) What ecological and social factors have been important in shaping primate sensory system evolution? 3) How do our senses contribute to our health and wellbeing, including as we age?
How can insights from primate sensory systems inform our understanding of human health and behaviour today?
Primates are our closest living relatives and humans are primates. By understanding the evolution of primate sensory systems, and how they are used in daily life, we gain insight into how we, as humans, came to our senses. Furthermore, study of primate senses provide valuable biomedical insight into human conditions such as glaucoma, Alzheimer’s disease, metabolic disorders, and tinnitus, as primates share many morphological, genetic and physiological traits.
Why is it important for Canadians to support and invest in this type of research?
Investing in basic science leads to new insights and discoveries, for example that red-green colour blindness confers advantages in breaking camouflage and that the primate sense of smell and touch is important for social communication and wellbeing. Studying the behaviour and genetics of wild animals improves our understanding of ecosystem functions, conservation biology, and innovations in remote sampling and DNA recovery methods. It also provides opportunities for the next generation of STEM professionals to develop high-demand lab skills, critical thinking, statistical methods, effective communication, and problem solving.
