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Research prize for Dietmar Zinner

A team of three scientists including Zinner was decorated for work in Invory Coast. Inza Kone, Sery Gonedele Bi and Dietmar Zinner have for many years been collecting and analyzing data about endangered primate species.
Dr. Dietmar Zinner received the 8th CSRS-Prize. Photo: Karin Tilch
Das Foto zeigt einen Schwarz-weißen Stummelaffen.
The conservation status of the ursine colobus was for instance subject of the prize-worthy research. Photo: Tanja Haus

Dietmar Zinner, Senior Scientist in the Cognitive Ethology Laboratory of the German Primate Center (DPZ), has received the 8th CSRS-Prize for studies of the conservation status of several primate species in Ivory Coast together with his project partners Inza Kone and Sery Gonedele Bi. The researchers were not only prized for their outstanding scientific achievements, but also for the excellent cooperation of African and European researchers. The prize of the Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en Côte d'Ivoire (Swiss Center for Scientific Research in Ivory Coast, CSRS) is supported by the R. Geigy fund and includes 15.000 Swiss francs of prize money. The research team has been cooperating since 2006. Since then they have for instance documented numbers of threatened primate populations. The studied primates included two species of colobines, the roloway monkey and the white-naped mangabey.

The scientists collectively published several papers. They for example identified important habitats for endangered primate species in Ivory Coast, namely the swamp-forest region "Forêt des Marais Tanoé-Ehy" in the very southeast of the country. The jury was especially convinced of the fact that the research team integrated the interdependency of local communities and the free ranging primate populations. The scientists for instance documented which species were offered as "bush meat" in local villages. Very important for the work was also the introduction of molecular genetics into the projects, for example in determining species by collected feces samples. Dietmar Zinner not only introduced these methods to the group's work but also contributed extensive expertise in primate taxonomy and ecology, thus helping to develop conservation projects for the studied primate species. By contributing these crucial aspects to the research he took major responsibility for the success of the team.

Stefan Treue, director of the DPZ, praised the work of the prized team: "With this longterm teamwork the three scientists have shown, how outstanding science can simultaneously foster the conservation of nature. Dietmar Zinner has also given a fine example of how the DPZ's work in natural primate habitats always includes an on-par cooperation with local partners."