A team of animal behaviour scientists have presented their work at an EU science event in Brussels, attended by 5000 schoolchildren.
Science is Wonderful! is an annual fair that brings together world-class scientists to engage with young audiences and spark enthusiasm for research. It is organised by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) .
On Thursday and Friday last week (13 and 14 March), the team led by former recipient of a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship Dr Marine Joly , and including Dr Jerome Micheletta and Dr Teresa Romero from the University of Portsmouth, and Dr Francesca De Petrillo from Newcastle University, presented an interactive exhibit called 'Smart Monkeys: How Primates Think and Why They Need Your Help!'
(From L-R) Dr Teresa Romero, Dr Jerome Micheletta, Dr Marine Joly, and Dr Francesca De Petrillo
It was designed to introduce schoolchildren to the fascinating cognitive abilities of primates and highlight the urgent need for conservation.
Visitors to the Portsmouth and Newcastle team's booth had the chance to participate in four activities:
- We're Not Monkeying Around! - Led by Dr Marine Joly, children played hands-on cognitive games used in real primate research, exploring how monkeys forage and understand their physical environment.
- Monkey Faces: Can You Guess What They're Saying? - Dr Jerome Micheletta guided pupils through a game deciphering macaque facial expressions, helping them understand how primates communicate.
- Guess Like a Monkey: The Bingo Game - Dr Francesca De Petrillo introduced visitors to a logic game demonstrating how monkeys, like humans, make decisions based on probabilities.
- How Does the Story End? - Dr Teresa Romero used an inquiry-based learning approach, engaging children with a puppet-driven activity about the impact of habitat destruction and plastic pollution on primates.
The team's research focuses on how primates make decisions, solve problems, and communicate - insights that offer valuable comparisons with human behaviour. Their work extends beyond the lab, with field studies in European zoos and natural habitats like Indonesia.
Dr Teresa Romero presenting at the Science if Wonderful! fair. Credit: Science is Wonderful
Dr Marine Joly from the University of Portsmouth's School of Psychology, Sport and Health Sciences , said: "As a Marie Skłodowska-Curie alumna, it was an honour to be invited to take part in the Science is Wonderful fair. With the team, we had such fun explaining our research, and the children were amazing and very engaged with all our activities.
"We had the privilege to get a visit from the European Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva , in charge of startups, research and innovation for the 27 European countries. We explained our projects on primate cognition and conservation and she was very enthusiastic ."
The University of Portsmouth's Centre for Comparative and Evolutionary Psychology has a strong track record of producing impactful research. Previous studies revealed that socially tolerant monkeys demonstrate better impulse control , examined how horse owners' beliefs about animal emotions influence equine health , and even contributed to high-profile European research funding projects .
