Zoë Goldsborough
@zoegoldsborough.bsky.social
Researcher of animal behavior, ethics, and welfare / PostDoc studying social learning and tool use. She/her
https://zgoldsborough.wixsite.com/research
https://zgoldsborough.wixsite.com/research
Pinned
Humans have many unusual traditions. But did you know animals’ strange behaviors can become culture too? Out now in Current Biology (doi.org/10.1016/j.cu...) we show the rise and spread of a surprising tradition: interspecies infant abduction. Interactive timeline (www.ab.mpg.de/671374) 🧵 (1/12)
Hot off the press 📣: one of the most surprising and unsettling findings of my PhD. A novel social tradition emerged in the tool-using white-faced capuchins of Jicarón island… abducting and carrying the infants of another species. Thread with gifs, videos, and all the bizarre details 👇
Reposted by Zoë Goldsborough
For your consideration, our paper about how we can build a better error culture around biologging is now out in Animal Behavio(u)r. A collaborative effort between researchers the veterinarians at @mpi-animalbehav.bsky.social
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Burden of a failed error culture in biologging
Driven by technological advancement and low cost, biologging has rapidly transformed the study of animal behaviour and ecology, providing unprecedente…
www.sciencedirect.com
November 18, 2025 at 8:47 AM
For your consideration, our paper about how we can build a better error culture around biologging is now out in Animal Behavio(u)r. A collaborative effort between researchers the veterinarians at @mpi-animalbehav.bsky.social
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Zoë Goldsborough
2025. Fatal Flaws are Ingrained in Laboratory Animal Research-But who cares? "we conducted a structured review of animal experiments published in North America and Europe in 2022... not even one followed the principles of rigorous experimental design." communities.springernature.com/posts/fatal-...
Fatal Flaws are Ingrained in Laboratory Animal Research - But who cares?
When we began looking closely at laboratory animal experiments, we found that despite the enormous time, cost, and care involved, studies had biased designs. The problem appeared systemic. We set out ...
communities.springernature.com
November 17, 2025 at 4:18 AM
2025. Fatal Flaws are Ingrained in Laboratory Animal Research-But who cares? "we conducted a structured review of animal experiments published in North America and Europe in 2022... not even one followed the principles of rigorous experimental design." communities.springernature.com/posts/fatal-...
Reposted by Zoë Goldsborough
Intrigued by animal innovation and avian cognition? My PI Dr. Megan Lambert is advertising a new shiny PhD position studying innovation in kea parrots! Info attached 🤩🦜
For inquiries: Megan.Lambert@vetmeduni.ac.at
For inquiries: Megan.Lambert@vetmeduni.ac.at
November 11, 2025 at 10:20 AM
Intrigued by animal innovation and avian cognition? My PI Dr. Megan Lambert is advertising a new shiny PhD position studying innovation in kea parrots! Info attached 🤩🦜
For inquiries: Megan.Lambert@vetmeduni.ac.at
For inquiries: Megan.Lambert@vetmeduni.ac.at
Reposted by Zoë Goldsborough
🎉 Congratulations to Kat Stewart 🎓 for succesfully defending her thesis "Factors influencing intergroup encounter dynamics in a wild bonobo 🐒 population: the untold story of risk, reward and the roots of warfare", supervised by Barbara Fruth 🥂
October 22, 2025 at 8:48 AM
🎉 Congratulations to Kat Stewart 🎓 for succesfully defending her thesis "Factors influencing intergroup encounter dynamics in a wild bonobo 🐒 population: the untold story of risk, reward and the roots of warfare", supervised by Barbara Fruth 🥂
Reposted by Zoë Goldsborough
Fully-funded 4-year #PhD in Cultural Evolution! Join my @erc.europa.eu project exploring how compression & compositionality drive cultural innovation: hmc-lab.com/ERCPhDCultur...
Apply by Nov 12!
Maybe of interest to folks from #COSMOS2025 or @eslr.bsky.social? Please feel free to share! 🙏
Apply by Nov 12!
Maybe of interest to folks from #COSMOS2025 or @eslr.bsky.social? Please feel free to share! 🙏
ERC funded PhD position on Cultural Evolution
ERC funded PhD position on Cultural Evolution
posted on October 16, 2025
We are currently seeking a highly motivated individual for a ful...
hmc-lab.com
October 20, 2025 at 9:32 AM
Fully-funded 4-year #PhD in Cultural Evolution! Join my @erc.europa.eu project exploring how compression & compositionality drive cultural innovation: hmc-lab.com/ERCPhDCultur...
Apply by Nov 12!
Maybe of interest to folks from #COSMOS2025 or @eslr.bsky.social? Please feel free to share! 🙏
Apply by Nov 12!
Maybe of interest to folks from #COSMOS2025 or @eslr.bsky.social? Please feel free to share! 🙏
Reposted by Zoë Goldsborough
📢 Open PhD position at our Institute: Bioacoustics / cheetah vocal communication 🐆🎶
You’ll study the cheetah’s high-pitched “chirps” that sound surprisingly like birds 🐦— exploring their acoustic structure and function. 👉 Details and application: www.oeaw.ac.at/jobs?jh=34u4...
You’ll study the cheetah’s high-pitched “chirps” that sound surprisingly like birds 🐦— exploring their acoustic structure and function. 👉 Details and application: www.oeaw.ac.at/jobs?jh=34u4...
October 20, 2025 at 12:52 PM
📢 Open PhD position at our Institute: Bioacoustics / cheetah vocal communication 🐆🎶
You’ll study the cheetah’s high-pitched “chirps” that sound surprisingly like birds 🐦— exploring their acoustic structure and function. 👉 Details and application: www.oeaw.ac.at/jobs?jh=34u4...
You’ll study the cheetah’s high-pitched “chirps” that sound surprisingly like birds 🐦— exploring their acoustic structure and function. 👉 Details and application: www.oeaw.ac.at/jobs?jh=34u4...
Want to know more about monkeys kidnapping other monkeys?🐒 I had an amazing chat together with @bjjbarrett.bsky.social on @sidedoorpod.bsky.social about the Coiban capuchins and their wild antics. Science really is stranger than fiction! Listen 👂 here: www.si.edu/sidedoor/mon...
October 6, 2025 at 2:17 PM
Want to know more about monkeys kidnapping other monkeys?🐒 I had an amazing chat together with @bjjbarrett.bsky.social on @sidedoorpod.bsky.social about the Coiban capuchins and their wild antics. Science really is stranger than fiction! Listen 👂 here: www.si.edu/sidedoor/mon...
Reposted by Zoë Goldsborough
Are you studying animal sociality?
My (now published) first PhD chapter proposes a Bayesian + causal framework to infer the factors shaping the social relationships that animals form with one another.
journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol...
My (now published) first PhD chapter proposes a Bayesian + causal framework to infer the factors shaping the social relationships that animals form with one another.
journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol...
A causal framework for the drivers of animal social network structure
Author summary Behavioural ecologists ask mechanistic questions about behaviour—causal questions. When studying animal societies, these questions often concern the drivers of social network structure....
journals.plos.org
September 30, 2025 at 3:23 PM
Are you studying animal sociality?
My (now published) first PhD chapter proposes a Bayesian + causal framework to infer the factors shaping the social relationships that animals form with one another.
journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol...
My (now published) first PhD chapter proposes a Bayesian + causal framework to infer the factors shaping the social relationships that animals form with one another.
journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol...
Reposted by Zoë Goldsborough
🦅PhD position 🦅 in my new group at @fbm-unil.bsky.social in Switzerland, studying how the social and resource landscapes shape the learning process for soaring flight. Deadline: Oct 30. Pls repost! career5.successfactors.eu/career?caree...
October 6, 2025 at 5:56 AM
🦅PhD position 🦅 in my new group at @fbm-unil.bsky.social in Switzerland, studying how the social and resource landscapes shape the learning process for soaring flight. Deadline: Oct 30. Pls repost! career5.successfactors.eu/career?caree...
Reposted by Zoë Goldsborough
I am humbled to have received much praise for THE ARROGANT APE (Avery / Penguin Random House) out September 2.
www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/717436/the-arrogant-ape-by-christine-webb
www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/717436/the-arrogant-ape-by-christine-webb
August 11, 2025 at 6:51 AM
I am humbled to have received much praise for THE ARROGANT APE (Avery / Penguin Random House) out September 2.
www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/717436/the-arrogant-ape-by-christine-webb
www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/717436/the-arrogant-ape-by-christine-webb
Reposted by Zoë Goldsborough
WeTransfer just changed their TOS giving themselves permission to train AI on any content you transfer and produce derivative works based on content you transfer that they are allowed to monetize and you are not allowed payment for.
Stop using WeTransfer.
Stop using WeTransfer.
July 14, 2025 at 11:05 PM
WeTransfer just changed their TOS giving themselves permission to train AI on any content you transfer and produce derivative works based on content you transfer that they are allowed to monetize and you are not allowed payment for.
Stop using WeTransfer.
Stop using WeTransfer.
Reposted by Zoë Goldsborough
❓Why do the Nordics & Dutch speak English so much better than the Germans, Italians & French?
➡️ New Working Paper:
Out-of-School Learning: Subtitling vs. Dubbing and the Acquisition of Foreign-Language Skills
w/ F. Baumeister & E. Hanushek
www.nber.org/papers/w33984
A 🧵 1/12
➡️ New Working Paper:
Out-of-School Learning: Subtitling vs. Dubbing and the Acquisition of Foreign-Language Skills
w/ F. Baumeister & E. Hanushek
www.nber.org/papers/w33984
A 🧵 1/12
July 7, 2025 at 6:33 AM
❓Why do the Nordics & Dutch speak English so much better than the Germans, Italians & French?
➡️ New Working Paper:
Out-of-School Learning: Subtitling vs. Dubbing and the Acquisition of Foreign-Language Skills
w/ F. Baumeister & E. Hanushek
www.nber.org/papers/w33984
A 🧵 1/12
➡️ New Working Paper:
Out-of-School Learning: Subtitling vs. Dubbing and the Acquisition of Foreign-Language Skills
w/ F. Baumeister & E. Hanushek
www.nber.org/papers/w33984
A 🧵 1/12
~5 years, 5 chapters, and one real human baby later, my "academic" baby is finally done. After a defense in near-boiling conditions, where even the beamer quit halfway through, I am now officially Dr. Zoë 🎓🐒 I am so grateful for this experience, and all my friends and family lifting me up! #PhDone
July 2, 2025 at 11:15 AM
~5 years, 5 chapters, and one real human baby later, my "academic" baby is finally done. After a defense in near-boiling conditions, where even the beamer quit halfway through, I am now officially Dr. Zoë 🎓🐒 I am so grateful for this experience, and all my friends and family lifting me up! #PhDone
Reposted by Zoë Goldsborough
been a long time coming, there's now a preprint along with Will Hoppitt describing our new R package for creating, fitting and interpreting bayesian NBDA models (STBayes). www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1.... Documentation is here michaelchimento.github.io/STbayes/inde...
June 12, 2025 at 8:23 AM
been a long time coming, there's now a preprint along with Will Hoppitt describing our new R package for creating, fitting and interpreting bayesian NBDA models (STBayes). www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1.... Documentation is here michaelchimento.github.io/STbayes/inde...
Reposted by Zoë Goldsborough
In a recent correspondence, @zoegoldsborough.bsky.social and colleagues report the origin and spread of a cultural tradition of interspecies abduction of infant howler monkeys by male white-faced capuchin monkeys in the wild. www.cell.com/current-biol...
Rise and spread of a social tradition of interspecies abduction
Goldsborough and colleagues report the origin and spread of a cultural tradition of
interspecies abduction of infant howler monkeys by male white-faced capuchin monkeys
in the wild.
www.cell.com
May 29, 2025 at 1:28 PM
In a recent correspondence, @zoegoldsborough.bsky.social and colleagues report the origin and spread of a cultural tradition of interspecies abduction of infant howler monkeys by male white-faced capuchin monkeys in the wild. www.cell.com/current-biol...
Reposted by Zoë Goldsborough
🐒🚨„Affen kidnappen Babys anderer Affenart“. Habt ihr diese unglaubliche News gelesen - von #Kapuzineräffchen und #Brüllaffen in #Panama? Bio-Doktorandin @zoegoldsborough.bsky.social hat‘s entdeckt. Mir hat sie erzählt, was hinter dem traurigen Kidnapping steckt: www.zeit.de/wissen/umwel... @zeit.de
Kidnapping im Tierreich: "Man hört die Brüllaffen nach ihren entführten Babys schreien"
Auf einer unbewohnten Insel vor Panama entdeckt die Doktorandin Zoë Goldsborough Unglaubliches: Kapuzineraffen kidnappen Jungtiere anderer Affen. Bleibt die Frage, warum.
www.zeit.de
May 25, 2025 at 6:16 PM
🐒🚨„Affen kidnappen Babys anderer Affenart“. Habt ihr diese unglaubliche News gelesen - von #Kapuzineräffchen und #Brüllaffen in #Panama? Bio-Doktorandin @zoegoldsborough.bsky.social hat‘s entdeckt. Mir hat sie erzählt, was hinter dem traurigen Kidnapping steckt: www.zeit.de/wissen/umwel... @zeit.de
Reposted by Zoë Goldsborough
Monkeys kidnap the babies of other monkeys, and then wear them around for days on end... it's a grim tale I've written for the @nytimes.com!
www.nytimes.com/2025/05/19/s...
www.nytimes.com/2025/05/19/s...
This Was Odd: These Monkeys Kidnapped Babies From Another Species.
www.nytimes.com
May 19, 2025 at 10:29 PM
Monkeys kidnap the babies of other monkeys, and then wear them around for days on end... it's a grim tale I've written for the @nytimes.com!
www.nytimes.com/2025/05/19/s...
www.nytimes.com/2025/05/19/s...
Reposted by Zoë Goldsborough
Some sketches for this surprising publication by @zoegoldsborough.bsky.social @mpi-animalbehav.bsky.social @bjjbarrett.bsky.social @meg-crofoot.bsky.social @livingingroups.bsky.social
Capuchin monkeys abducting howler monkey infants and carrying them around! 😐
Capuchin monkeys abducting howler monkey infants and carrying them around! 😐
May 20, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Some sketches for this surprising publication by @zoegoldsborough.bsky.social @mpi-animalbehav.bsky.social @bjjbarrett.bsky.social @meg-crofoot.bsky.social @livingingroups.bsky.social
Capuchin monkeys abducting howler monkey infants and carrying them around! 😐
Capuchin monkeys abducting howler monkey infants and carrying them around! 😐
Reposted by Zoë Goldsborough
🧪🏺 Capuchins kidnapping howler infants: fascinated by many aspects of this- rapidity of 'fashion' spread, individual variation but also sex bias, and relevance in helping us imagine multiplicity of inter-species hominin interactions, inc. #Neanderthals & early H. sapiens
www.cell.com/current-biol...
www.cell.com/current-biol...
Rise and spread of a social tradition of interspecies abduction
Goldsborough and colleagues report the origin and spread of a cultural tradition of
interspecies abduction of infant howler monkeys by male white-faced capuchin monkeys
in the wild.
www.cell.com
May 20, 2025 at 2:20 PM
🧪🏺 Capuchins kidnapping howler infants: fascinated by many aspects of this- rapidity of 'fashion' spread, individual variation but also sex bias, and relevance in helping us imagine multiplicity of inter-species hominin interactions, inc. #Neanderthals & early H. sapiens
www.cell.com/current-biol...
www.cell.com/current-biol...
Reposted by Zoë Goldsborough
The capuchins on Jicaron are intriguing everyone, from scientists to the general public 🙈 Stories from our latest paper by @zoegoldsborough.bsky.social @bjjbarrett.bsky.social and team!
Paper: www.cell.com/current-biol...
🧵
@lizlandau.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/2025/05/19/s...
Paper: www.cell.com/current-biol...
🧵
@lizlandau.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/2025/05/19/s...
This Was Odd: These Monkeys Kidnapped Babies From Another Species.
www.nytimes.com
May 20, 2025 at 11:37 AM
The capuchins on Jicaron are intriguing everyone, from scientists to the general public 🙈 Stories from our latest paper by @zoegoldsborough.bsky.social @bjjbarrett.bsky.social and team!
Paper: www.cell.com/current-biol...
🧵
@lizlandau.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/2025/05/19/s...
Paper: www.cell.com/current-biol...
🧵
@lizlandau.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/2025/05/19/s...
Reposted by Zoë Goldsborough
#Capuchins are abducting baby howlers. But why?
Zoë Goldsborough, Brendan Barrett, and Meg Crofoot
@mpi-animalbehav.bsky.social discuss what’s behind this novel animal tradition. www.youtube.com/watch?v=mooQ... @zoegoldsborough.bsky.social
Zoë Goldsborough, Brendan Barrett, and Meg Crofoot
@mpi-animalbehav.bsky.social discuss what’s behind this novel animal tradition. www.youtube.com/watch?v=mooQ... @zoegoldsborough.bsky.social
Capuchin monkeys are abducting baby howlers. But why?
YouTube video by Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior
www.youtube.com
May 20, 2025 at 11:51 AM
#Capuchins are abducting baby howlers. But why?
Zoë Goldsborough, Brendan Barrett, and Meg Crofoot
@mpi-animalbehav.bsky.social discuss what’s behind this novel animal tradition. www.youtube.com/watch?v=mooQ... @zoegoldsborough.bsky.social
Zoë Goldsborough, Brendan Barrett, and Meg Crofoot
@mpi-animalbehav.bsky.social discuss what’s behind this novel animal tradition. www.youtube.com/watch?v=mooQ... @zoegoldsborough.bsky.social
Reposted by Zoë Goldsborough
Young, male capuchin monkeys have started kidnapping the babies of nearby howler monkeys. Why? Maybe boredom.
Researchers puzzle over rash of baby monkey kidnappings
Young, male capuchin monkeys have started kidnapping the babies of nearby howler monkeys. Why? Maybe boredom.
www.npr.org
May 19, 2025 at 10:53 PM
Young, male capuchin monkeys have started kidnapping the babies of nearby howler monkeys. Why? Maybe boredom.
Reposted by Zoë Goldsborough
Cross-species teamwork from @livingingroups.bsky.social reveals unexpected similarities in three social mammals 🤔
By lead author @pminasandra.bsky.social with Emily Grout, Katrina Brock, Meg Crofoot, Vlad Demartsev, Amlan Nayak, Eli
Strauss, Ari Strandburg-Peshkin🧵1/2
www.ab.mpg.de/679000/news_...
By lead author @pminasandra.bsky.social with Emily Grout, Katrina Brock, Meg Crofoot, Vlad Demartsev, Amlan Nayak, Eli
Strauss, Ari Strandburg-Peshkin🧵1/2
www.ab.mpg.de/679000/news_...
Very different mammals follow the same rules of behavior
Research hints at an underlying architecture that orders the movements of animals
www.ab.mpg.de
May 19, 2025 at 7:25 AM
Cross-species teamwork from @livingingroups.bsky.social reveals unexpected similarities in three social mammals 🤔
By lead author @pminasandra.bsky.social with Emily Grout, Katrina Brock, Meg Crofoot, Vlad Demartsev, Amlan Nayak, Eli
Strauss, Ari Strandburg-Peshkin🧵1/2
www.ab.mpg.de/679000/news_...
By lead author @pminasandra.bsky.social with Emily Grout, Katrina Brock, Meg Crofoot, Vlad Demartsev, Amlan Nayak, Eli
Strauss, Ari Strandburg-Peshkin🧵1/2
www.ab.mpg.de/679000/news_...
Reposted by Zoë Goldsborough
Therapist: The kidnapping capuchin monkeys aren't real and can't hurt you.
Nature:
www.popsci.com/environment/...
Nature:
www.popsci.com/environment/...
Capuchin monkeys kidnap baby howler monkeys, shocking scientists
The disturbing fad could be the result of boredom.
www.popsci.com
May 19, 2025 at 7:48 PM
Therapist: The kidnapping capuchin monkeys aren't real and can't hurt you.
Nature:
www.popsci.com/environment/...
Nature:
www.popsci.com/environment/...
Reposted by Zoë Goldsborough
Scientists studying footage from Jicarón Island spotted something unusual: a capuchin monkey carrying an infant howler on his back. Now, they’re trying to learn what it means. cnn.it/3H1dtWA
May 19, 2025 at 6:42 PM
Scientists studying footage from Jicarón Island spotted something unusual: a capuchin monkey carrying an infant howler on his back. Now, they’re trying to learn what it means. cnn.it/3H1dtWA