ABOUT ME

Dr. Ben Finkel is a biological anthropologist and primatologist with a focus on the evolution of senescence and life-history theory. I am now a Visiting Assistant Professor at Boston University. I am also an affiliate of the Ngogo Chimpanzee Project where I have conducted field research since 2016. I was awarded my doctorate in 2024 from the University of Michigan with my dissertation "The Challenges of Senescence for Adult Male Chimpanzees."

I investigate the functional challenges of aging for wild chimpanzees and strategies wild animals use to age gracefully. My research interests also include foraging behavior, dental wear, the social function of testosterone, comparative blood pressure, and conservation psychology with a focus on media portrayal of primates. I am also keenly interested in the analysis and display of quantitative information and work extensively in R.

This academic year, I am teaching: