Image of Dr Patrick Tkaczynski

Dr Patrick Tkaczynski

School of Biological and Environmental Sciences

Faculty of Science

I’m a behavioural ecologist, and occasional comparative psychologist, aiming to understand how different individuals manage their social lives and the impact these choices have on social structures. My work focuses on wild, non-human primates as model species to address these questions. Most primate species are under threat due to anthropogenic activity. Therefore, I hope to ascertain how group-living may mediate or exaggerate human-related threats to individual fitness, as well as population persistence and survival. I do this using behavioural observation data and non-invasive physiological measures (e.g. hormones).

Academic appointments

Lecturer, School of Biological Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, 2022 - present
Postdoctoral research associate, Max Planck Instiute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Max Planck Instiute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 2016 - 2021

Journal article

Grampp M, Samuni L, Girard-Buttoz C, León J, Zuberbühler K, Tkaczynski PJ, Wittig RM, Crockford C. 2023. Social uncertainty promotes signal complexity during approaches in wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) and mangabeys (Cercocebus atys atys) Royal Society Open Science, 10 :231073 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Tkaczynski PJ, Mafessoni F, Girard-Buttoz C, Samuni L, Ackermann CY, Fedurek P, Gomes C, Hobaiter C, Löhrich T, Manin V, Preis A, Valé PD, Wessling EG, Wittiger L, Zommers Z, Zuberbuehler K, Vigilant L, Deschner T, Wittig RM, Crockford C. 2023. Shared community effects and the non-genetic maternal environment shape cortisol levels in wild chimpanzees Communications Biology, 6 :565 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Bründl AC, Girard-Buttoz C, Bortolato T, Samuni L, Grampp M, Löhrich T, Tkaczynski P, Wittig RM, Crockford C. 2022. Maternal effects on the development of vocal communication in wild chimpanzees iScience, 25 :105152 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Girard-Buttoz C, Tkaczynski PJ, Samuni L, Fedurek P, Gomes C, Löhrich T, Manin V, Preis A, Valé PF, Deschner T, Wittig RM, Crockford C. 2021. Early maternal loss leads to short- but not long-term effects on diurnal cortisol slopes in wild chimpanzees eLife, 10 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Tkaczynski PJ, Behringer V, Ackermann CY, Fedurek P, Fruth B, Girard-Buttoz C, Hobaiter C, Lee SM, Loehrich T, Preis A, Samuni L, Zommers Z, Zuberbuehler K, Deschner T, Wittig RM, Hohmann G, Crockford C. 2020. Patterns of urinary cortisol levels during ontogeny appear population specifi c rather than species specifi c in wild chimpanzees and bonobos Journal of Human Evolution, 147 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Tkaczynski PJ, Mielke A, Samuni L, Preis A, Wittig RM, Crockford C. 2020. Long-term repeatability in social behaviour suggests stable social phenotypes in wild chimpanzees Royal Society Open Science, 7 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Girard-Buttoz C, Surbeck M, Samuni L, Tkaczynski P, Boesch C, Fruth B, Wittig RM, Hohmann G, Crockford C. 2020. Information transfer efficiency differs in wild chimpanzees and bonobos, but not social cognition Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 287 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Bruendl AC, Tkaczynski PJ, Kohou GN, Boesch C, Wittig RM, Crockford C. 2020. Systematic mapping of developmental milestones in wild chimpanzees Developmental Science, 24 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Samuni L, Tkaczynski P, Deschner T, Loehrrich T, Wittig RM, Crockford C. 2020. Maternal effects on offspring growth indicate post-weaning juvenile dependence in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) Frontiers in Zoology, 17 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Fedurek P, Tkaczynski PJ, Asiimwe C, Hobaiter C, Samuni L, Lowe AE, Dijrian AG, Zuberbühler K, Wittig RM, Crockford C. 2019. Maternal cannibalism in two populations of wild chimpanzees Primates, 61 :181-187 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Kuběnová B, Ostner J, Schülke O, Majolo B, Šmilauer P, Waterman J, Tkaczynski P, Konečná M. 2019. The male and female perspective in the link between male infant care and mating behaviour in Barbary macaques Tregenza THOMAS. Ethology, 125 :914-924 DOI Publisher Url

Tkaczynski PJ, Ross C, Lehmann J, Mouna M, Majolo B, MacLarnon A. 2019. Repeatable glucocorticoid expression is associated with behavioural syndromes in males but not females in a wild primate Royal Society Open Science, 6 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Campbell LAD, Tkaczynski PJ, Mouna M, Derrou A, Oukannou L, Majolo B, Van Lavieren E. 2019. Correction: Behavioural thermoregulation via microhabitat selection of winter sleeping areas in an endangered primate: Implications for habitat conservation (Royal Society Open Science (2018) 5 (181113) DOI: 10.1098/rsos.181113) Royal Society Open Science, 6 DOI Publisher Url

Tkaczynski PJ, Ross C, MacLarnon A, Mouna M, Majolo B, Lehmann J. 2018. Measuring personality in the field: An in situ comparison of personality quantification methods in wild barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus) Journal of Comparative Psychology, 133 :313-325 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Campbell LAD, Tkaczynski PJ, Mouna M, Derrou A, Oukannou L, Majolo B, van Lavierenv E. 2018. Behavioural thermoregulation via microhabitat selection of winter sleeping areas in an endangered primate: implications for habitat conservation Royal Society Open Science, 5 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Sonnweber R, Araya-Ajoy YG, Behringer V, Deschner T, Tkaczynski PJ, Fedurek P, Preis A, Samuni L, Zommers Z, Gomes C, Zuberbühler K, Wittig RM, Crockford C. 2018. Circadian Rhythms of Urinary Cortisol Levels Vary Between Individuals in Wild Male Chimpanzees: A Reaction Norm Approach Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 6 DOI Publisher Url Public Url

Campbell LAD, Tkaczynski PJ, Lehmann J, Mouna M, Majolo B. 2018. Social thermoregulation as a potential mechanism linking sociality and fitness: Barbary macaques with more social partners form larger huddles Scientific Reports, 8 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Campbell LAD, Tkaczynski PJ, Mouna M, Qarro M, Waterman J, Majolo B. 2016. Behavioral responses to injury and death in wild Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus) Primates, 57 :309-315 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

MacLarnon AM, Sommer V, Goffe AS, Higham JP, Lodge E, Tkaczynski P, Ross C. 2014. Assessing adaptability and reactive scope: Introducing a new measure and illustrating its use through a case study of environmental stress in forest-living baboons General and Comparative Endocrinology, 215 :10-24 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Tkaczynski P, MacLarnon A, Ross C. 2014. Associations between spatial position, stress and anxiety in forest baboons Papio anubis Behavioural Processes, 108 :1-6 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Price ARG, Ghazi SJ, Tkaczynski PJ, Venkatachalam AJ, Santillan A, Pancho T, Metcalfe R, Saunders J. 2013. Shifting environmental baselines in the Red Sea Marine Pollution Bulletin, 78 :96-101 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Fedurek P, Tkaczynski PJ, Hobaiter C, Zuberbühler K, Wittig RM, Crockford C. The function of chimpanzee greeting calls is modulated by their acoustic variation Animal Behaviour, 174 :279-289 DOI Publisher Url

Steverding D, Morgan E, Tkaczynski P, Walder F, Tinsley R. Effect of Australian tea tree oil on Gyrodactylus spp. infection of the three-spined stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus Diseases of Aquatic Organisms, 66 :29-32 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Tkaczynski PJ, Mielke A, Samuni L, Preis A, Wittig RM, Crockford C. Long-term repeatability in social behaviour suggests stable social phenotypes in wild chimpanzees Royal Society Open Science, 7 DOI

Other

Bründl AC, Tkaczynski PJ, Nohon Kohou G, Boesch C, Wittig RM, Crockford C. 2021. Response to the commentary ‘Becoming uniquely human? Comparing chimpanzee to human infancy’ Developmental Science, 25 :e13143 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Conference publication

Girard-Buttoz C, Surbeck M, Samuni L, Tkaczynski P, Boesch C, Fruth B, Wittig RM, Hohmann G, Crockford C. 2020. Chimpanzees Outperform Bonobos at an Experimental Cooperative Task in the Wild: Information Transfer Around a Stationary Danger FOLIA PRIMATOLOGICA, 91 :255-256 Author Url

Research Grants Awarded:

NERC, Urgent assessment of IUCN Red Listed Barbary macaque population health and numbers following multiple natural disasters within Morocco, Dr Nicola Koyama, Grant value (£): 99792, Duration of research project: 6 months. 2023

Wild Animal Inititative, Paying to play? Social time allocation, emotional contagion, and social attention as assays of welfare in wild animals, Grant value (£): 20398, Duration of research project: 2 years. 2023

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