Joan B. Silk

Distinguished memberships and honors

Highly prestigious awards

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Bio

Regents Professor Silk’s research has transformed understanding about the relationship between nonhuman primate behavior and human evolution, especially the origin of humans' prosocial behavior, such as sharing, cooperating and volunteering. She has been internationally recognized for Regents Professor Silk’s research has transformed understanding about the relationship between nonhuman primate behavior and human evolution, especially the origin of humans' prosocial behavior, such as sharing, cooperating and volunteering. She has been internationally recognized for her contributions to the field of primate social evolution, particularly using quantitative approaches to evaluate the adaptive value of social bonds for primates. She has studied wild yellow baboons in Kenya and chacma baboons in Botswana and found that when females are able to form strong social bonds with one another, it reduces stress and positively impacts lifetime fitness and the number of surviving offspring. She is a research scientist with the Institute of Human Origins, a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2022.