How do you rediscover a species thought to be extinct, and help protect an entire rainforest at the same time?

In this episode, we explore the remarkable career of Professor Patricia Wright, one of the most influential figures in lemur research and conservation.

Professor Wright is a primatologist, anthropologist, and conservationist best known for her groundbreaking work in Madagascar. She rediscovered the greater bamboo lemur (Hapalemur simus), once believed extinct, and discovered a new species, the golden bamboo lemur (Hapalemur aureus). Her efforts were central to the creation of Ranomafana National Park, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

She also founded Centre ValBio, a leading research and education center focused on biodiversity conservation, scientific research, and community engagement in Madagascar.

In this interview, Professor Wright discusses her career path and major discoveries, including fossil and subfossil lemurs, extinct Malagasy hippos, and Milne-Edwards’s sifakas. She explains what these finds reveal about lemur evolution and extinction, explores how and when humans first arrived on Madagascar, and reflects on the conservation challenges facing lemurs today. Another theme of the conversation is one of the great evolutionary puzzles, how did lemurs first reach Madagascar?

Whether you’re interested in primate evolution, fieldwork in Madagascar, or the role of science in conservation, this episode offers a rare insight into both the biology of lemurs and the human stories behind their discovery and protection.

Where did our genus Homo come from, and how confident are we about its earliest members? In this episode, we explore the fossil evidence for human origins with one of the researchers reshaping how we define our own genus.

Dr Brian Villmoare is a paleoanthropologist at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, whose research focuses on the origins of Homo, hominin craniofacial evolution, and the African fossil record. He is best known for his work at Ledi-Geraru in Ethiopia, which has played a key role in redefining what the earliest members of our genus looked like and how, and when, they evolved.

In this interview, Dr Villmoare shares his career journey and reflects on major figures who shaped paleoanthropology. He discusses what his research has found out about the emergence of Homo, how species boundaries are drawn in the fossil record, and how advances in biomechanics and analytical methods are improving our understanding of hominin cranial evolution.

The conversation also covers fieldwork across eastern and southern Africa, the evolutionary relationships of Homo naledi and Homo floresiensis, debates over Neanderthal taxonomy, and the most underrated fossil sites for understanding human evolution. Dr Villmoare also talks about his book The Evolution of Everything and reflects on challenges surrounding fossil access, digital data, and resource sharing in paleoanthropology.

How do slow lorises use venom, and what can these elusive primates tell us about evolution and conservation? In this episode of Our Primate Past, Anna Nekaris takes us inside the world of nocturnal primates, sharing her groundbreaking research and conservation work.

Professor Anna Nekaris OBE is a leading primatologist and conservationist whose pioneering research focuses on lorises and other nocturnal primates. She is particularly renowned for her work on slow loris venom, its ecological and evolutionary significance, as well as her studies of loris behavior and sociality, naming new taxa, and dedication to conservation and public outreach.

In this interview, Professor Nekaris shares her career journey, key research contributions, and perspectives on lorisoid evolution. She discusses the challenges of fieldwork on nocturnal species, the evolution of venom and the toothcomb, and how initiatives like the Little Fireface Project are helping protect these elusive primates. Conservation challenges, including the pet trade and the impact of social media on loris welfare, are also explored.