Great Ape Trust Names Interim Director

Des Moines, Iowa-December 20, 2011-- A University of Southern Mississippi scientist and a leading researcher of primate cognition for the past decade has been named interim director of Great Ape Trust--a world-class scientific research organization in Des Moines that studies culture, language, tools and intelligence. Dr. Heidi Lyn, assistant professor of psychology at Southern Mississippi, assumed the responsibilities of Great Ape Trust's top scientific position this week-- a move that reunited her with Great Ape Trust's colony of bonobos and with internationally renowned researcher Dr. Sue Savage-Rumbaugh.

"I first collaborated with Dr. Sue at Georgia State University's Language Research Center (LRC) in 1995--working with the bonobos Kanzi, Panbanisha and Matata," said Lyn. "More recently, I compared bonobos at Great Ape Trust and chimpanzees at the LRC to bonobos and chimpanzees in zoo environments. Two publications, one each in Psychological Science and Developmental Science, detail the superior performance of the enculturated apes on both communicative and cognitive tasks."

In addition to her research with primates, Lyn has published on the communicative and cognitive behaviors of sea mammals such as dolphins, belugas, and walrus. She has held positions at UCLA, the New York Aquarium and the Sea Mammal Research Unit of the School of Biology, St. Andrews University, Scotland and Agnes Scott University in Decatur, Georgia.

In her new position, Lyn said she is eager to renew her collaborative research efforts with Dr. Savage-Rumbaugh, who this week was designated a senior scientist by the Great Ape Trust Board of Directors. Savage-Rumbaugh's bonobo research program has garnered global media attention for three decades. Earlier this year, she was named one of TIME magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World. In 2012, Savage-Rumbaugh and the bonobos will be featured in a two-part BBC/Discovery Channel documentary on animal intelligence entitled, Animal Einsteins.

"The bonobos at Great Ape Trust have exceptional abilities that have been created and fostered by Dr. Sue and those who work with her," Lyn said. "The bonobo lab is making great strides in the understanding of the effects of human culture on great ape capacities. It is my hope that the Trust can make even greater scientific strides in the future."

As interim director, Lyn is responsible for Great Ape Trust's research trajectory, the acquisition of grants and the administration of research programs by Great Ape Trust scientists as well as visiting researchers from collaborating academic and scientific institutions.

Lyn replaced William Fields who served as Great Ape Trust's executive director since 2007. Fields, who resigned this month, began his scientific study of the bonobos in the 1990s while the apes were at Georgia State University.

With the addition of Lyn as interim director, the appointment of Savage-Rumbaugh as a senior scientist and a recently expanded board of directors, Great Ape Trust Chairman, Dr. Kenneth Schweller, said a leadership team is in place to strengthen the scientific credibility of the organization while maintaining the highest quality of ape care.

"Our board has the greatest respect for the integrity, talent and dedication of every member of the Great Ape Trust staff. We have complete trust in them to ensure the welfare of the bonobos and orangutans in their charge," Schweller said. "We have all witnessed the devotion and love each staff member has for the apes. These dedicated women and men have built long-lasting, personal relationships with our bonobos and orangutans. These are important beings in the lives of our staff and they perform their duties at the highest level of professionalism."

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The Great Ape Trust board of directors is comprised of Margo Blumenthal, Des Moines, Dr. Paul Lasley, Iowa State University; Dr. Ramon Lim, University of Iowa; Dr. Jill Pruetz, Iowa State University; Dr. Kenneth Schweller, Buena Vista University; Dr. Horst D. Steklis, University of Arizona; Dr. Edward Wasserman, University of Iowa; and Connie Wimer, Des Moines. Great Ape Trust Founder Ted Townsend remains affiliated with the organization as chair emeritus and a non-voting board member.