I am currently based at New York University (USA), where I am pursuing a PhD in Archaeology. Previously, I obtained a BA in Archaeology and Anthropology from University College London (UK) and an MPhil in Human Evolutionary Studies from the University of Cambridge (UK). My research focuses on reconstructing the mechanisms involved in the emergence and evolution of primate (human and non-human) stone tool technology. My main areas of expertise are primate archaeology, the anatomical and cognitive diversity of early hominins, primate behavioral ecology, and lithic technology. 

I launched the Ukophula Field Project as part of my PhD. My dissertation investigates individual variation and technical skills in robust capuchin monkeys (Sapajus spp.) during nut-cracking, providing a comparative framework for understanding how such variation might have shaped technological evolution. My dissertation project is more closely associated with the social and material dimensions of the UFP, but it still needs to incorporate the spatial dimension. Future research will continue to dive into the Three-Dimensional Technology concept. 

Dr. Justin Pargeter is the PhD advisor of Adela Cebeiro. His research focuses on early human migrations, stone tool technologies, and the ways in which ancient peoples adapted to changing environments. He has conducted extensive fieldwork in Africa, especially in South Africa and Lesotho, exploring how early humans used stone tools to survive and thrive in diverse landscapes. His interdisciplinary approach often integrates archaeology with other fields, such as geology and environmental science, to better understand the complexities of human evolution.

As part of the UFP, Dr. Justin Pargeter provides insight into the material and spatial dimensions of primate technology and how to connect the present-day capuchin monkey tools with the archaeological record.

Dr. Elisa Bandini is currently based at the Interdisciplinary Center for Archaeology and Evolution of Human Behavior (ICArHEB), Universidade do Algarve. Although her current research is in the field of Primate Archaeology, her background (BA & MSc) is in more traditional Archaeology. She worked on several excavations (mostly in Italy), before pivoting to more primate-related questions during her PhD at The University of Tübingen, Germany. During this period, she worked with both captive and wild primates across Europe, Africa and South America. After her PhD, she stayed in Tübingen as a postdoc working with Claudio Tennie, and continued to test primates around the world. In 2023 she received funding from the University of Zürich and The Einstein Foundation to start a small research group at The University of Zürich, looking into the effect of cognitive experiments on captive chimpanzee behaviour and performance in these types of experiments (The Ape Research Index project). She is now working on her ERC-funded PRIMERS and the ARI project in sunny Portugal! 

As part of the UFP, Dr. Elisa Bandini offers expertise in primate learning and behavior, guiding study design and best practices for collecting and interpreting primate behavioral data.

Paige is based at the Interdisciplinary Center for Archaeology and Evolution of Human Behavior (ICArHEB), Universidade do Algarve, where she is pursuing her PhD. She is interested in the emergence of stone tool use in primates, including the spontaneous innovation of nut-cracking and flaking behaviours in chimpanzees, capuchins, and long-tailed macaques, focusing on wild or free-ranging environments. Paige aims to better understand whether the innovation (or re-innovation) of these behaviours is prompted by previous relevant experience, sensitive learning age ranges, or underlying genetic components.

Previously, she received BS degrees in zoology and statistics from Michigan State University (USA) and an MS in animal behaviour from the University of Zurich (Switzerland), where she modelled behavioural flexibility in semi-urban vervet monkeys in South Africa.

As part of the UFP, Paige is working on her PhD project looking into the experiential, ontogenetic, and genetic factors underlying the spontaneous emergence of stone tool use behaviors. Paige also provides insight into primate behavior and assists with data collection.