Michael J. Owren’s contributions to research on primate communication

Michael J. Owren made lasting contributions to the study of primate, including human, communication. Today’s session honors Michael’s contributions to the field, and it’s an honor to be invited to the session and to help pay tribute to his work. In doing so, I reflect on my own extended history with Michael, both as collaborator and friend, and on his many and varied contributions to theory, methods and empirical findings in research on human and nonhuman primates. Many of the themes Michael pursued in his work continue to be at the core of contemporary research, as reflected in the talks presented by other speakers in today’s session.Michael J. Owren made lasting contributions to the study of primate, including human, communication. Today’s session honors Michael’s contributions to the field, and it’s an honor to be invited to the session and to help pay tribute to his work. In doing so, I reflect on my own extended history with Michael, both as collaborator and friend, and on his many and varied contributions to theory, methods and empirical findings in research on human and nonhuman primates. Many of the themes Michael pursued in his work continue to be at the core of contemporary research, as reflected in the talks presented by other speakers in today’s session.