Northern Illinois University
Department of Anthropology
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Professor Porter is a biological anthropologist with a particular interest in primate behavior and ecology. Her research focuses on South American monkeys, particularly the small-bodied tamarins, marmosets and callimicos. She has studied diet, habitat use, parental care and is interested in the evolution of social behavior among primates. Professor Porter has on-going field research in the tropics of Bolivia and is also involved in conservation efforts in this region. Her most recent project examines the nutritional benefits of insectivory for saddleback tamarins.

Professor Porter teaches introductory classes to biological anthropology and the great apes, as well as upper-level classes on evolutionary theory and sexual selection in primates. 

Recent Publications

Porter, Leila M., Stella de la Torre, Pedro Pérez-Peña, and Liliana Cortés-Ortiz. "Genetic and Morphological Analyses Confirm the Presence of Cebuella niveiventris in Bolivia." International Journal of Primatology, 2023.

Boubli, Jean P., Janiak, Mareike C.. Porter, Leila M., de la Torre, Stella, Cortés-Ortiz, Liliana, da Silva, Maria N. F., Rylands, Anthony B. Bertuol, Fabrício, Byrne, Hazel,  da Silva, Felipe E. Hrbek, Tomas, Farias, Izeni P., Christian Roos (2021) Ancient DNA of the Pygmy Marmoset Type Specimen Cebuella pygmaea (Spix, 1823) Resolves a Taxonomic Conundrum. Zoological Research 42(6):761-771. 

Porter, Leila M., de la Torre, Stella, Pérez-Peña, Pedro, Cortés-Ortiz, Liliana (2021) Taxonomic diversity of Cebuella in the western Amazon: molecular, morphological and pelage diversity of museum and free-ranging specimens.  American Journal of Physical Anthropology 175:251-267. 

Dolins, Francine, Hickey, Shaffer, Christopher A., Porter, Leila M., Hickey, Jena R., and Nibbelink, Nathan P., editors (2021) Spatial Analysis in Field Primatology: Applying GIS at Varying Scales, Cambridge University Press. 

Porter, Leila M., Garber, Paul A., Boesch, Christophe, and Janmaat, Karline R.L. (2021). Finding fruit in a tropical rainforest: a comparison of the foraging patterns of two distinct fruit-eating primates across years. In: Dolins, Francine, Hickey, Shaffer, Christopher A., Porter, Leila M., Hickey, Jena R., and Nibbelink, Nathan P., editors. Spatial Analysis in Field Primatology: Applying GIS at Varying Scales, Cambridge University Press.

Erb, Wendy M, Porter Leila M. (2020) Variable infant care contributions in cooperatively breeding groups of wild saddleback tamarins.  American Journal of Primatology.  DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23190

Garber, Paul A., Mallott, Elizabeth, Porter, Leila M., Gomez, Andres (2019) The gut microbiome and metabolome of saddleback tamarins (Leontocebus weddelli): Insights into the foraging ecology of a small-bodied primate. American Journal of Primatology.  81:e23003.  DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23003