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The rich records of Rhesus macaques at Cayo Santiago (CS) with detailed information of individual and family relationships enables extended genetic analyses of the reproductive history of the colony. As a part of a collaborative effort to build a Knowledge Model of the history of health of the CS Rhesus colony, this study further delves into the intricate social group interactions and reproduction dynamics to provide an integrated perspective for a deeper understanding of familial connections and genetic aggregations. Leveraging matrilineal lineage developed from previous work and patrilineal tracing made available since mid-1970’s, as well as inter-group transfer data, this study attempted to provide retrospective views of group evolution history, with an emphasis on dyad interactions regarding their natal and transferred groups. Employing tools and techniques popular in social community analysis, including graph database and Gephi, this study conducted a comparative analysis focused on animals born between 2005 and 2014. Preliminary results indicated that communities identified by using Gephi matched well with census records, while deviations from historical sketches of group evolution summaries existed as well. Upcoming results from using Neo4j, a graph database system, will be compared with these findings, which can be integrated more smoothly with CSViewer for Analysts, the graphical user interfaces for the CS Knowledge Model to be introduced in a workshop at AABA 2024 annual meeting. Findings of this research can help add one more perspective to pathological studies seeking correlations with environmental factors such as food provision and natural disasters like hurricanes. 

Abstract--The Cayo Santiago rhesus, established and maintained for 85 years, has evolved into a valuable resource for researchers across various disciplines. This research paper outlines an ongoing NSF project aimed at developing a comprehensive database and user-friendly software application, CSViewer, to uncover hidden knowledge. Using a big data approach, the paper focuses on key events in the colony's population dynamics, emphasizing gender-specific analyses. It also explores data exploration and preparation processes, along with the application of the genealogy model in inbreeding analysis and genetic tracing. Future efforts, including the expansion of CSViewer's functions, are also addressed. 

Incorporating quality research in a college setting where undergraduate teaching is the primary goal is always challenging. Engaging undergraduate students in research-related activities using a research theme to arrange teaching materials and assignments can be beneficial. Students can be introduced to basic concepts in lower-level courses and later become effective research assistants. This paper presents such practices at Mercer University’s Computer Science Department from the students’ and faculty’s perspectives. The focus is on how to plan for breaking down the needs of research projects among student teams in various courses and provide collaboration opportunities between faculty and student researchers. Activities related to a research project supported through a NSF grant show satisfactory results for both students and the faculty advisor. 

ABSTRACT The Cayo Santiago (CS) rhesus macaque colony has raised a total of over 11,000 animals in a free‐ranging setting very close to the natural environment. The well‐kept individual and family records, as well as social group management data, have been a valuable source for anthropological research. However, the various sources of data have been stored in separation, and there was no straightforward way for researchers to access them directly. Since 2019, an ongoing effort supported through an NSF collaborative grant has been collecting morphology and imagery data from the CS‐derived skeleton collection. One specific aim is to build an integrative database to combine newly collected osteology data (bone measurement) and existing genealogy and demographic information. A second aim is to develop a software application (codenamed as CSViewer for Analysts) to provide user‐friendly interfaces for the research community to access and analyze the data. In this paper, we present a set of results generated by using standard data science tools and techniques, which help construct a holistic view of the CS rhesus colony along multiple dimensions. The matrilineal family lineage and pedigree can be visualized using various tree forms, as well as patrilineal lineages traced back to the mid‐1970s. Social group evolution charts are generated and add new features to the original records. Reproduction patterns are studied in the context of group interaction and animal transfer logs. Cross‐referencing between genealogy and osteology data can also be accomplished. Most of these charts are supported in the CSViewer app with convenient tooltip features to show details as needed. Selection based on attributes like founder line, sex, and birth season can be applied to tailor charts to a research project so that researchers can zoom into a data set that can best support their analytics goals.