Riashna Sithaldeen
PhD student in Archaeology
Riashna Sithaldeen successfully completed an undergraduate degree in geology and archaeology followed by an honours degree in Quaternary science at the University of Cape Town. She is currently a PhD student at the university working on the genetics of chacma baboons. Riashna’s interest is focused on the processes and factors that affect primate differentiation and ultimately evolution. Her current research project is using baboon mitochondrial DNA to investigate the phylogeny and phylogeography of the chacma baboon across its distribution in an effort to understand the diversity of this almost two million year old primate. Riashna hopes that her work can also be used to develop successful primate management strategies for the conservation of baboons in South Africa.
