Dr R.P.G. Vandercone

Education

• PhD in Behavioral Ecology – Washington University in St Louis, Missouri USA

• BSc (Honors) in Zoology

Professional Qualifications

• Certificate Course in Teaching in Higher Education

Research Interest

• Community ecology, species resilience and coexistence

• Behavior and ecology of primates with special emphasis on colobine monkeys

• Ecology of mammals and their conservation

Teaching

• BIO 1202- Statistical Methods in Biology

• BIO 1302- Vertebrate Diversity

• ZOO 2203- Animal Behaviour

• BIO 2203- Genetics and Evolution

• BIO 4204- Scientific Communication

• BDC 4208- Current Topics in Biodiversity Conservation

• BDC 4810- Research Project

Current Research Projects

• Comparative behavior and gut microbiomes of sympatric arboreal colobine monkeys
• Human-wildlife conflict
• Musth variation in Asian elephants and its implications for conservation

Appointments

• Head, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka (2017- present)
• Member of Board of Study of Zoology, Postgraduate Institute of Science, University of Peradeniya (2013-present)

Publications

Selected Publications 

International Peer Reviewed Indexed  

Amy Lu, Don Geethal Ramyanath Sirimanna, Lasanthi Wijayathunga, Rajnish Vandercone, Roberta Salmi. 2020. Mixed‐species associations and attempted mating suggest hybridization between purple‐faced and tufted gray langurs of Sri Lanka. Primates. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10329-020-00852-z

Katherine R. Amato, Sahana Kuthyar, Marcy Ekanayake‐Weber, Roberta Salmi, Noah Snyder‐Mackler, Lasanthi Wijayathunga, Rajnish Vandercone, Amy Lu. 2020. Gut microbiome, diet, and conservation of endangered langurs in Sri Lanka.Biotropica. https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.12805

Mahesha Perera, Rajnish Vandercone. 2020. Some aspects of seed dispersal by Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) in Kaudulla National Park, Sri Lanka. Current Science 118:648-654. 

Kanishka D. B. Ukuwela, Imesh Nuwan Bandara, H. K. Sameera De Zoysa, U. A. L. Deshan Rupasinghe, Rajnish P. G. Vandercone. 2020. New localities, distribution and habitat modeling of the critically endangered Sri Lankan frog Nannophrys marmorata. Russian Journal of Herpetology 27: 33-40.

International Peer reviewed 

W.M.L.S. Weerasekara, W.M.K.B. Wijesooriya, K.B. Ranawana and R.P. Vandercone. In Press. Survey of relative abundance of diurnal primates in the Giritale Nature Reserve, Sri Lanka. Asian Primates.