Past Courses / Events

Bird migration is associated with morphological adaptations, particularly with traits related to flight. Therefore, changes in migratory propensity could potentially be connected to changes in morphology. The blackbirds from the region of Lake Constance are a partially migratory population, with a ... [more]

We often feel distress when witnessing another individual in pain. The emotional state of others eliciting a similar state in the observer is defined as ‘emotional contagion’. This is observed in many species including humans and rodents. Human fMRI studies identified the anterior cingulate cortex ... [more]

As winters become increasingly milder, we expect rising winter temperatures to affect hibernating animals. However, it is hard to predict the effects of temperature increases on the activity of certain hibernators. In most species, hibernation is periodically interrupted by short instances of ... [more]

Corals are colonial organisms composed of building blocks termed zooids. We are developing an Agent Based Model to study how local interactions between zooids generate globally coherent structures, i.e., colony forms. We focus on Colpophyllia: a meandroid coral from the Caribbean with two prevalent ... [more]

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Over time, leadership in animal groups is expected to become established. This can by driven by information, with successful leaders gaining greater access to foraging opportunities through learning environmental information which can increase their propensity to lead again. However, social ... [more]

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For the past two decades animal-borne accelerometer sensors have been used to collect fine-scale animal movement data. Combined with supervised machine learning, this hyper-detailed biologging can be used to infer the individual's fine-scale behaviours, revolutionising our understanding of the ... [more]

Nest-site fidelity is an important adaptive trait in birds, referring to the tendency of individuals to breed at the same site across multiple years. Returning to a familiar site can provide benefits through local knowledge of food availability, predator presence, and other environmental ... [more]

Animal behavior plays a central role in mediating species interactions and can generate cascading effects that influence ecosystem processes. In tropical ecosystems, behavioral responses to predators, competitors, and environmental disturbances can alter key ecological functions such as seed ... [more]