Analysis of Communication and Collective Behavior in Animal Groups

Supervisor: Dr. Ariana Strandburg-Peshkin (MPI-AB, University of Konstanz)

We are seeking a PhD student with a quantitative background and enthusiasm for tackling biological questions to join our interdisciplinary team studying communication and collective behavior in animal groups. The student will develop a project based on existing tracking data from social animals, collected using multi-sensor (GPS + audio) tracking collars deployed on all or most members of social groups across multiple species in the wild. The student will collaborate with an international team of researchers to develop their project. The position is fully funded for 4 years, and open to students of any nationality.

Background. Communication and collective behavior are fundamentally linked, with many animals using vocal signals to coordinate a variety of group behaviors ranging from coordinated movement to collective action. In our work, we are using new tracking technology and computational modeling to determine how vocal communication mediates collective behavior in animal groups. Combining animal tracking with long-term behavioral observations, we hope to shed light on both unifying features underlying coordination mechanisms across animal societies and differences imposed by distinct socio-ecological constraints.

Over the past several years, we have worked with a large team of collaborators to collect data on three social species (meerkats, white-nosed coatis, and spotted hyenas), and are now in possession of unprecedented datasets on the movements, behaviors, and vocalizations of all or most members of these wild social groups. We have also made substantial progress in developing computational tools to detect and classify calls from audio data, as well as to identify behaviors from accelerometer data. The next phase of the project is to leverage these new datasets to tackle novel and interesting biological questions. You can find out more about the project by watching the short talk here

PhD Project Details. The student will focus on understanding the interplay between vocal communication, social structure, and collective behavior in one or more of our study species. Research will involve designing and implementing quantitative analyses to answer questions about
communication and/or collective behavior, making use of combined GPS, audio, and accelerometer data from our tracking collars as well as long-term data on study groups. Development of theoretical models may also be included depending on interest. The student will be expected to develop their own research questions, with support and guidance from an international team of collaborators. Depending on how things progress, the student may also collaborate with other researchers within the department who have collected similar data in other study species (e.g. lions, sifakas). Because the focus of this PhD will be on existing data, no field work is envisioned. However the student will have the opportunity to make a short-term visit one or more of the field sites to gain insight into the study system(s).

Supervision and Research Community. The student will join the Communication and Collective Movement (CoCoMo) research group led by Dr. Ariana Strandburg-Peshkin and integrated within the Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies. They will work closely with a team of collaborators both within the department and via the “Communication and Coordination Across Scales” project. The University of Konstanz and the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior together form a thriving research community representing a global hotspot for collective behavior and animal movement research, including the Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour. The student will join the International Max Planck Research School for Organismal Biology (IMPRS), a cooperative doctoral program between the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior and the University of Konstanz.

Qualifications. The ideal candidate should be enthusiastic about addressing biological questions using quantitative approaches. The project will involve analyzing large, complex datasets, thus prior experience with programming (e.g. in R, Python, MATLAB, etc.) and an enthusiasm for tackling challenging computational problems are essential. The student will be expected to proactively develop and implement research ideas to move the project forward, thus a high degree of independence is desirable. Given the collaborative nature of the project, it is also crucial that the student have strong interpersonal skills and be enthusiastic about working as part of an international and interdisciplinary team. Applicants should have a Masters degree in any scientific discipline including biology, physics, mathematics, computer science or engineering. The working language of the group is English, and German language skills are not a requirement.

Location. Konstanz is a vibrant small city located on the border between Germany and Switzerland, on the shores of the Bodensee (Lake Constance). It is easy to get out into the beautiful German and Swiss countryside and the Alps, as well as to neighboring Zurich and Munich.

Application Process. Applicants should apply via the IMPRS application system, and are also required to include a research statement (see below for details).

Research Statement Instructions. Applicants should include a 2-3 page research statement that addresses the following points:

1. Describe your main research interests, how they developed, and how they relate to the proposed research project. (1 page)
2. Describe 1-2 biological questions you would like to ask or hypotheses you would like to test using the described dataset(s), and explain the analytical approach(es) you would use to address them. Please include a mock figure (can be hand drawn) of what your results might look like. (1-2 pages)