- BERG - University of Stirling Mailing Lists

FW: Research Assistantship - Elephant Cognition and Behavior

by James Anderson

For info…. Jim From: Joshua Plotnik <joshua.plotnik(a)gmail.com<mailto:joshua.plotnik@gmail.com>> Date: Wednesday, 6 March 2013 18:34 To: Joshua Plotnik <joshua.plotnik(a)gmail.com<mailto:joshua.plotnik@gmail.com>> Subject: Research Assistantship - Elephant Cognition and Behavior Dear all - would you mind passing on the below research assistantship announcement to anyone you think might be interested? My apologies to anyone receiving this in duplicate, and thank you for your help! Best, Josh Plotnik -- ****************************** Josh Plotnik, Ph.D. Founder and CEO, Think Elephants International, Inc., U.S.A. Researcher, Dept. of Psychology, University of Cambridge, England Head of Elephant Research, Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation, Thailand http://www.thinkelephants.org Research Assistantship – Elephant Cognition and Behavior Overview: Think Elephants International, Inc. operates under the belief that research, education and conservation are not, and should not be mutually exclusive areas. We are looking for research assistants interested in these links and in working with elephant researchers from several universities in northern Thailand. Our research program, operated from an elephant facility in northern Thailand (N=26 elephants), focuses on understanding the evolution of intelligence. Our research questions specifically focus on convergent cognitive evolution and the expression of complex cognitive traits in the world’s largest land mammal. As a research assistant, you will be integrally involved in day-to-day research operations, largely focused on studies of sensory perception, cooperation and problem-solving. You will have up-close-and-personal contact with elephants in a safe environment on a daily basis. We are looking only for full-time research assistants willing to commit to at least 1 year of living at our field site in Thailand. Job description: We are looking for motivated assistants with a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in psychology, animal behavior, evolutionary biology, or a related field. Those with Master’s degrees are especially encouraged to apply. Research assistants will be responsible for running cognition experiments on a daily basis on a group of 26 captive elephants based in Chiang Rai, Thailand, and working out of our research office in the Golden Triangle. The research team also manages several hotel programs that engage hotel guests in our elephant studies, and assistants are responsible for running these experiences several times a week. You would also be responsible for managing our Earthwatch program (www.earthwatch.org/exped/plotnik.html<http://www.earthwatch.org/exped/plotnik.html>), which runs 8 times per year. We are especially interested in assistants interested in science education, as Think Elephants International is largely focused on integrating animal behavior research with conservation education. Assistants interested in science education will assist in all administrative aspects of our current programs, and contribute to the expansion of our education initiatives in the US and abroad. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to: • Live and work full-time in the Golden Triangle, Thailand as a member of the Think Elephants research team • Collect and input data, and be involved in data analysis and manuscript preparation • Be integrally involved in the design and implementation of cognition research studies. • Work at least 8 hours a day in hot and humid temperatures outside and often without air conditioning. • Coordinate with the hotel staff on the scheduling and managing of research guest programs. • Supervise Earthwatch volunteers and guests in collaboration with the elephant facility staff and management. • Organize, design and implement education curricula in both U.S. and Thai schools, under the supervision of Think Elephants’ Head of Education. • Understand the mission of the organization to effectively communicate it to educators, scientists and other members of the public. • Create informational documents for school administrators, teachers, students and parents • Organize data, research and education finances, protocols and curricula using online tools. Qualifications: • Excellent written and oral communication • A background in experimental or observational research is required • Previous experience working with large animals is desirable but not required • Previous experience living and/or working abroad is desirable but not required • An ability to work independently and in difficult environments • Ability to adapt to novel environments and work within different cultural constraints • Willingness to learn the Thai language • Knowledge of Spanish, Italian, French or other foreign languages a plus • Strong problem-solving and critical thinking skills • Ability to stay organized, on task, and meet deadlines • Attention to detail • Self-motivated, but willing to ask questions when necessary • Strong computer knowledge • Friendly, dependable, flexible and able to work with a multi-national team of researchers and educators on a daily basis The Package: This is an unpaid, volunteer assistantship, but certain benefits are provided. Travel to and from the field site from your place of residence and insurance are your own responsibility. We will pay 50% of your accommodation costs, and provide 3 meals a day in the staff canteen. Your accommodation will most likely consist of a single room with aircon, hot water shower, and wifi. We also provide modest stipends for running hotel guest programs and Earthwatch expeditions. Assistants will have the opportunity, depending on their level of participation, to co-author publications that result from short and long-term research projects. Further details of the package will be discussed if candidates reach the interview stage. To apply for this position, please send a CV or resume, a cover letter describing your interest, experience and listing the names and contact details for three references to Dr. Joshua Plotnik, josh(a)thinkelephants.org<mailto:josh@thinkelephants.org>. Please also indicate in your cover letter whether or not you have any experience in primary or secondary education and your overall interest in working closely with pre-college young adults or children. More information about our programs and our past research can be found at www.thinkelephants.org<http://www.thinkelephants.org>. Questions regarding the position may also be directed to Dr. Plotnik. -- -- The University of Stirling is ranked in the top 50 in the world in The Times Higher Education 100 Under 50 table, which ranks the world's best 100 universities under 50 years old. The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159.

12 years, 3 months

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This week's BERG meeting: Wednesday 6th March

by Christine Caldwell

Dear all, We have not got a speaker lined up for this week, so for a change we are going to take advantage of some of the amazing educational resources that are accumulating on the internet (it's not just for funny videos of cats apparently?). Hannah drew the TED talks to my attention (http://www.ted.com/talks) with the suggestion that we could watch one of these during one of our BERG meetings this semester. There are loads of great talks by big names, so we could easily listen to Richard Dawkins or Jane Goodall telling us things we already know about and agree with, which would be fine. Or alternatively we could take the opportunity to listen to something more controversial, which sounded a bit more fun to me. So this week I propose that we watch Elaine Morgan's talk about the aquatic ape hypothesis. The video is short (less than 20 minutes) so there will be plenty of time for us to have a bit of a chat about what we think about it afterwards. We start at 5.30pm as per usual in the Psychology common room (3A94 Cottrell). Drinks and nibbles will be provided. Bathing costumes (for a quick dip in the loch afterwards) strictly optional. Christine. -- The University of Stirling is ranked in the top 50 in the world in The Times Higher Education 100 Under 50 table, which ranks the world's best 100 universities under 50 years old. The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159.

12 years, 3 months

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SCAB and UFAW International Animal Welfare Symposium, Barcelona 4th-5th July 2013

by Hannah Buchanan-Smith

How times change.....there is a facebook page for SCAB this year! I encourage a good Stirling turn out as presenters and audience. https://www.facebook.com/events/464312086967712/ Below you will see details of the UFAW symposium (I am the UFAW University representative and they kindly fund our BERG meetings). From: Stephen Wickens [mailto:wickens@ufaw.org.uk] Sent: 27 February 2013 13:33 To: 'Stephen Wickens' Subject: Update: UFAW International Animal Welfare Symposium, Barcelona 4th-5th July 2013 - full list of contributors now online Science in the Service of Animal Welfare: Priorities around the world UFAW International Animal Welfare Science Symposium, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain 4-5th July 2013 Background and Aims of the Symposium Around the world the importance of science in elucidating and tackling animal welfare problems is increasingly recognised, but priorities, concerns and approaches vary between nations and cultures. The aim of this international symposium is to provide a forum for all those active or interested in animal welfare science and its application around the world, to meet and discuss current topics in this field and international variation in priorities, concerns and approaches to animal welfare science. As such, this symposium forms part of UFAW's regular on-going programme of meetings. Speakers will include: · Braithwaite V (Pennsylvania State University, USA) The validity of parameters currently taken to be indicators of sentience · Nicol CJ (University of Bristol, UK) At what point is a chicken's welfare good enough? And is 'good enough', good enough? · Perera BVP (National Wildlife Training Centre, Sri Lanka) The welfare of free-living elephants as their habitat shrinks · Winckler C (University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Austria) Progress in, the present state of, and challenges for on-farm animal welfare assessments in Europe A full list of speakers and the 70+ posters that will be presented can be found by visiting the UFAW website or clicking here: http://www.ufaw.org.uk/conf.html. The meeting will also feature a session on 'Building international links in animal welfare science'. Registration Details The registration fee for the Symposium includes attendance for the two days, lunch and refreshments and a drinks reception on the evening of the 4th July. A limited number of subsidised places have also been made available for students and veterinary nurses; these will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. To qualify for the reduced early registration rate you must register before the 22nd March. (NB. Places at the drinks reception are limited, due to the capacity of the venue, and will be allocated on registering for the symposium. Delegates who register after the venue's capacity is reached will not, unfortunately, be able to attend this event.) Further information about the symposium, including details of the venue and different accommodation on the UAB site can be found on the UFAW website - www.ufaw.org.uk<http://www.ufaw.org.uk> Background to UFAW UFAW, the International Animal Welfare Science Society, is an independent, scientific and educational animal welfare charity. The organization promotes high standards of welfare for farm, companion, laboratory and captive wild animals and those with which we interact in the wild. Any questions about the Symposium should be directed to: Dr Stephen Wickens, UFAW Barcelona 2013, Universities Federation for Animal Welfare, The Old School, Brewhouse Hill, Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire AL4 8AN, UK. Email: wickens(a)ufaw.org.uk<mailto:wickens@ufaw.org.uk>. Tel: +44 (0)1582 831818; Fax: +44 (0)1582 831414 The Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW) is an independent registered UK charity that works to develop and promote improvements in the welfare of all animals through scientific and educational activity worldwide. Registered Charity No 207996 (Registered in England) and Company Limited by Guarantee No 579991 -- The University of Stirling is ranked in the top 50 in the world in The Times Higher Education 100 Under 50 table, which ranks the world's best 100 universities under 50 years old. The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159.

12 years, 3 months

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Tomorrow's BERG meeting: Wednesday 27 Feb

by Christine Caldwell

Dear all, Just a reminder about tomorrow's BERG meeting. Lizzie Webber will be taking us on a visual tour of wild elephant behaviour. We'll start at 5.30pm as usual in the Psychology common room (3A94 Cottrell) with some drinks and nibbles. Christine. Dr Christine Caldwell Senior Lecturer in Psychology School of Natural Sciences University of Stirling FK9 4LA -- The University of Stirling is ranked in the top 50 in the world in The Times Higher Education 100 Under 50 table, which ranks the world's best 100 universities under 50 years old. The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159.

12 years, 4 months

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Katie Slocombe visit on Thursday

by Christine Caldwell

Dear BERGers, In addition to our usual BERG meeting this week (Lizzie Webber showing us lots of photos and videos of elephants!) we have also got Katie Slocombe coming to give a seminar on Thursday. Katie will be talking about chimpanzee communication. She is a fantastic speaker so it should be a really great talk. If you want to come along, the talk will be at 4pm this Thursday (28 February) in the Psychology common room (3A94 Cottrell). Also, we'll be taking Katie out for dinner after the seminar. Please let me know if you would like to join us (by Wednesday morning at the latest so I can book a table). Katie will be staying at the Management Centre so we will probably go to the Meadowpark. Thanks. Christine. Dr Christine Caldwell Senior Lecturer in Psychology School of Natural Sciences University of Stirling FK9 4LA -- The University of Stirling is ranked in the top 50 in the world in The Times Higher Education 100 Under 50 table, which ranks the world's best 100 universities under 50 years old. The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159.

12 years, 4 months

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Reminder: Today's BERG meeting (Wed 20 Feb)

by Christine Caldwell

Dear all, Just a reminder about today's BERG meeting. Kelly Cobey will be talking to us about hormonal contraceptive use and relationship dynamics. We start at 5.30pm as usual in the Psychology common room (3A94 Cottrell). I have attached a preliminary schedule for this semester's meetings. We still have two slots free at the moment (6 March and 27 March). Christine. -- The University of Stirling is ranked in the top 50 in the world in The Times Higher Education 100 Under 50 table, which ranks the world's best 100 universities under 50 years old. The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159.

12 years, 4 months

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2013 Scottish Conference on Animal Behaviour - 23rd March

by Hannah Buchanan-Smith

Please see a message below for the wonderful SCAB - it would be wonderful to have a good representation from Stirling. Please register directly with Dana Weldon. We may be able to coordinate travel, so let me know if you plan to go. Best, Hannah Hi all, This is an announcement of the annual Scottish Conference on Animal Behaviour, to be held this year at the University of Glasgow. Apologies for the short notice but the event will be held on Saturday March 23rd, in the Graham Kerr building at the University of Glasgow. This is a smaller conference with a very relaxed atmosphere and is an ideal venue for students and post-docs to present their work to peers. Please feel free to submit a title on any aspect of animal behaviour. This means lab or field. Terrestrial or aquatic. Invertebrate or vertebrate. Fur, fins, or feathers. It all sounds great to us! Anyone interested in presenting a talk or poster can submit titles to Dana Weldon (d.weldon.1(a)research.gla.ac.uk<mailto:d.weldon.1@research.gla.ac.uk>) by Thursday 8th March. Registration for general attendees will close on Friday the 15th March at 5pm. Registration is £15 and includes coffee, tea, lunch, and a wine and cheese reception after talks. We request that the payment be made in cash the day of the conference. Priority for talks and posters will be given to students. Attached is a poster containing this info. We would be grateful if you could circulate this announcement to any colleagues who might be interested or stick the poster somewhere visible in your department. Hope to see you all in Glasgow! Cheers, Shaun Killen -- ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> Shaun S. Killen B.Sc. (Hon), M.Sc., Ph.D. NERC Research Fellow Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health, and Comparative Medicine Rm. 206, Graham Kerr Building, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, UK G12 8QQ Phone: +44 (0)141 330 2898 Fax: +44 (0)141 330 5971 Website: http://www.gla.ac.uk/researchinstitutes/bahcm/staff/shaunkillen/shaunkill en/ Please consider submitting an abstract to our symposium entitled: "Effects of environmental change on the links between physiology and behaviour", to be held at the 2014 International Congress on the Biology of Fish in Edinburgh, UK. Click here for more info: http://icbf2014.sls.hw.ac.uk/Symposia.htm Or, listen to me and others babble about biology on our Institute podcast: http://naturallyspeakingpodcast.wordpress.com/ -- The University of Stirling is ranked in the top 50 in the world in The Times Higher Education 100 Under 50 table, which ranks the world's best 100 universities under 50 years old. The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159.

12 years, 4 months

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First BERG meeting of the semester: Wed 20 Feb

by Christine Caldwell

Dear all, The BERG meetings start up again this week, and we have got Kelly Cobey talking to us about hormonal contraceptive use and relationship dynamics. For those of you that have not had a chance to meet Kelly yet, she is a PhD student from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, but she has been in Stirling for a little while now doing some work with Craig Roberts. We have got a few other talks lined up for this semester, but there are still some gaps in the schedule (27 Feb, 6 March, 20 March & 27 March) so please let me know if you have something that you might be interested in presenting, or someone that you might be interested in inviting over to talk to us. Thanks! Christine. Dr Christine Caldwell Senior Lecturer in Psychology School of Natural Sciences University of Stirling FK9 4LA -- The University of Stirling is ranked in the top 50 in the world in The Times Higher Education 100 Under 50 table, which ranks the world's best 100 universities under 50 years old. The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159.

12 years, 4 months

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BERG meetings this semester

by Christine Caldwell

Hello all, The start of semester is almost upon us, so BERG meetings will start up again soon too. As usual we will meet on Wednesdays at 5.30pm, with drinks and nibbles provided with the help our generous sponsors UFAW. I am looking for volunteers and/or suggestions for talks for the following dates: 20 Feb, 27 Feb, 6 March, 13 March, 20 March, 27 March, 10 April, 17 April, 24 April & 1 May. You can sign up for a slot using Doodle: http://www.doodle.com/n7g54nhm2zcpyi6v Thanks! Christine. Dr Christine Caldwell Senior Lecturer in Psychology School of Natural Sciences University of Stirling FK9 4LA -- The University of Stirling is ranked in the top 50 in the world in The Times Higher Education 100 Under 50 table, which ranks the world's best 100 universities under 50 years old. The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159.

12 years, 4 months

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Change of speaker for next week

by Phyllis Lee

Dear all, Our last BERG seminar (Wed 28th Nov) will now be given by Jim Anderson. Clare Andrews will hopefully join us to present next semester! The following week is the Primate Society of Great Britain winter meeting on Primate Biogeography at London Zoo on Wed 5 Dec http://www.psgb.org/meeting_detail.php?ID=PSGB-Winter-Meeting-2012 Thursday 6th and Friday 7th are ASAB winter meeting, also at London Zoo, on Cognition in the Wild http://asab.nottingham.ac.uk/meetings/index.php best wishes Phyllis Phyllis C. Lee Professor of Psychology Behaviour and Evolution Research Group School of Natural Sciences University of Stirling Stirling FK9 4LA UK Direct line: +44 (0)1786 467656 phyllis.lee(a)stir.ac.uk<mailto:phyllis.lee@stir.ac.uk> -- The University of Stirling is ranked in the top 50 in the world in The Times Higher Education 100 Under 50 table, which ranks the world's best 100 universities under 50 years old. The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159.

12 years, 7 months

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Wed Seminar 21 Nov

by Phyllis Lee

Dear all, We have two (joint PhD) speakers from Edinburgh this week - Anyone want join them for a meal / drinks afterwards at the Meadowpark please let Michelle know... Best P Phyllis C. Lee Professor of Psychology Behaviour and Evolution Research Group School of Natural Sciences University of Stirling Stirling FK9 4LA UK Direct line: +44 (0)1786 467656 phyllis.lee(a)stir.ac.uk<mailto:phyllis.lee@stir.ac.uk> -- The University of Stirling is ranked in the top 50 in the world in The Times Higher Education 100 Under 50 table, which ranks the world's best 100 universities under 50 years old. The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159.

12 years, 7 months

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change of title for this week

by Phyllis Lee

Dear all, Martin Doherty and Jim Anderson have swapped their dates: Martin will be speaking this Wed 14 Nov on: Developmentally distinct systems for social cognition: the evidence from gaze processing Hope to see you there at 5:30 as usual. Best wishes Phyllis -- The University of Stirling is ranked in the top 50 in the world in The Times Higher Education 100 Under 50 table, which ranks the world's best 100 universities under 50 years old. The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159.

12 years, 7 months

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Visiting speaker at BERG next week

by Kristen Knowles

Good evening, all. Next week, we have a visiting speaker for BERG. Alex Jones is a PhD student at Bangor University studying facial cues to health (amongst other things) with Professor Rob Ward. He will be giving a talk titled "He's not that into you: Facial cosmetics do not reflect men's preferences". We will be going for dinner afterward in Stirling at the Junk Rooms. If you'd like to join us, please let me know so I can book a table. Cheers, Kristen -- The University of Stirling is ranked in the top 50 in the world in The Times Higher Education 100 Under 50 table, which ranks the world's best 100 universities under 50 years old. The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159.

12 years, 7 months

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articles for discussion next berg

by Phyllis Lee

There are many more newspaper acticles out there! And this one is fairly old but represents the debate that is ongoing. The other is an academic paper discussing management options. Best P Phyllis C. Lee Professor of Psychology School of Natural Sciences University of Stirling Stirling FK9 4LA UK direct line +44 (0) 1786 467656 fax+44 (0) 1786 467641 mobile +44 (0) 7802 427132 -- The University of Stirling is ranked in the top 50 in the world in The Times Higher Education 100 Under 50 table, which ranks the world's best 100 universities under 50 years old. The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159.

12 years, 8 months

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Final slots filled!

by Phyllis Lee

17 Oct - P. Lee: captive breeding ethics 31 Oct - Martin Doherty: human gaze And that's our programme for this semester complete. Phyllis C. Lee Professor of Psychology Behaviour and Evolution Research Group School of Natural Sciences University of Stirling Stirling FK9 4LA UK Direct line: +44 (0)1786 467656 phyllis.lee(a)stir.ac.uk<mailto:phyllis.lee@stir.ac.uk> -- The University of Stirling is ranked in the top 50 in the world in The Times Higher Education 100 Under 50 table, which ranks the world's best 100 universities under 50 years old. The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159.

12 years, 8 months

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volunteers? And see you tonight 5:30

by Phyllis Lee

Still seeking two final speakers (17 Oct, 31st Oct) If NO ONE comes forward I may be forced to torture you all myself with a group discussion of Babies as welfare - concerns over captive breeding of wild species.... Best P Phyllis C. Lee Professor of Psychology Behaviour and Evolution Research Group School of Natural Sciences University of Stirling Stirling FK9 4LA UK Direct line: +44 (0)1786 467656 phyllis.lee(a)stir.ac.uk<mailto:phyllis.lee@stir.ac.uk> -- The University of Stirling is ranked in the top 50 in the world in The Times Higher Education 100 Under 50 table, which ranks the world's best 100 universities under 50 years old. The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159.

12 years, 8 months

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Two slots remaining - half price sale for BERG presentations!!!!

by Phyllis Lee

Dear all, Please see the attached list (it's looking GREAT). We only have two slots left for presentations. Please forward on to any still missing from the list and remind all those who would like to be on the list to register at http://lists.stir.ac.uk/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/berg Programme to date for Semester 1 2012 26-Sep Seminar room Introductory meeting 03-Oct 2A43 External Speaker: Mark Jones (Howletts) Hanging about at enclosures: Enrichment to prolong foraging AND visitor stay time 10-Oct Seminar room Alasdair Gilles: Chimpanzee walfare at Blair Drummond 17-Oct Seminar room 24-Oct Mid semester: NO BERG (captive welfare meetings Blair Drummond) 31-Oct Seminar room Olivia Kirtley & Eowin O'Sullivan: Mirror neurons and social interaction (meeting synopsis) 01-Nov Seminar room 07-Nov Seminar room External Speaker: Alex Jones - Facial cosmetics do not reflect men's preferences 14-Nov Seminar room Jim Anderson: Influence of colour on squirrel monkey behaviour 21-Nov Seminar room External speakers: Carmen Lefevre and Vanessa Davina - facial width-to-height and status in Sajapus apella 28-Nov Seminar room External speaker: Claire Andrews - the genetics of parental behaviour Phyllis C. Lee Professor of Psychology Behaviour and Evolution Research Group School of Natural Sciences University of Stirling Stirling FK9 4LA UK Direct line: +44 (0)1786 467656 phyllis.lee(a)stir.ac.uk<mailto:phyllis.lee@stir.ac.uk> -- The University of Stirling is ranked in the top 50 in the world in The Times Higher Education 100 Under 50 table, which ranks the world's best 100 universities under 50 years old. The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159.

12 years, 8 months

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FW: Social Interaction Debate - 25th October 2012 - a reminder

by Olivia Kirtley

Hi All, At the last meeting, Eoin and I mentioned a mirror neurons day that we were going to in October at the University of Glasgow. Please find details below. Should be an interesting debate. Best wishes, Olivia From: Katharine Hamilton Sent: 03 October 2012 10:40 To: Psychology Staff; Psychology PhD Students Subject: FW: Social Interaction Debate - 25th October 2012 - a reminder From: AHPD Departmental Contacts [mailto:AHPD-DEPTS@JISCMAIL.AC.UK]<mailto:[mailto:AHPD-DEPTS@JISCMAIL.AC.UK]> On Behalf Of Sheena Mcgill Sent: 03 October 2012 10:02 To: AHPD-DEPTS(a)JISCMAIL.AC.UK<mailto:AHPD-DEPTS@JISCMAIL.AC.UK> Subject: Re: Social Interaction Debate - 25th October 2012 - a reminder Dear AHPD Contact Please distribute as widely as possible. Thank you. Kind regards. Sent on behalf of Professor Simon Garrod & Dr. Klaus Kessler University of Glasgow Institute of Neuroscience & Psychology Social Interactions Debate: The Meaning of Mirror Neurons Date: 25th October from 12:00 - 17:30 Venue: Senate Room, Gilbert Scott Building, University of Glasgow See attached flyer for further information. Registration link: www.ccni.gla.ac.uk/registration<http://www.ccni.gla.ac.uk/registration> (Register your interest as spaces are limited) Enquiries: Claire.Grant(a)glasgow.ac.uk<mailto:Claire.Grant@glasgow.ac.uk> Ever since the discovery of mirror neurons in monkeys, which were found to activate during action control as well as during action observation, it has been debated if and how their existence and function translates to humans. Large parts of research and discussion have been devoted to the identification and measurement of actual mirror neurons, a mirror system, or a mirror mechanism in humans. While these discussions are of course important, here we aim at discussing the wider implications of such a capacity, assuming that it exists in some form or another. We therefore dedicate this debate to "The Meaning of Mirror Neurons" and we aim at discussing their potential role in development, evolution, mental simulation, social interaction and theory of mind -- The University of Stirling is ranked in the top 50 in the world in The Times Higher Education 100 Under 50 table, which ranks the world's best 100 universities under 50 years old. The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159.

12 years, 8 months

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Today's BERG seminar

by Phyllis Lee

REMINDER - MARK JONES will be speaking today in our first BERG talk of the semester. This talk will be in 2A43 (MSc teaching Room) as the seminar room is booked. See you all there at 5:30 Best P Phyllis C. Lee Professor of Psychology Behaviour and Evolution Research Group School of Natural Sciences University of Stirling Stirling FK9 4LA UK Direct line: +44 (0)1786 467656 phyllis.lee(a)stir.ac.uk<mailto:phyllis.lee@stir.ac.uk> -- The University of Stirling is ranked in the top 50 in the world in The Times Higher Education 100 Under 50 table, which ranks the world's best 100 universities under 50 years old. The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159.

12 years, 8 months

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FW: Psychology Society talk

by Christine Caldwell

From: James Anderson Sent: 01 October 2012 16:45 To: Sarah Vick; Christine Caldwell Subject: FW: Psychology Society talk Dear BERGers, Tomorrow evening (Tuesday 2nd ) I'll be talking to the Psychology Society about animals' (ranging from bees to elephants) and human children's responses to death. The story of chimpanzee Pansy's death will also be included. In the Common Room at 6.30 pm, in case anybody is interested. Jim -- The University of Stirling is ranked in the top 50 in the world in The Times Higher Education 100 Under 50 table, which ranks the world's best 100 universities under 50 years old. The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159.

12 years, 8 months

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First BERG meeting Oct 3

by Phyllis Lee

Dear Bergites, Reminder - our first "proper" meeting is our external speaker, Mark Jones from Howlett's. Anyone who would like to join us for supper after the talk - please RSVP to P.Lee! And we are looking for FOUR volunteers for speakers / discussion leaders on the following dates: 17th Oct, 31st Oct, 1st Nov, 21st Nov PLEASE!!!! Title: Hanging about at enclosures: Enrichment to prolong foraging AND visitor stay time! Abstract: Browse hangers have been in use at Howletts Wild Animal Park in Kent for the last 18 months, with both gibbons and langurs. These devices employ a simple pulley system on the outside of the enclosure, designed to raise large pieces of browse or a mesh feeder containing smaller food items to an appropriate height, encouraging arboreal feeding. In addition, positioning them on the outside of the enclosure should prolong foraging time thus aiming to replicate the 70% of their day spent engaging in this behaviour in the wild. The final goal to the positioning of this device is that it brings the animals to the front of the enclosure in full public view increasing the visitor experience. Anecdotally, these devices have achieved these goals, as evidenced by the food still being consumed after an hour or more of using the mesh boxes, and for up to 6hrs when holding browse. Talk attendance at the gibbons was also seen to increase from an average of 3.7 people to 25.9 people when the device was in use. In order to keep enrichment programmes effective and constantly developing however, it is important to assess how successful devices have been in order to maximise long-term use. As time for both keepers and educators is extremely limited, direct data collection was not possible. One suggestion to mediate this problem was the use of time-lapse cameras as an alternative method of collecting a large amount of data, which is quick and easy to analyse. This study was therefore assessed the use of one of the hangers currently mounted on an enclosure housing a family group of 2.2 Javan gibbons (Hylobates moloch,) and the effect this has on visitor numbers at the enclosure. Two time-lapse cameras were used, with one pointing at the enclosure to record at 30sec intervals the presence and number of gibbons. The second camera was pointed at the public fence to record visitor numbers at the same 30sec interval. Statistical analysis compared the day the mesh box hanger was in use to the day before, in order to keep temperature and other variables as constant as possible. This presentation will report the results of this study and discuss the use of this type of data collection method for future projects. -- The University of Stirling is ranked in the top 50 in the world in The Times Higher Education 100 Under 50 table, which ranks the world's best 100 universities under 50 years old. The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159.

12 years, 9 months

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Blair Drummond welfare meeting

by Phyllis Lee

Dear BERG folks, There is an interesting meeting on enhancing zoo animal welfare coming up at Blair Drummond safari park, as was noted on the BERG events calendar. They are offering a special daily rate of £45 in the hope that this might appeal to students/staff who can’t make the whole event. The schedule of speakers and activities is available at: http://www.blairdrummond.com/events.html Best wishes Phyllis -- The University of Stirling is ranked in the top 50 in the world in The Times Higher Education 100 Under 50 table, which ranks the world's best 100 universities under 50 years old. The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159.

12 years, 9 months

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BERG Seminars this semester

by Phyllis Lee

Dear all, I am trying to build a programme for this semester so am putting out the call a) for possible speakers (we already have two) and b) for new names for the mailing list. Here is the schedule so far; titles will be provided soon 26-Sep Introductory meeting - all join for an informal discussion +wine of BERG and UFAW 03-Oct External Speaker: Mark Jones (Howletts) Gorilla welfare 10-Oct 17-Oct 24-Oct Mid semester: NO BERG (captive welfare meetings in Edinburgh and Blair Drummond) 31-Oct 01-Nov 07-Nov External Speaker: Alex Jones 14-Nov 21-Nov 28-Nov Best Phyllis Phyllis C. Lee Professor of Psychology Behaviour and Evolution Research Group School of Natural Sciences University of Stirling Stirling FK9 4LA UK Direct line: +44 (0)1786 467656 phyllis.lee(a)stir.ac.uk<mailto:phyllis.lee@stir.ac.uk> -- The University of Stirling is ranked in the top 50 in the world in The Times Higher Education 100 Under 50 table, which ranks the world's best 100 universities under 50 years old. The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159.

12 years, 9 months

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First BERG meeting

by Phyllis Lee

Dear all, BERG seminars (Wednesdays 5:30 - 6:30, Psychology Seminar Room) will start on Wed 26th Sept with an informal meeting (with wine) to chat about our aims, goals, funding from UFAW, and possible topics / speakers for the coming semester. Please let me know if you would like to give a talk, or you can suggest an excellent victim for the coming semester. ALL SLOTS are available at the moment. And if any PGs would like to raise a more general discussion topic relevant to their analysis or data collection (e.g. stats or papers that they would like to discuss), let's go for it. Please also forward this message on to those others who may be interested but are not yet on the list. We will the new MSc and PhD students when they arrive. Best P Phyllis C. Lee Professor of Psychology Behaviour and Evolution Research Group School of Natural Sciences University of Stirling Stirling FK9 4LA UK Direct line: +44 (0)1786 467656 phyllis.lee(a)stir.ac.uk<mailto:phyllis.lee@stir.ac.uk> -- The University of Stirling is ranked in the top 50 in the world in The Times Higher Education 100 Under 50 table, which ranks the world's best 100 universities under 50 years old. The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159.

12 years, 9 months

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FW: Post-doctoral position - primate vocalization - Marseille

by Christine Caldwell

________________________________________ From: James Anderson Sent: 27 July 2012 08:51 To: Christine Caldwell Subject: FW: Post-doctoral position - primate vocalization - Marseille Christine, This may be of interest to BERGers. Jim ________________________________________ From: fagot [joel.fagot(a)univ-provence.fr] Sent: 27 July 2012 08:29 To: Hopkins, William; David Washburn; Tetsuro Matsuzawa; Robert Cook; seyfarth(a)psych.upenn.edu; aw2(a)st-andrews.ac.uk; Masaki Tomonaga; James Anderson; Roger Thompson; Alban Lemasson; Thomas R. Zentall; peter.scheifele(a)uconn.edu; chris(a)galliform.bhs.mq.edu.au; mjo9(a)cornell.edu; Arnaud Rey Subject: Post-doctoral position - primate vocalization - Marseille Postdoctoral position in language and animal communication Dear colleagues, Please find below an announcement for a post-doc position With my best regards, J. Fagot ------------------------ Brain and Language Research Institute, Aix-Marseille University, France with Arnaud Rey, Thierry Legou and Joël Fagot Starting date: October 2012 or later A postdoctoral position is available at the Brain and Language Research Institute (BLRI, a "Labex", Laboratoire d'Excellence, created in 2012 under the auspices of the "Investissement d'Avenir" French government programme : http://blri.weebly.com/). This multi-disciplinary research structure is hosted by Aix-Marseille University, France. The postdoc will work on a research project involving experts in human language processing (Arnaud Rey), acoustic signal processing (Thierry Legou) and animal cognition (Joël Fagot). The long-term objective of this research project is assess the primate origins of human language, as it pertains to the production and control of vocalizations. This task will be implemented in the Primate Cognition and Behavior Platform in Rousset (France) to take advantage of the automatization of the test procedure and the very large number of data that can be collected in this laboratory. The postdoc will take part in developing new methods for recording and processing the vocalizations of baboons produced in their social context. The main goal will be to collect a new ethogram and build a new large-scale database on baboon’s vocalizations in order 1) to characterize their vocal repertoire, 2) determine the acoustic features of baboon vocalizations (e.g., time and frequency domains) and 3) to test the descriptive adequacy of existing categorizations. The candidate should preferably have a background in ethology/primatology, animal (preferably vocal) communication. Mastering the French (and baboon) language is not necessary (but English is). h. The position is for one year. The candidate should first contact Arnaud Rey (arnaud.rey(a)univ-amu.fr), Thierry Legou (thierry.legou(a)univ-amu.fr) or Joël Fagot (joel.fagot(a)univ-amu.fr). Second, applications should be sent by email to philippe.blache(a)blri.fr and should include a CV, a brief statement of research interests, the expected date of availability and the names of 3 references. Applications should be sent before September 5th, 2012. . Position: 1 year . Salary: 1,950K€ net per month (all taxes deduced, excepted income tax) . Deadline: September 3rd . Starting date: not later than November 2012 Application should be sent tophilippe.blache(a)blri.fr with copy tonadera.bureau(a)blri.fr. ________________________________________________________ -- The University of Stirling is ranked in the top 50 in the world in The Times Higher Education 100 Under 50 table, which ranks the world's best 100 universities under 50 years old. The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159.

12 years, 11 months

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