- BERG - University of Stirling Mailing Lists

No BERG/SHAIR seminar this week
by Pawel Fedurek 24 Nov '25

24 Nov '25

Dear All, Just to let you know that there is no seminar this week. Next week we have Floriane Fournier (Université Jean Monnet) talking about her research on bonobo communiction. Best wishes, Pawel ------------------------------- Dr Pawel Fedurek (he/his) Lecturer in Psychology Behaviour and Evolution Research Group (BERG) Division of Psychology, Faculty of Natural Sciences University of Stirling Stirling, FK9 4LA Scotland, UK @pawel-fedurek<https://bsky.app/profile/pawel-fedurek.bsky.social> @berg-stirling<https://bsky.app/profile/berg-stirling.bsky.social> Staff page<https://www.stir.ac.uk/people/1080868> | BERG page<https://www.stir.ac.uk/about/faculties/natural-sciences/our-research/resear…> I aim to reply within 3 working days (my working days are between Monday and Friday). ________________________________ Scotland's University for Sporting Excellence The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159

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job announcement for Hannover, Institute of Zoology
by Sharon Kessler 20 Nov '25

20 Nov '25

See attached postdoctoral position -------------------------- Sharon Kessler (she/her), PhD Lecturer in Psychology Cottrell Building Room 3B92, Faculty of Natural Sciences University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, SCOTLAND Tel: +44(0)1786 467 651 Email: sharon.kessler(a)stir.ac.uk Website: https://www.stir.ac.uk/people/1104622#research; https://www.sharonekessler.com/ Book review editor: International Journal of Primatology If I am your personal tutor, here’s how I can help<https://www.stir.ac.uk/about/professional-services/student-academic-and-cor…>. You can also get support from the Student Services Hub<https://www.stir.ac.uk/student-life/support-wellbeing/>. [cid:9c954831-303f-40b4-8d46-d7da8e07e846]<https://www.stir.ac.uk/student-life/support-wellbeing/student-support-servi…> ________________________________ From: Radespiel, Ute <ute.radespiel(a)tiho-hannover.de> Sent: Thursday, November 20, 2025 12:17 PM To: Kiene, Frederik <frederik.kiene(a)tiho-hannover.de>; Tobias van Elst <tob.velst(a)posteo.de>; Anne Yoder, Ph.D. <anne.yoder(a)duke.edu>; Nina Farwig <farwig(a)staff.uni-marburg.de>; Lounes Chikhi CNRS <lounas.chikhi(a)cnrs.fr>; Jordi SALMONA - IRD -EDB <jordi.salmona(a)ird.fr>; helena-marisa osorio-teixeira <helena-marisa.osorio-teixeira(a)ird.fr>; 'Pablo Orozco Ter Wengel (Orozco-terWengelPA(a)cardiff.ac.uk)' <Orozco-terWengelPA(a)cardiff.ac.uk>; Katerina Guschanski <Katerina.Guschanski(a)ed.ac.uk>; brooke.crowley(a)uc.edu <brooke.crowley(a)uc.edu>; Chris Barratt <c.d.barratt(a)gmail.com>; Gabriele Sgarlata <gabriele.sgarlata(a)gmail.com>; george.tiley(a)gmail.com <george.tiley(a)gmail.com>; Ganzhorn, Prof. Dr. Jörg <joerg.ganzhorn(a)uni-hamburg.de>; Nicholas Mundy <nim21(a)cam.ac.uk>; Fichtel, Claudia <claudia.fichtel(a)gwdg.de>; Shawn Lehman <shawn.lehman(a)utoronto.ca>; Dominik Schüßler (dominik.schuessler(a)posteo.de) <dominik.schuessler(a)posteo.de>; Travis Steffens <tsteffen(a)uoguelph.ca>; Sharon Kessler <sharon.kessler(a)stir.ac.uk> Cc: Pröhl, Heike <Heike.Proehl(a)tiho-hannover.de> Subject: job announcement for Hannover, Institute of Zoology CAUTION: This email originated from outside University of Stirling. Do not follow links or open attachments if you doubt the authenticity of the sender or the content. ________________________________ Hi all, We have a postdoctoral position opening up in our Institute and I would like to ask you to circulate the attached announcement within your academic network to whoever you may think could be suitable for it. You will see that it is kept rather broad, and applications may therefore come from different research fields. However, there is one critical aspect: Part of the teaching will need to be done in German to undergrad students – so some knowledge of the German language is a partial requirement for the job ! Many thanks for your help, and I hope that you are well! Best wishes, Ute Prof. Ute Radespiel Institute of Zoology University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation Buenteweg 17 30559 Hannover Germany Tel. +49-511-9538430 and Associate Professor (status only) University of Toronto Canada https://gtoe2026-passau.de/call-for-sessions.html [cid:image001.jpg@01DC5A1D.5B4A2710] ________________________________ Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159

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BERG seminar today, 16:00
by Pawel Fedurek 19 Nov '25

19 Nov '25

Dear BERGers, A reminder that today we have a seminar with Dr Eleonore Rolland (CNRS, Bron, France) giving a talk entitled "Evidence of organized but not disorganized attachment in wild Western chimpanzee offspring (Pan troglodytes verus)" (abstract below). The meeting will be held online (link below). Abstract: Human attachment theory outlines three organized types: secure, insecure-avoidant and insecure-resistant, all considered adaptive responses to maternal care for offspring survival. In contrast, disorganized attachment is hypothesized to be maladaptive and therefore uncommon in wild mammals, though this remains untested. We assessed attachment types in 50 wild chimpanzees (ages 0–10 years) in Taï National Park, Côte d’Ivoire. Using 3,795 h of mother and offspring focal observations, we found no behaviours indicative of disorganized attachment. To explore organized attachment, we analysed a subset of 18 immature chimpanzees and their behavioural responses to 309 natural threatening events. Their responses showed organized attachment patterns: some sought maternal closeness (secure-like), while others displayed independence (insecure-avoidant-like). Our study supports the hypothesis that organized attachment types are adaptive and have a long evolutionary history. Link to the meeting: BERG research seminars | Meeting-Join | Microsoft Teams<https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fteams.mic…<https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/3816460052135?p=xsEIefROgXSXlZHxc0>> BERG seminar schedule (Fall 2025) Date Speaker Affiliation Title Chair Format 19-Nov-25 Eleonore Rolland Eleonore Rolland tbc: mother-infant attachment in wild chimpanzees Pawel Online 26-Nov-25 TBC - Offered to Roxanne Hawkins Clare 03-Dec-25 Floriane Fournier Université Jean Monnet "tbc: The role of nonlinear phenomena in vocal emotional expression and perception in bonobos " Pawel Online 10-Dec-25 Faye Whiley The Missing Lynx Project tbc: Social science in stakeholder engagement for lynx co-existence Clare Online Best wishes, Pawel ------------------------------- Dr Pawel Fedurek (he/his) Lecturer in Psychology Behaviour and Evolution Research Group (BERG) Division of Psychology, Faculty of Natural Sciences University of Stirling Stirling, FK9 4LA Scotland, UK @pawel-fedurek<https://bsky.app/profile/pawel-fedurek.bsky.social> @berg-stirling<https://bsky.app/profile/berg-stirling.bsky.social> Staff page<https://www.stir.ac.uk/people/1080868> | BERG page<https://www.stir.ac.uk/about/faculties/natural-sciences/our-research/resear…> I aim to reply within 3 working days (my working days are between Monday and Friday). ________________________________ Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159

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FW: recruiting a PhD student (funded) for 2026-2027
by Christine Anna Caldwell 17 Nov '25

17 Nov '25

This PhD opportunity may be of interest to some (particularly our current Masters students). From: Elizabeth Renner <elizabeth.renner(a)northumbria.ac.uk> Sent: 17 November 2025 10:58 To: Elizabeth Renner <elizabeth.renner(a)northumbria.ac.uk> Cc: Lee Shepherd <lee.shepherd(a)northumbria.ac.uk>; Merryn Constable <merryn.constable(a)northumbria.ac.uk> Subject: recruiting a PhD student (funded) for 2026-2027 CAUTION: This email originated from outside University of Stirling. Do not follow links or open attachments if you doubt the authenticity of the sender or the content. ________________________________ Dear colleagues and friends, I am recruiting a PhD student! I would be grateful if you could share the advert with suitable candidates (ideally with a Masters degree in progress or in hand): https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/bridging-the-species-divide-animal-mi… The project is entitled "Bridging the species divide: Animal minds and the human-animal relationship". The student will ultimately work with pet owners, using both qualitative and quantitative methods, to understand their experiences of mind perception with their pets. (n.b., this is not an animal cognition project.) The PhD is competitively funded, and open to both UK and international students: funding covers both stipend and tuition. The closing date for applications is 23 January 2026. Northumbria is a great place to do a PhD: we have a supportive department with an active community of PhD students, postdocs, and ECRs. The vibrant city of Newcastle offers access to both cultural and natural attractions (and of course, lots of potential participants). If prospective students have any questions, they can feel free to reach out to me via this email address. Thanks very much! Liz Dr Elizabeth Renner (she/her) Assistant Professor [Northumbria University Logo] E: elizabeth.renner(a)northumbria.ac.uk<mailto:elizabeth.renner@northumbria.ac.uk> This message is intended solely for the addressee and may contain confidential and/or legally privileged information. Any use, disclosure or reproduction without the sender's explicit consent is unauthorised and may be unlawful. If you have received this message in error, please notify Northumbria University immediately and permanently delete it. Any views or opinions expressed in this message are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the University. Northumbria University email is provided by Microsoft Office365 and is hosted within the EEA, although some information may be replicated globally for backup purposes. The University cannot guarantee that this message or any attachment is virus free or has not been intercepted and/or amended. ________________________________ Scotland's University for Sporting Excellence The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159

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BERG seminar this Wednesday, 16:00
by Pawel Fedurek 17 Nov '25

17 Nov '25

Dear BERGers, This Wednesday (4pm) we have a seminar with Dr Eleonore Rolland (CNRS, Bron, France) giving a talk entitled "Evidence of organized but not disorganized attachment in wild Western chimpanzee offspring (Pan troglodytes verus)" (abstract below). The meeting will be held online (link below). Abstract: Human attachment theory outlines three organized types: secure, insecure-avoidant and insecure-resistant, all considered adaptive responses to maternal care for offspring survival. In contrast, disorganized attachment is hypothesized to be maladaptive and therefore uncommon in wild mammals, though this remains untested. We assessed attachment types in 50 wild chimpanzees (ages 0–10 years) in Taï National Park, Côte d’Ivoire. Using 3,795 h of mother and offspring focal observations, we found no behaviours indicative of disorganized attachment. To explore organized attachment, we analysed a subset of 18 immature chimpanzees and their behavioural responses to 309 natural threatening events. Their responses showed organized attachment patterns: some sought maternal closeness (secure-like), while others displayed independence (insecure-avoidant-like). Our study supports the hypothesis that organized attachment types are adaptive and have a long evolutionary history. Link to the meeting: BERG research seminars | Meeting-Join | Microsoft Teams<https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fteams.mic…<https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/3816460052135?p=xsEIefROgXSXlZHxc0>> BERG seminar schedule (Fall 2025) Date Speaker Affiliation Title Chair Format 19-Nov-25 Eleonore Rolland Eleonore Rolland tbc: mother-infant attachment in wild chimpanzees Pawel Online 26-Nov-25 TBC - Offered to Roxanne Hawkins Clare 03-Dec-25 Floriane Fournier Université Jean Monnet "tbc: The role of nonlinear phenomena in vocal emotional expression and perception in bonobos " Pawel Online 10-Dec-25 Faye Whiley The Missing Lynx Project tbc: Social science in stakeholder engagement for lynx co-existence Clare Online Best wishes, Pawel ------------------------------- Dr Pawel Fedurek (he/his) Lecturer in Psychology Behaviour and Evolution Research Group (BERG) Division of Psychology, Faculty of Natural Sciences University of Stirling Stirling, FK9 4LA Scotland, UK @pawel-fedurek<https://bsky.app/profile/pawel-fedurek.bsky.social> @berg-stirling<https://bsky.app/profile/berg-stirling.bsky.social> Staff page<https://www.stir.ac.uk/people/1080868> | BERG page<https://www.stir.ac.uk/about/faculties/natural-sciences/our-research/resear…> I aim to reply within 3 working days (my working days are between Monday and Friday). ________________________________ Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159

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BERG seminar this Wednesday, 16:00
by Pawel Fedurek 12 Nov '25

12 Nov '25

Dear BERGers, This Wednesday (4pm) we have a seminar with Dr Melissa Berthet (University of Rennes) giving a talk entitled "Bonobo vocal communication and the evolution of compositionality" (abstract below). The meeting will be held online (link below). Abstract: Compositionality- the capacity to combine meaningful elements into larger structures whose meaning depends on the meanings of the parts and the way they are combined- is a hallmark of human language. In this talk, I will present new findings on the compositional capacities of wild bonobos. Specifically, by conducting a comprehensive investigation of meaning and adapting methods from linguistics, I will show that bonobo vocal communication extensively relies on compositionality. This suggests that the ability to construct complex meanings from smaller vocal units was already present in our ancestors at least 7 million years ago. Link to the meeting: BERG research seminars | Meeting-Join | Microsoft Teams<https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fteams.mic…<https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/3816460052135?p=xsEIefROgXSXlZHxc0>> BERG seminar schedule (Fall 2025) Date Speaker Affiliation Title Chair Format 12-Nov-25 Mélissa Berthet University of Rennes tbc: vocal behaviour in bonobos Pawel Online 19-Nov-25 Eleonore Rolland Eleonore Rolland tbc: mother-infant attachment in wild chimpanzees Pawel Online 26-Nov-25 TBC Clare 03-Dec-25 Floriane Fournier Université Jean Monnet "tbc: The role of nonlinear phenomena in vocal emotional expression and perception in bonobos " Pawel Online 10-Dec-25 Faye Whiley The Missing Lynx Project tbc: Social science in stakeholder engagement for lynx co-existence Clare Online ________________________________ Scotland's University for Sporting Excellence The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159

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Research Assistant in Primate Behaviour
by Pawel Fedurek 07 Nov '25

07 Nov '25

FYI: https://vacancies.ntu.ac.uk/Job/JobDetail?JobId=1849 Best wishes, Pawel ------------------------------- Dr Pawel Fedurek (he/his) Lecturer in Psychology Behaviour and Evolution Research Group (BERG) Division of Psychology, Faculty of Natural Sciences University of Stirling Stirling, FK9 4LA Scotland, UK @pawel-fedurek<https://bsky.app/profile/pawel-fedurek.bsky.social> @berg-stirling<https://bsky.app/profile/berg-stirling.bsky.social> Staff page<https://www.stir.ac.uk/people/1080868> | BERG page<https://www.stir.ac.uk/about/faculties/natural-sciences/our-research/resear…> I aim to reply within 3 working days (my working days are between Monday and Friday). ________________________________ Scotland's University for Sporting Excellence The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159

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BERG meeting today (4pm)
by Pawel Fedurek 05 Nov '25

05 Nov '25

Dear All, The topic of today’s BERG meeting will be impact-related research conducted by our group. The meeting will take place in the Psychology Common Room (in person only). Feel free to come along if you’re around! Best wishes, Pawel ------------------------------- Dr Pawel Fedurek (he/his) Lecturer in Psychology Behaviour and Evolution Research Group (BERG) Division of Psychology, Faculty of Natural Sciences University of Stirling Stirling, FK9 4LA Scotland, UK @pawel-fedurek<https://bsky.app/profile/pawel-fedurek.bsky.social> @berg-stirling<https://bsky.app/profile/berg-stirling.bsky.social> Staff page<https://www.stir.ac.uk/people/1080868> | BERG page<https://www.stir.ac.uk/about/faculties/natural-sciences/our-research/resear…> I aim to reply within 3 working days (my working days are between Monday and Friday). ________________________________ Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159

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No BERG seminar this and next week
by Pawel Fedurek 20 Oct '25

20 Oct '25

Dear All, Just to let you know that there will be no BERG meeting this and next week (Reading Week). The next meeting (5 November) will be in person and related to BERG impact research. The next research seminar (12 November) will be given by Dr Melissa Berthet (about wild bonobo vocal behaviour). Best wishes, Pawel ------------------------------- Dr Pawel Fedurek (he/his) Lecturer in Psychology Behaviour and Evolution Research Group (BERG) Division of Psychology, Faculty of Natural Sciences University of Stirling Stirling, FK9 4LA Scotland, UK @pawel-fedurek<https://bsky.app/profile/pawel-fedurek.bsky.social> @berg-stirling<https://bsky.app/profile/berg-stirling.bsky.social> Staff page<https://www.stir.ac.uk/people/1080868> | BERG page<https://www.stir.ac.uk/about/faculties/natural-sciences/our-research/resear…> I aim to reply within 3 working days (my working days are between Monday and Friday). ________________________________ Scotland's University for Sporting Excellence The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159

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BERG/SHAIR seminar today, 16:00
by Pawel Fedurek 15 Oct '25

15 Oct '25

Dear BERGers, A quick reminder that today (4pm) Luke Townrow (Johns Hopkins University) is giving a talk about one of her PhD projects entitled "Nonhuman Primate Theory of Mind: An Investigation Into Cues & Representations". The meeting will be held online (link below). Abstract: Theory of mind - our ability to ascribe mental states to others and use these attributions to predict their subsequent behaviors - is critical for human social cognition. Whilst we know that theory of mind in humans can facilitate everyday behaviors ranging from playful deception to cooperative conversations, work over the last 20 years has more closely considered the similarities and differences in perspective-taking capacities that we may share with our closest living relatives. The extent to which nonhuman primates rely on theory of mind is highly debated, including discussions regarding how flexibly these abilities can be deployed (i.e., across both cooperative and competitive contexts), and what mental states they can even represent. I will be presenting two studies completed as part of my PhD so far that speak to great apes’ abilities to represent the minds of others, with particular emphasis on cues and representations. I will argue that nonhuman great apes demonstrate a capacity for the flexible deployment of perspective-taking across various contexts, that they can minimally track the ignorance of other agents and are able to use mental state representations to flexibly adapt their own behaviors (i.e., rates of communication). --- Link to the meeting: BERG research seminars | Meeting-Join | Microsoft Teams<https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fteams.mic…<https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fteams.mic…<https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/3816460052135?p=xsEIefROgXSXlZHxc0>>> BERG seminar schedule (Fall 2025) Wednesday 16:00 15-Oct-25 Luke Townrow John Hopkins University tbc: great apes cognition Alex tbc Wednesday 16:00 22-Oct-25 tbc 29-Oct-25 MID SEMESTER BREAK Wednesday 16:00 5-Nov-25 IMPACT meeting Pawel F2F Wednesday 16:00 12-Nov-25 Mélissa Berthet University of Rennes tbc: vocal behaviour in bonobos Pawel Online Wednesday 16:00 19-Nov-25 Eleonore Rolland Eleonore Rolland tbc: mother-infant attachment in wild chimpanzees Pawel Online Wednesday 16:00 26-Nov-25 tbc Wednesday 16:00 3-Dec-25 Floriane Fournier Université Jean Monnet "tbc: The role of nonlinear phenomena in vocal emotional expression and perception in bonobos " Pawel Online Best wishes, Pawel Best wishes, Pawel ------------------------------- Dr Pawel Fedurek (he/his) Lecturer in Psychology Behaviour and Evolution Research Group (BERG) Division of Psychology, Faculty of Natural Sciences University of Stirling Stirling, FK9 4LA Scotland, UK @pawel-fedurek<https://bsky.app/profile/pawel-fedurek.bsky.social> @berg-stirling<https://bsky.app/profile/berg-stirling.bsky.social> Staff page<https://www.stir.ac.uk/people/1080868> | BERG page<https://www.stir.ac.uk/about/faculties/natural-sciences/our-research/resear…> I aim to reply within 3 working days (my working days are between Monday and Friday). ________________________________ Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159

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