BERG

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1011 discussions

by Donna Kean

Dear BERGers, A reminder that our first BERG meeting will be held on Wednesday 20th September at 5.30pm in the Psychology common room (3a94), and will be held at the same time each week (excluding Wed 25th October for mid-semester break). Please do sign up for a slot as it's a great way to practise talks and develop those valuable presentation skills. Please also feel free to suggest local speakers that we may wish to invite. https://doodle.com/poll/4gigufnkunz3hzzx If you have new students who might wish to be on the BERG mailing list, please send them this e-mail. To sign up to the BERG mailing list new folk must complete the form available here: http://lists.stir.ac.uk/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/berg You can also use this link to unsubscribe. Best wishes, Donna

8 years, 4 months

Events of interest to BERGers

by Hannah Buchanan-Smith

It is fantastic that Donna is organising our BERG seminars next semester – please do sign up for a session! These sessions are a great way to get feedback on ideas, and they depend on us all to make them work…. There are other events of special interest to BERGers - Jo White from Progressive ideas, will speak on the topic of Human Behaviour Change for Animal Welfare Thursday 21st September, 4pm in room 3A94 in Cottrell building. http://www.progressiveideas.co.uk/jo-white/ I shall circulate her abstract nearer the time, but please add to your diary if you are interested. Also – we have a lecture Tamed: With Professor Alice Roberts Tuesday 17 Oct 2017, 7.30pm http://macrobertartscentre.org/event/tame-with-alice-roberts-/ You will need to buy your own ticket. Join Professor Alice Roberts as she delves into archaeology, history and genetics to reveal the amazing stories of the species that became our allies. £16.50 / £14.50 Conc Book Tickets<http://macrobertartscentre.org/event/tame-with-alice-roberts-/#book_tickets> How do you tame wildness? For hundreds of thousands of years our ancestors existed in a world where they depended on wild plants and animals. They were hunter-gatherers, consummate survival experts, but taking the world as they found it. Then a revolution happened: we started to domesticate wild species and they became crucial to our own survival and success. Join Alice Roberts as she delves into archaeology, history and genetics to reveal the amazing stories of the species that became our allies. From dogs, cattle and horses to wheat, potatoes and apples, find out how taming all these species has left its mark on them - and us. Hannah M. Buchanan-Smith Professor, Behaviour and Evolution Research Group (BERG) Room 3A79, Cottrell Psychology, Faculty of Natural Sciences University of Stirling Stirling, FK9 4LA Scotland Tel: 01786 467674 Fax: 01786 467641 E-mail: h.m.buchanan-smith(a)stir.ac.uk<mailto:h.m.buchanan-smith@stir.ac.uk> Home page: https://rms.stir.ac.uk/converis-stirling/person/11925 http://marmosetcare.com/ http://www.247animalwelfare.eu/index.html Recently launched: http://refiningdogcare.com/ http://www.refiningdogcare.com/images/RDC%20Flyer.pdf

8 years, 5 months

New term, new BERG!

by Donna Kean

Dear BERGers, I hope you are all looking forward to a new season of BERG! I am currently recruiting speakers for Wednesdays starting from September 20th. All are welcome to give a talk or lead a discussion. If you would like to sign up please follow the link below to the Doodle poll. https://doodle.com/poll/4gigufnkunz3hzzx I look forward to seeing you all in September! Best wishes, Donna

8 years, 5 months

Sean Roberts seminar on Monday 22nd May

by Christine Caldwell

??Dear all, We have got a visiting researcher from the University of Bristol, Sean Roberts, coming to the Division on 22nd May (a week on Monday), and he has offered to give a talk while he is here, so I have attached a poster with the details. Sean is interested in how the nature of communication shapes the cultural evolution of languages, so I think his talk will appeal to anyone with interests in language and communication, and/or social learning and cultural evolution. Please do come along if you are interested (and feel free to spread the word further if you can think of others who might like to attend). The talk will be at noon on Monday 22nd in the Psychology common room (3A94). Apologies for any cross-posting. Christine. [X]

8 years, 8 months

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8 years, 8 months

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8 years, 8 months

This week's BERG meeting: Wed 10 May - Claire Watson

by Christine Caldwell

Hi all, Just a reminder that we have Claire Watson giving a talk at BERG this Wednesday (poster attached). If anyone would like to come for a drink or dinner after the meeting, the plan is to head into town to the big Wetherspoon's pub (The Crossed Peels at the top of Friar's Street) - a fairly unsophisticated venue admittedly, but quite a practical option under the circumstances! There should be plenty of room for anyone who wants to come along, and there's no need to commit to staying for dinner if you just want a quick drink. Also, we will be well-placed for anyone making the (now traditional) dash for the train station in time for the last proper train to Edinburgh before the bus replacement services take over. The meeting starts at 5.30pm as per usual in the Psychology common room (3A94). Drinks and nibbles will be provided. Hope to see you there! Christine.

8 years, 8 months

Claire Watson seminar next week (Wed 10 May)

by Christine Caldwell

Dear all, Please find attached a poster with details of a forthcoming seminar to be held in our usual BERG discussion group slot next week. I am distributing this to others in Psychology as well as our BERG distribution list, because the speaker is Claire Watson who some people may remember as a former Stirling PhD student (2007-2011). She is now based in Japan, where she has been doing postdoctoral work at the University of Kyoto. If you would like a chance to catch up with Claire (or indeed to meet her for the first time!) then please do come along. All welcome! Apologies for cross-postings. Christine.

8 years, 8 months

Macaque volunteer

by Hannah Buchanan-Smith

Here is a great volunteer opportuity at the Safari Park - if interested please contact Katie Macfarane with requested information ( education(a)blaidrummond.com<mailto:education@blaidrummond.com> ) "Macaque Habitat Warden A voluntary position has arisen for a self-motivated person to join our macaque team as a macaque habitat warden. The role is unpaid, but you will build up experience and knowledge of working with captive primates. Perfect for someone looking to further their career in an animal related discipline. The main duties will include patrolling the macaque habitat and monitoring behaviour of the Safari Parks large troop of Barbary Macaques, supervising the public within the drive through habitat, recording any interesting behaviours and reporting back to the Macaque team. This voluntary position will be best suited to someone who enjoys being outside (in all weather), self-motivated, confident and reliable. We would also like someone who can commit to at least a two week placement. In return, you will get to volunteer within a team of dedicated macaque keepers and learn about captive primate husbandry. You will also be provided with a lunch voucher for the days that you are on duty. For those interested, please email your details along with a covering statement to education(a)blaidrummond.com<mailto:education@blaidrummond.com>" Kind Regards, Katie Macfarlane -Education and Inspiration Team Officer -Work Placement Coordinator [edulogo] Blair Drummond Safari Park, Stirling, FK9 4UR. Direct Line: 01786 843 105

8 years, 9 months

26.04.2017: Paxton Culpepper- assortative social features of the behavioural immune system

by Eoin O'Sullivan

Dear BERGers, This Wednesday, 26th, we have PhD candidate Paxton Culpepper giving a talk entitled: "Experimentally testing the main assortative social features of the behavioural immune system." After Paxton's talk we will be going to the Allanwater Brewhouse to celebrate the end of semester (http://bridgeofallan.co.uk/), so please do join us?. All are welcome! I look forward to seeing you then! Eoin? The Relationship between the Behavioural Immune System, Assortative Sociality and Religiosity Throughout evolutionary history humans have evolved psychological mechanisms fashioned to solve adaptive problems of survival. Parasite-stress has been a major adaptive problem throughout the evolutionary history of all animals, including humans. Evidence suggests that humans have evolved a behavioural immune system, which includes the emotion disgust, to motivate avoidance of potential threats of infectious microorganisms and individuals who may carry them. Throughout ancestral history out-group individuals were most likely carrying pathogens to which the locals were not immunologically adapted, thus leading to in-group-out/group bias via assortative social behaviours such as philopatry, ethnocentrism, and xenophobia. It is argued that these behaviours facilitated isolation between groups, which led not only to genetic divergence, but to a divergence in beliefs, practices and values - the 'genesis' of religion and religious diversity. Correlational evidence supports this theory - I am currently experimentally testing the theory.

8 years, 9 months

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