BERG

berg@lists.stir.ac.uk

3 participants
1031 discussions

by Kristin Descovich

Dear BERGers, Please see the attached current BERG schedule for the Spring. Note that on several weeks there is no BERG meeting because a BERG related speaker will be presenting the Psychology division seminar on the Thursday at 4pm. We still need a few more speakers! Please consider giving a seminar this semester. Presenting at BERG is an excellent way to practice talks, hone presentation skills, get feedback on grant application ideas, or lead discussion of a research paper. You might also like to host a post-graduate student or colleague from a nearby University. We have some funds to support local travel and dinner for external speakers. You can sign up by following this link to the doodle poll. https://doodle.com/5kc3zpst4bs2aty2 Please add your name and select a date that is vacant, then email your presentation title as soon as possible to me at kristin.descovich(a)stir.ac.uk. This Thursday at 4pm we are very lucky to have Dr Susan Cheyne from the University of Oxford and Outrop giving the Psychology seminar on "Primates, peat-lands, cats and conservation: Saving the Bornean peat swamp forests". Susan does amazing work in Indonesia with primates and a myriad of other species, so please do come along and listen. We will head afterwards to The Meadowpark for dinner. If you would like to join us, please email me by Wed night. Our BERG meetings are only as good as we make them, so encourage any students or colleagues interested in behaviour and evolution to come along to a meeting, or sign up to the BERG mailing list at http://lists.stir.ac.uk/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/berg. You can also use this link to unsubscribe. I look forward to seeing you all at BERG on the 4th of February! Cheers and regards, Kris

11 years, 2 months

PhD available in Animal Social Communication and Cognition

by Hannah Buchanan-Smith

Looks like a nice funded PhD opportunity - Hannah From: teaching and research, in animal behaviour [mailto:ANIMAL-BEHAVIOUR@JISCMAIL.AC.UK] On Behalf Of Leanne Proops Sent: Tuesday, December 16, 2014 12:37 AM To: ANIMAL-BEHAVIOUR(a)JISCMAIL.AC.UK<mailto:ANIMAL-BEHAVIOUR@JISCMAIL.AC.UK> Subject: [ASAB-MAIL] PhD available in Animal Social Communication and Cognition PhD studentship available for 2015 in animal social communication & cognition Emotional signalling in animals: identifying positive affect and its consequences School of Psychology, University of Sussex Supervisor: Prof Karen McComb (University of Sussex) and Dr Leanne Proops (University of Sussex) http://www.lifesci.sussex.ac.uk/cmvcr/Home.html Emotional signalling is a crucial but poorly understood aspect of animal social behaviour, mediating important social interactions and contributing to an individual's ability to form social relationships and reproduce successfully. One aspect of emotional signalling in animals that has received surprisingly little attention is the way in which positive emotions are expressed and the consequences of this signalling both for the individual itself and its conspecifics. Displaying positive emotions may contribute to building an individual's own resilience as well as enhancing its ability to form social bonds - a possibility that has not been investigated in animals. Moreover, it is now recognised that animal welfare should be assessed not simply by the absence of negative emotions, but also by the presence of positive ones, so a systematic study of how positive emotions are expressed in a range of species would have considerable applied value. The PhD student would use techniques developed in our lab for quantifying animal facial expressions (and vocalisations) in order to identify cues that are consistently associated with positive emotional experiences. They would also explore the relationship between signals with positive emotional valence and physiological and behavioural measures of coping behaviour. Work on domestic horses would provide a starting point for this study, but the project would look at parallels in cues used to signal positive emotion across a range of different mammal species and their relationship to individual coping mechanisms and social behaviour. Applications should be made by Friday 30th January 2015. The award of the studentship will be based on a competitive process. If awarded, it would be a full-time studentship (funded for a duration of three years) covering tuition fee, and a maintenance allowance. The maintenance allowance is currently £13,863 per annum. There is an expectation to contribute to teaching on a paid basis. Eligibility requirements for potential candidates: · This award will only pay fees at the Home/EU rate. The maintenance allowance is currently £13,863 per annum. · Candidates must have, or expect to obtain, a First or a high Upper Second Class Honours undergraduate degree, or equivalent qualification, and/or a Master's degree in Psychology or a related discipline. Guidance for applicants: Please send your initial enquires by email for the attention of 'Postgraduate Coordinator' to: psychology(a)sussex.ac.uk<mailto:psychology@sussex.ac.uk> If you wish to discuss the details of this PhD project further please contact Prof Karen McComb (karenm(a)sussex.ac.uk<mailto:karenm@sussex.ac.uk>) Applications should be submitted to the University of Sussex online postgraduate application system (http://www.sussex.ac.uk/study/pg/applying/2015entry) by Friday 30th January 2015. Please submit your online application together with: · A research statement that briefly outlines our current state of knowledge, hypotheses that could be addressed, and an outline of potential methods. Your answer should not exceed 2 pages including references, be set at minimum 10 font type with margins a minimum of 1cm. · A teaching-related statement that addresses the normal expectation that you contribute to teaching of statistics and research methods (up to 300 words). An up to date CV · A current degree transcript(s) with full details of performance on all completed courses Two academic references The proposed source of funding should be specified as 'GTA'.

11 years, 3 months

Last BERG Seminar 1and Christmas bash.....10th December

by Hannah Buchanan-Smith

Dear all, I do hope to see you on tomorrow - Wednesday evening for Dr Liz Williamson's presentation on "State of the Apes". Think about leaving the car, as I'll bring in some extra drinks (including a few cans of beer by popular demand ) and festive nibbles so we can have a bit of a BERG bash afterwards to celebrate another successful year. Psychology common room 3A94 as usual, 5.30pm start. Please do come! Hannah

11 years, 4 months

BERG Seminar 3rd December, 10th December and SPRG meeting 16-18 January 2015

by Hannah Buchanan-Smith

Dear all, Dr Kris Descovich will present at tomorrow’s BERG on Macaque behaviour and welfare. She’s a great speaker – so hope you will come along. Meeting in the Psychology common room, 3A94, 5.30pm, drinks and nibbles as usual. Our final BERG of the year is by Dr Liz Williamson: “State of the Apes”. I’ll bring in some extra drinks and nibbles so we can have a bit of a BERG party afterwards to celebrate another successful year. Please do come! Hannah Still spaces for the SPRG meeting – instructions below..... 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. SPRG meeting Dear SPRGers and BERGers The time has come again for SPRG to plan their annual post-Christmas gathering at The Burn in Glenesk, Angus. For those of you who are new to SPRG, the meeting is a chance for all members to get together in the beautiful surroundings of The Burn, to discuss research that is going on within our group, and of course to walk, chat, play games, eat, drink, and be (very) merry. You can find more details about the venue on their website (http://www.goodenough.ac.uk/the-burn). We can arrive from 4pm on Friday 16th – and leave 2pm on Sunday 18th January 2015 Lizzie Webber and I shall be organising the programme and day-to-day running of the meeting. I am delighted to say we already have an excellent programme of speakers. We already have 9 confirmed speakers, on a range of species and topics, including Prof Phyllis Lee (Stirling), and Dr Lydia Hopper from the Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study & Conservation of Apes in Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, and will present on her research with chimpanzees and gorillas. There are still some spaces for speakers, and attendees, so please sign up following the instructions below. Michelle Young, Andy Whiten’s wonderful PA in St. Andrews, will be keeping the spreadsheet. To make our lives easier, please make sure you reply to the right person! The costs of staying at The Burn are heavily subsidised by the Charitable Trust, and so remain very reasonable. The prices for this year are £150 for staff (those in full time employment, and who wish to have a single occupancy room – limited availability) and £120 for students, unwaged members, and/or those who share rooms. This price includes accommodation and all meals. I have had to pay a considerable deposit (>£1000) in order to secure our booking. To avoid unnecessary bureaucracy this year, by signing up you are confirming that you will pay £60 should you cancel after 1st December 2014, and we are unable to fill your place. To book your place at The Burn, please let Michelle Young - my22(a)st-andrews.ac.uk<mailto:my22@st-andrews.ac.uk> - know by email that you wish to join us. Use the subject header: The SPRG Burn meeting Give your name: If you prefer a single room (noting additional cost, and no promises): Dietary requirements: This statement “I confirm that I will pay £60 should I be unable to attend and my place is not filled”. Places are limited, so don't miss your chance. In the first instance, bookings are restricted to members and associates of SPRG. However, should places be left unclaimed from mid November onwards, invitations will be opened up to colleagues from further afield. Reply early to avoid disappointment. As always, there will be a series of research talks given throughout the weekend. If you are interested in giving a talk, please let HANNAH (h.m.buchanan-smith(a)stir.ac.uk<mailto:h.m.buchanan-smith@stir.ac.uk>) know. The success of the weekend depends upon you! If you have a non-SPRG colleague whom you know would like to come and give a talk please discuss with me – we usually have one or two external folk to spice things up! I have an extremely busy diary, and would really appreciate your cooperation in making the organisation of the SPRG Burn weekend simple. In summary * If you wish to come, please send Michelle your name, whether single room, dietary requirements, and the loss of deposit statement. * If you wish to present, please send Hannah your title. Timing will depend upon number of offers, and we can negotiate. I shall follow up with more details nearer the time. Best wishes, Hannah, Lizzie and Michelle

11 years, 4 months

FW: 2015 Chester Zoo Studentship Grants

by Hannah Buchanan-Smith

If you are an undergraduate or Masters student interested in doing a project on conservation at Chester Zoo – or a supervisor who might forward to students interested in conservation please read on....otherwise delete, and accept my apologies for filling your inbox! Hannah From: Catherine Barton [mailto:c.barton@chesterzoo.org] Sent: 28 November 2014 08:20 To: Catherine Barton Subject: 2015 Chester Zoo Studentship Grants Dear all Attached are details on the Chester Zoo Studentship Grants for 2015, for which we are now inviting applications. Please circulate this information as you see fit to your students and others who may be interested. Please forward this to the relevant person at your institution if this information is not relevant to you. So that I can update the circulation list I would be most grateful if you could let me know the correct email address to use for future studentship information. Please also let me know if you want to be removed from the list. Thank you. All the best, Cat Barton Catherine Barton Conservation Officer 01244 389449 www.chesterzoo.org<http://www.chesterzoo.org> [cid:image013.jpg@01D00BE1.BA49A4C0]<http://www.chesterzoo.org/attractions-and-exhibits/christmas-lantern-magic> Cedar House, Caughall Road, Upton by Chester, Chester CH2 1LH 01244 380280. Chester Zoo is a registered conservation and education charity. Our charity number is 306077. [cid:image014.jpg@01D00BE1.BA49A4C0]<https://www.facebook.com/chesterzoo1> [cid:image015.jpg@01D00BE1.BA49A4C0]<https://twitter.com/chesterzoo> [cid:image016.jpg@01D00BE1.BA49A4C0]<https://plus.google.com/100441230203957063235/posts> [cid:image017.jpg@01D00BE1.BA49A4C0]<https://www.youtube.com/user/OfficialChesterZoo> [cid:image018.jpg@01D00BE1.BA49A4C0]<http://www.flickr.com/photos/chesterzoo> ________________________________ This electronic message contains information which may be privileged or confidential. The information is intended to be for the use of the individual(s) or entity named above. If you are not the intended recipient be aware that any disclosure, copying, distribution or use of the contents of this information is prohibited. If you have received this electronic message in error, please notify us by telephone or e-mail immediately and delete it from your system. Activity and use of our e-mail system is monitored to secure its effective operation and for other lawful business purposes. Communications using this system will also be monitored and may be recorded to secure effective operation and for other lawful business purposes. Internet e-mails are not necessarily secure. We do not accept responsibility for changes made to this message after it was sent. You are advised to scan this message for viruses and we cannot accept liability for any loss or damage which may be caused as a result of any computer virus. For information about how we process data and monitor communications please see our privacy policy and for terms of use please see our terms of use policy. The North of England Zoological Society, a private company limited by guarantee in England and Wales, with company number: 00287902, registered office: Cedar House, Zoological Gardens, Caughall Road, Upton-by-Chester, Chester, CH2 1LH, registered charity number: 306077. ________________________________

11 years, 4 months

BERG Seminar 26th November

by Hannah Buchanan-Smith

Dear all, Kris Descovich is hosting Susan Richmond (University of Edinburgh) for BERG tomorrow. Susan will be talking about: Assessing the Welfare of Extensively Managed Sheep. Susan was one of our MSc students, so it will be great to welcome her back. Prof Ian Peers, Head of statistics at AstraZeneca, who is now an Honorary fellow will also join us and give us a 5 minutes introduction to who he is, and what he might offer us in terms of advice. There may be opportunities to meet with him on Thursday if you wish. We shall be going out for dinner after Susan’s talk to the Birds and Bees (we hope if they have a table). http://www.thebirdsandthebees-stirling.com/#!food--drink/cfwi I have Susan, me, Ian, Laura, Hayley, Sarah, Kris on list – let me know by 5pm today if you wish to join us so I can book a table. Meeting in the Psychology common room, 3A94, 5.30pm, drinks and nibbles as usual. Please do come! Hannah Still spaces for SPRG if you want to sign up follow instructions – see below 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. SPRG meeting Dear SPRGers and BERGers The time has come again for SPRG to plan their annual post-Christmas gathering at The Burn in Glenesk, Angus. For those of you who are new to SPRG, the meeting is a chance for all members to get together in the beautiful surroundings of The Burn, to discuss research that is going on within our group, and of course to walk, chat, play games, eat, drink, and be (very) merry. You can find more details about the venue on their website (http://www.goodenough.ac.uk/the-burn). We can arrive from 4pm on Friday 16th – and leave 2pm on Sunday 18th January 2015 Lizzie Webber and I shall be organising the programme and day-to-day running of the meeting. I am delighted to say we already have an excellent programme of speakers. We already have 9 confirmed speakers, on a range of species and topics, including Prof Phyllis Lee (Stirling), and Dr Lydia Hopper from the Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study & Conservation of Apes in Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, and will present on her research with chimpanzees and gorillas. There are still some spaces for speakers, and attendees, so please sign up following the instructions below. Michelle Young, Andy Whiten’s wonderful PA in St. Andrews, will be keeping the spreadsheet. To make our lives easier, please make sure you reply to the right person! The costs of staying at The Burn are heavily subsidised by the Charitable Trust, and so remain very reasonable. The prices for this year are £150 for staff (those in full time employment, and who wish to have a single occupancy room – limited availability) and £120 for students, unwaged members, and/or those who share rooms. This price includes accommodation and all meals. I have had to pay a considerable deposit (>£1000) in order to secure our booking. To avoid unnecessary bureaucracy this year, by signing up you are confirming that you will pay £60 should you cancel after 1st December 2014, and we are unable to fill your place. To book your place at The Burn, please let Michelle Young - my22(a)st-andrews.ac.uk<mailto:my22@st-andrews.ac.uk> - know by email that you wish to join us. Use the subject header: The SPRG Burn meeting Give your name: If you prefer a single room (noting additional cost, and no promises): Dietary requirements: This statement “I confirm that I will pay £60 should I be unable to attend and my place is not filled”. Places are limited, so don't miss your chance. In the first instance, bookings are restricted to members and associates of SPRG. However, should places be left unclaimed from mid November onwards, invitations will be opened up to colleagues from further afield. Reply early to avoid disappointment. As always, there will be a series of research talks given throughout the weekend. If you are interested in giving a talk, please let HANNAH (h.m.buchanan-smith(a)stir.ac.uk<mailto:h.m.buchanan-smith@stir.ac.uk>) know. The success of the weekend depends upon you! If you have a non-SPRG colleague whom you know would like to come and give a talk please discuss with me – we usually have one or two external folk to spice things up! I have an extremely busy diary, and would really appreciate your cooperation in making the organisation of the SPRG Burn weekend simple. In summary * If you wish to come, please send Michelle your name, whether single room, dietary requirements, and the loss of deposit statement. * If you wish to present, please send Hannah your title. Timing will depend upon number of offers, and we can negotiate. I shall follow up with more details nearer the time. Best wishes, Hannah, Lizzie and Michelle

11 years, 4 months

BERG Seminar 19th November and SPRG meeting 16-18 January 2015

by Hannah Buchanan-Smith

Dear all, We have our very own Becky Leonardi tomorrow – talking about “Paws for Progress: The effectiveness of a prison based dog training programme on dog behaviour and welfare” Meeting in the Psychology common room, 3A94, 5.30pm, drinks and nibbles as usual. Please do come! Hannah 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. SPRG meeting Dear SPRGers and BERGers The time has come again for SPRG to plan their annual post-Christmas gathering at The Burn in Glenesk, Angus. For those of you who are new to SPRG, the meeting is a chance for all members to get together in the beautiful surroundings of The Burn, to discuss research that is going on within our group, and of course to walk, chat, play games, eat, drink, and be (very) merry. You can find more details about the venue on their website (http://www.goodenough.ac.uk/the-burn). We can arrive from 4pm on Friday 16th – and leave 2pm on Sunday 18th January 2015 Lizzie Webber and I shall be organising the programme and day-to-day running of the meeting. I am delighted to say we already have an excellent programme of speakers. We already have 9 confirmed speakers, on a range of species and topics, including Prof Phyllis Lee (Stirling), and Dr Lydia Hopper from the Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study & Conservation of Apes in Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, and will present on her research with chimpanzees and gorillas. There are still some spaces for speakers, and attendees, so please sign up following the instructions below. Michelle Young, Andy Whiten’s wonderful PA in St. Andrews, will be keeping the spreadsheet. To make our lives easier, please make sure you reply to the right person! The costs of staying at The Burn are heavily subsidised by the Charitable Trust, and so remain very reasonable. The prices for this year are £150 for staff (those in full time employment, and who wish to have a single occupancy room – limited availability) and £120 for students, unwaged members, and/or those who share rooms. This price includes accommodation and all meals. I have had to pay a considerable deposit (>£1000) in order to secure our booking. To avoid unnecessary bureaucracy this year, by signing up you are confirming that you will pay £60 should you cancel after 1st December 2014, and we are unable to fill your place. To book your place at The Burn, please let Michelle Young - my22(a)st-andrews.ac.uk<mailto:my22@st-andrews.ac.uk> - know by email that you wish to join us. Use the subject header: The SPRG Burn meeting Give your name: If you prefer a single room (noting additional cost, and no promises): Dietary requirements: This statement “I confirm that I will pay £60 should I be unable to attend and my place is not filled”. Places are limited, so don't miss your chance. In the first instance, bookings are restricted to members and associates of SPRG. However, should places be left unclaimed from mid November onwards, invitations will be opened up to colleagues from further afield. Reply early to avoid disappointment. As always, there will be a series of research talks given throughout the weekend. If you are interested in giving a talk, please let HANNAH (h.m.buchanan-smith(a)stir.ac.uk<mailto:h.m.buchanan-smith@stir.ac.uk>) know. The success of the weekend depends upon you! If you have a non-SPRG colleague whom you know would like to come and give a talk please discuss with me – we usually have one or two external folk to spice things up! I have an extremely busy diary, and would really appreciate your cooperation in making the organisation of the SPRG Burn weekend simple. In summary * If you wish to come, please send Michelle your name, whether single room, dietary requirements, and the loss of deposit statement. * If you wish to present, please send Hannah your title. Timing will depend upon number of offers, and we can negotiate. I shall follow up with more details nearer the time. Best wishes, Hannah, Lizzie and Michelle

11 years, 4 months

BERG Seminar 12th November

by Hannah Buchanan-Smith

Dear all, We have an external seminar for BERG on Wednesday. Kelly Cobey will be hosting Dr Iris Holzleitner (University of Glasgow): Women’s tuning of preferences for masculinity in 3D faces. Meeting in the Psychology common room, 3A94, 5.30pm, drinks and nibbles as usual. Please do come! Hannah 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.

11 years, 5 months

3 videos and another BERG change

by Hannah Buchanan-Smith

Dear all Here are links to three short videos I've been asked to publicise.... IUCN https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7GQZsGmW5Y As part of our communications and fundraising campaign to support the 50th anniversary of The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, we have released a stunning video explaining the importance of The IUCN Red List as a powerful tool that drives action for nature conservation. Featuring fabulous images, the video was produced by the photographer and filmmaker Mattius Klum, who is also an IUCN Goodwill Ambassador. More details: http://www.iucn.org/about/work/programmes/species/our_work/the_iucn_red_lis… CI's Nature is Speaking - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmVLcj-XKnM World Lemur festival - http://youtu.be/cSEJ4he3QFI Also another change to the BERG schedule (attached) - sadly Dr Katherine Herborn from Glasgow can no longer make 3rd December, so Kris Descovich will present on Macaque behaviour and welfare. Finally, Dr Ian Peers, Global head of Statistics at AstraZeneca, who has recently been appointed as an Honorary Professor here, will also be attending BERG on 26th November, and will be happy to talk to you about any statistical issues you might raise. Best, Hannah Check out: New methods for monitoring and improving welfare of laboratory dogs<http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/news/policy/2014/140918-n-animal-welfate-laboratory-…> Hannah M. Buchanan-Smith Professor, Behaviour and Evolution Research Group Director of Learning and Teaching in SNS Psychology, School 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/

11 years, 5 months

FW: Friday Seminar by Erica van de Waal on social learning in primates

by Hannah Buchanan-Smith

Seminar of interest in St Andrews this Friday (7th) at 3:30pm in the Old Library. Dr Erica van de Waal will deliver a talk titled: Field experiments reveal the scope of social learning in vervet monkeys Please read below for further details....Hannah From: Andrew Whiten [mailto:aw2@st-andrews.ac.uk] Sent: 05 November 2014 11:28 To: Christopher Templeton; Emily Messer; McGuigan, Nicola; Patrick; Andrew Whalen; Amy Deacon; Anne Magurran; Ana Navarrete Rodriguez; Ann Smet; Alice Cowie; Amanda Lucas; Alina Loth; Amanda Seed; Andy Gardner; Kagari Aoki; Amanda Stansbury; Barbara Klump; Benjamin Turnbull; Braulio Leon-Lopez; Bethany Roberts; Cara Evans; Camille Troisi; Charlotte Brand; Charlotte Cure; Camille Coye; Clare; Catherine Hobaiter; Catharine Cross; Carolina Mayer; Christian Rutz; Carl Smith; Christopher Templeton; Cedric Zimmer; Daniel van der Post; Daphna Buchsbaum; Dan Cownden; Darren Parker; David Pritchard; David Shuker; Deborah Russell; Emma Blackburn; Eira Ihalainen; Emma-Louise Bryant; Elena Miu; Emily; Esmeralda Quiros Guerrero; Emily Burdfield-Steel; Emily Burdett; Erica van de Waal; Elisabeth Greenway; Elisabeth Greenway; Filipa Samarra; Gavin Ballantyne; Gordon Hastie; Georgina Glaser; Gillian Vale; Grant Brown; Gillian Brown; Heather Anderson; Helen Cunnold; Helene Cochet; Ida Bailey; Iain Matthews; Jefferson Graves; Jessica van der Wal; Jonathan Gordon; Jennifer Botting; James Ounsley; James St Clair; Kate Arnold; Kirsty Graham; Kalliopi-Charitomeni Gkikopoulou; Katherine Dickerson; Katherine Meacham; Kate Morgan; Keelin Murray; Kevin Laland; Kaitlin Palmer; Klaus Zuberbuhler; Lara Wood; Dollbaum, Lea Johanna; Luke Rendell; Lewis Dean; Livio Favaro; Lindsay Wilson; Luca Lamoni; Lauren Guillette; Charlotte Dunn; Liam Dougherty; Lorraine Wilson; Marina; Maria Tello Ramos; Michael Emmerson; Michael Ritchie; Michaela Roberts; Michal Arbilly; Mark Johnson; Miguel Neves Dos Reis; Murillo Pagnotta; Michelle Young; Tomoko Narazaki; Neeltje Boogert; Nicola Cook; Nora Carlson; Nigel Kenworthy; Nathan Bailey; Olga Filatova; Patricia Willmer; Patricia Arranz Alonso; Peter Slater; Puja Singh; Peter Tyack; Patrick Miller; Philip Shaw; Peter Tyack; Mara Casalini; Rebecca Boulton; Rachel Harrison; Ruoting Tao; Richard Byrne; Sarah Deventer; Sara Tavares; Susan Healy; Sumir Keenan; Sascha Hooker; Sonja Heinrich; Sarah Davis; Stacy DeRuiter; Stephanie King; Silvana Neves; Sally Street; Shoko Sugasawa; Samuel Ivande; Stuart Watson; Tilen Genov; Thomas Gotz; Verena Dietrich-Bischoff; Vincent Janik; Will Cresswell; Yannis Papastamatiou; Zachary Hall Cc: Alexander Weiss (alex.weiss(a)ed.ac.uk); Anthony Little; Christine Caldwell; Craig Roberts; Cunningham, Clare (c.cunningham(a)abertay.ac.uk); Hannah Buchanan-Smith; Hardie, Scott (S.Hardie(a)abertay.ac.uk); James Anderson; Lusseau, David (d.lusseau(a)abdn.ac.uk); Phyllis Lee; Sarah Vick Subject: Friday Seminar by Erica van de Waal on social learning in primates Dear All (BDG List and SPRG Core) - I think many of you may be interested in this talk here on Friday - it will be based on the Tinbergen prize lecture Erica gave earlier at the European Conference on Behavioural Biology, but updated and expanded ... We will go for a meal in Zizzi's at 6.30 so do please either sign up on the sheet I am putting in the Psych mail room, or email me to let me know - Andy W. This week's Seminar will take place this Friday (7th) at 3:30pm in the Old Library. Dr Erica van de Waal will deliver a talk titled: Field experiments reveal the scope of social learning in vervet monkeys Behavioural tradition has been an active topic in animal behaviour since the renowned Japanese macaque studies of half a century ago, yet controlled field experiments to clearly identify social learning in the wild began only recently. This talk describes a series of social learning experiments with our population of vervet monkeys in South Africa, which have now been studied for seven years. We follow over a hundred monkeys in several neighbouring groups. In an experiment with wild vervet monkeys, Chlorocebus aethiops, inspired by the famous Japanese macaque food cleaning study, we found that naïve vervet monkey infants copy variations in how their mother handle sandy fruits. In a complementary study we adapted an established laboratory experimental paradigm to create 'artificial fruits' to test for copying of different actions. Earlier we demonstrated social learning from high ranking female models of which part of such a 'fruit' to forage from; now, we used a new artificial fruit ('vervetable') which can be opened either be sliding a door to the side or instead pulling it open. This thus tests for matching of the action used to access the reward inside. Pilot tests on four semi-captive vervet groups showed significant similarity to the technique initially demonstrated, both overall and on the first trial. Here we present 'vervetable' results for wild vervets, including identification of the social rules of whom to learn from and its broad implications for cultural transmission. In a further experiment, we showed experimentally that wild vervet monkeys will abandon personal foraging preferences in favour of group norms new to them. Groups first learned to avoid the bitter-tasting alternative of two foods. Presentations of these options untreated months later revealed all new infants naïve to the foods adopting maternal preferences. Moreover, males migrating between groups where the alternative food was eaten switched to the new local norm. Such powerful effects of social learning represent a more potent force than hitherto recognized in shaping group differences among wild animals. Our follow up studies have revealed that the time spent eating the local preference correlates with rank in adult females. Is it due to low ranked females being under pressure to be more exploratory? Or is it due to limited access to their preferred colour, as more dominant individuals monopolize it? We were able to test these hypotheses in our population because two group splits occurred, with three low ranking females leaving their origin group, to create their own group and became then alpha, beta and gamma in it. A significant change in foraging preference, converging on that of the previous dominant monkeys in their origin group, was observed after the group split, indicating how biased transmission may lead to population level traditions As normal, the Seminar will be followed by an informal wine reception which all are welcome to attend.

11 years, 5 months

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