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ABS Members in the News
Notices are added frequently, with links to articles in, for example, CNN, Nature, Science, NY Times, ABC News, BBC, Scientific American, and more! If you have a link to add, please contact the chair of the Public Affairs Committee.
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Animal Behavior Society's News and Announcments |
Researchers from The University of Auckland and the University of Bath, UK, have studied the habits of the Australasian gannet, Morus serrator, and identified that the male bird supplies seaweed to line the nest, providing an insulating layer.The results of the study are published in the latest issue of the journal Behaviour.Gannet eggs should ideally be kept at a temperature around 35C to ensure normal chick development. Where seaweed was included in the structure, nests were significantly warmer in the morning, when low temperatures and heat loss are most detrimental to the roosting parent. This increase in insulation is particularly important in areas where the Australasian gannet nests in New Zealand, where temperatures can drop to 9C at night during the August to October laying period.The research studied gannets during October 2007 at the Plateau Colony, a subcolony of the famous Cape Kidnappers gannetry in Hawkes Bay. The study observed over 100 gannets in their natural environment, and temperatures of the nest were measured using thermal imagery from up to 5 metres away, minimising disruption of the birds."The sex specific behaviour of seabirds is well known, but this is the first study to look at the nest building of Australasian gannets," says PhD student Steffi Ismar of the School of Biological Sciences, the corresponding author on the study. "The gannet only lays one or sometimes two eggs, and their winter laying period means it is vital for the nest to provide some insulation, both to maintain ideal temperatures for successful chick development and to protect the incubating parent from the cold. It is interesting to see the male taking the lead in this home-making behaviour."The first-named author on the study, Jeni Matthews, was a visiting student to The University of Auckland from the University of Bath, UK. The project was carried out in connection with Steffi Ismar's PhD research, supervised by Dr Mark Hauber and funded in part by an international doctoral research scholarship from Education New Zealand.http://www.voxy.co.nz/national/males-keep-home/5/5350
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Any president-elect has to make appointments to many important offices. But Barack Obama has an additional burden: although most presidents have brought a First Dog with them, his family has yet to fill that position. Stephen Zawistowski, an executive vice president for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and a member of the Animal Behavior Society. Stanley Coren, a psychologist who has written a series of best-selling books on dogs and a featured speaker at the Society's 2008 meeting all offer advise.
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At the base of our brain, where the back of our neck meets our head, may lurk the voice of a 400 million-year-old fish.Chirps, croaks, growls even the dulcet tones of the human voice might have a common origin in an ancient brain metronome that coordinates the other-worldly grunts of several modern species of fish.
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In response to the recent publication of the Florida Lancelet's genome draft in the June 19th issue of Nature (Nature 453:1064-1071), Mark Hauber and Mary Sewell of the University of Auckland, New Zealand and colleagues Marlene Zuk of UC Riverside, highlight the important and broader issue of gender genomics in this context.For more details see:http://blogs.nature.com/hdy/inherentlyresponsive/2008/07/rapid_correspondence_gender_genomics_and_1.html#more
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Birds use colour to identify eggs of other birds and eject them from their nests, research suggests.
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HOUSTON, April 29, 2008 -- Rice University animal behaviorists Joan Strassmann and David Queller have been elected fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences -- one of the highest forms of recognition a scholar can receive.
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Some male birds possess a wiggling tongue-like knob on their genitals, probably to titillate their mates.
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Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry vetoed the controversial “Religious Viewpoints Antidiscrimination Act” on Friday after pressure from science educators nationwide, including ABS past president Doug Mock. A Senate amendment to the bill stated that “students may express their beliefs about religion in homework, artwork and other written and oral assignments free from discrimination based on the religious content of their submissions…Students shall not be penalized or rewarded on account of the religious content of their work.” Doug's letter (based on a letter by UMD student Holly Menninger)is appended below.
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WASHINGTON - A little strategically placed makeup quickly turns the wimpiest of male barn swallows into chick magnets, amping up their testosterone and even trimming their weight, new research shows.
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Two Emory University scholars were chosen to be fellows of the American Academy of Arts&Sciences, a prestigious honor society and research center with some of the best minds around the world. Emory Provost Earl Lewis and Frans de Waal, director of Emory's * Living Links Center, are among 212 scholars, scientists and leaders named as fellows for 2008.
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Top predator thrives in poison areas, study by E Fraser and M Hauber, University of Auckland, finds
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