THE PEC TEAM
Joah Madden Project Leader
Senior Lecturer in Animal Behaviour, Psychology, University of Exeter. My research interests are broad, and beyond the current project looking at evolution and cognition, also encompass sexual selection, inter and intra-specific communication, social behaviour and conservation. I have previously worked on bowerbirds, cuckoos and meerkats as study systems.
Mark Whiteside Post-doc
I am interested in how conditions experienced during early rearing can affect behavioural, physiological and cognitive developments with an aim of increasing survival and reproductive success of pheasants after release into the wild (pictured here with my first successful nest).
I am interested in how conditions experienced during early rearing can affect behavioural, physiological and cognitive developments with an aim of increasing survival and reproductive success of pheasants after release into the wild (pictured here with my first successful nest).
Jayden van Horik Post-doc
I am broadly interested in applying interdisciplinary techniques from the fields of ethology and experimental psychology to the study of animal cognition and behavioural flexibility. We present pheasant chicks with a battery of cognitive tests to investigate inter-individual variation in learning across different cognitive domains.
http://jayden-van-horik.blogspot.co.uk
I am broadly interested in applying interdisciplinary techniques from the fields of ethology and experimental psychology to the study of animal cognition and behavioural flexibility. We present pheasant chicks with a battery of cognitive tests to investigate inter-individual variation in learning across different cognitive domains.
http://jayden-van-horik.blogspot.co.uk
Lucy Capstick PhD Student
I am looking at the breeding, ranging and foraging behaviour of rural Magpies and their effect on songbird productivity. I am therefore investigating in how individual differences in predator behaviour may affect predator influence on prey populations. More broadly I am interested in how animal behaviour research can be applied to conservation problems. Lucy's PhD is funded by Songbird Survival |
Ellis Langley PhD Student
I am interested in understanding the ecological consequences of variation in cognitive traits in terms of reproduction and survival. Currently I am exploring which characteristics are favoured by females when choosing a mate, how cognitive traits may differ between dominant and subordinate males, and whether pheasants aggregate according to these traits in the wild.
I am interested in understanding the ecological consequences of variation in cognitive traits in terms of reproduction and survival. Currently I am exploring which characteristics are favoured by females when choosing a mate, how cognitive traits may differ between dominant and subordinate males, and whether pheasants aggregate according to these traits in the wild.
Christine Beardsworth PhD Student
I am interested in finding out how the movement behaviour and ecology of released pheasants is related to their cognitive performance. I use a combination of RFID readers, GPS and accelerometers to assess dispersal, space-use, social network structure and fine-scale movements in both natural conditions and large scale artificial enclosures.
I am interested in finding out how the movement behaviour and ecology of released pheasants is related to their cognitive performance. I use a combination of RFID readers, GPS and accelerometers to assess dispersal, space-use, social network structure and fine-scale movements in both natural conditions and large scale artificial enclosures.
Alicia Wiltshire MSc Student
I am interested in the structure and mechanisms of group hunting behaviour. My research project involves following a pack of hounds on drag hunts; studying the behaviour of individuals in group hunts, their roles, movement patterns and social dynamics.
I am interested in the structure and mechanisms of group hunting behaviour. My research project involves following a pack of hounds on drag hunts; studying the behaviour of individuals in group hunts, their roles, movement patterns and social dynamics.
Alumni
Aidan Hulatt: Project Technician
Seb Bekker: UG Project student
Louise Saul: UG Project student
Aidan Hulatt: Project Technician
Seb Bekker: UG Project student
Louise Saul: UG Project student