PhD Opportunities in Animal Communication

Richard Peters (La Trobe University) & Jan Hemmi (The Australian National University)

Many animals use movement to communicate, yet the factors that contribute to signal design have not been considered in detail. We speculate that animals are constrained by the sensory system of receivers, morphological limitations of signallers, the signalling environment and potential eavesdroppers (predators). Our goal is to understand how such factors interact to influence movement-based signalling strategies. We are seeking 2 PhD students to undertake research on movement-based signalling by Agamid lizards.

Project 1 - Evolutionary simulations: The project will be based around a novel strategy that we are developing, which combines tools from evolutionary robotics and behavioural ecology to address movement-based signal evolution. Briefly, the strategy uses live animals as selective agents to optimise the fine structure of a motion signal in an artificial evolution environment controlled by a standard genetic algorithm. By manipulating the environmental conditions in which this evolution takes place, we can systematically explore what makes a signal effective from the perspective of a receiver under close to natural conditions. [ More details ... ]

Project 2 - Lizards in a virtual world: Identifying how animal signals are optimized through evolution is reliant on strategies that allow us to quantify signals (and noise) in a meaningful way. Signals defined by movement can be quantified from image sequences, but these are restricted to a single camera view and doesn’t fully capture the signal. The problem is exacerbated when signals have a complex three-dimensional (3D) trajectory. The project will commence by implementing a new strategy to address these constraints involving motion capture of real displays, construction of lizard animations and virtual microhabitats and scene analysis. Predictions from a virtual world can then be tested on live animals in the field in subsequent years. This project is also in collaboration with Shaun New from the Hemmi Lab at The ANU. [ More details ... ]

Students would be based in the Peters Lab in the Zoology Department at La Trobe University’s Melbourne campus (Bundoora, Victoria), although there will be opportunities to spend time in the Hemmi lab at The Australian National University.

Applications, Scholarship etc.

• Australian citizens & permanent residents – Application form for postgraduate research and scholarships (APA, LTUPRS) – deadline 31 October, 2010
  http://www.latrobe.edu.au/research/future/scholarships
  
  
• International applicants – Postgraduate research program application – no deadline
  http://www.latrobe.edu.au/international/apply/how-to/research
  
  
• International applicants – Postgraduate research scholarships (LTUPRS) – deadline 30 September, 2010
  http://www.latrobe.edu.au/international/fees/scholarships/research
  

Please browse the Peters Lab site and the links above but do not hesitat to email me if you want to know more about the projects → richard.peters@latrobe.edu.au

 

Will be posted in September 2010