PhD Opportunities in Animal Communication

Many animals use movement to communicate, yet the factors that contribute to signal structure 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.

• Project - 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 ... ]

Participants: Richard Peters (La Trobe Uni) & Jan Hemmi (UWA)

Applications, Scholarship etc.

• Australian citizens & permanent residents – Application form for postgraduate research and scholarships (APA, LTUPRS) – deadline 31 October
  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
  http://www.latrobe.edu.au/international/fees/scholarships/research
  

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

 

Contact Richard