Behavioral Ecology and Conservation
Research Group
NEWS FROM THE LAB
February, 2022
Starting the year with field work!
Our research incubator group has started their project studying the impact of artificial light at night on the mating behavior of fireflies. We collected fireflies specimens and study their flashing behavior. The first field trip was a success, now back to the lab to check if the fireflies are the ones we need for our experiment.
December, 2021
We are awarded the research incubator research grant!
Our research incubator group has been awarded its first research grant to study the impact of artificial light at night on the mating behavior of fireflies! The team worked really hard to put this proposal together, very well done!
November, 2021
Our lab meets for the first time!
It's been hard for a lot of labs, specially the ones that started during the pandemic, to get to know each other in person. Well, we finally had the opportunity to do so! Here is our very first in person lab photo, in the field!
First (in person) Lab Photo (2021)
Getting to know each other!
Mentoring activities during the pandemic are tricky, all activities are done online and is really hard to get that feeling that we are getting to know each other but as things get better there is an opportunity for us to finally meet in person after one year of zoom meetings!
First (in person) research incubator group (2021)
October, 2021
We caught our very first wild guinea pig!
Starting a new system is not that easy. First step, get your study animals to go in the traps. This has been our challenge, one that Laia, has helped me to endure. She's been trying different trapping methods and testing different baits. After several trials and days of having our traps opened, we finally succeeded!
Wild guinea pig at our study site in Reserva Biológica El Encenillo
August, 2021
Melissa successfully defended her undergraduate thesis, congratulations Melissa!
Melissa successfully defined her work on anti-depredatory behavior of urban birds. It was a very nice and clean presentation and she showed to be very well prepared when answering the questions from the reviewers. Very well done!
June, 2021
Andrés receives research funding from the Faculty of Natural Science, Universidad del Rosario
Andrés was awarded with financial support to carry out his undergrad research project: Characterizing sexual dimorphism in oilbirds. He will be working with oilbirds a species that exhibit low sexual dimorphism. His aim is to identify the phenotypic traits that allow differentiating males from females. Congratulations Andrés!
First Lab Photo (2021)
June, 2021
Laia is awarded the "Young talent" scholarship from Universidad del Rosario
Laia successfully applied to a scholarship that will allow her to foster her research skills while being part of a research project. Laia will join the project Sociality and Demography where she will be studying the social strategies associated to fluctuating environments on wild guinea pigs. Congratulations and Welcome to the team!
February, 2021
The Max Planck Partner group hosted by Universidad del Rosario officially starts activities!
Adriana has been officially appointed as the leader of the Max Planck Partner Group and it starts activities this February. The group will be working with Oilbirds in the Andean Mountains in Colombia. The focus of the research is on unrevealing the secrets of their social lives and further understanding the ecology of their movement.
January, 2021
Melissa receives research funding from the Faculty of Natural Science, Universidad del Rosario
Melissa successfully applied for funding support to develop her undergrad thesis: Fear in urban tropical ecosystems: Flight initiation distance of birds in an urbanization gradient. She will be exploring how urban birds vary in their anti predator response across an urbanization gradient. Congratulations Melissa!