NEWSLETTER

Animal Behavior Society

Jan A. Randall, Secretary

Department of Biology, San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA 94132 USA

Julia Barfield, Editorial Assistant

Vol. 52, No. 1

February 2007

A quarterly publication

Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco , CA 94132 USA

RESULTS

2006-2007 ABS ELECTION

A total of 352 validated ballots were cast in the 2006 – 2007 election. This is 16.6% of the ABS membership and an increase in voter response from last year. Yay! A big THANK YOU to those who voted, and to Shan Duncan for setting up the ABS voting website, and to Steve Ramey for his assistance.

Congratulations to the new officers:

President-elect: Mike Ryan

Parliamentarian: Sue Margulis

Jr. Program Officer: Mike Noonan

Member-at-large: Alex Basolo

DIRECTION OF CORRESPONDENCE

ABS Newsletter: Send general correspondence concerning the Society to Jan Randall, jrandall@sfsu.edu. Deadlines are the 15th of the month preceding each newsletter. The next deadline is 15 April, 2007. Articles submitted by members of the Society and judged by the Secretary to be appropriate are occasionally published in the ABS newsletter. The publication of such material does not imply ABS endorsement of the opinions expressed by contributors.

Animal Behavior Society Website:

http://www.animalbehavior.org/

Animal Behaviour, manuscripts and editorial matters: Animal Behavior Editorial Office, Indiana University, 2611East 10th St, Bloomington, IN 47408-2603, USA. E-mail: aboffice@indiana.edu, Phone: (812)856-5541. Fax: (812) 856-5542.

Change of address, missing or defective issues: Animal Behavior Society, Indiana University, 2611East 10th St., Bloomington, IN 47408-2603, USA. E-mail: aboffice@indiana.edu, Phone:(812)856-5541. Fax: (812) 856-5542.

ABS OFFICERS

President: Douglas Mock, Department of Zoology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA. Phone: (405) 325-2751, E-mail: dmock@ou.edu

First President-Elect: Gerald Wilkinson, Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MA 20742, USA. Phone: (301) 405-6942, E-mail: wilkinso@umd.edu

Second President-Elect: Molly Morris, Department of Biological Science, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, USA. Phone: (740) 593 0337, E-mail: morris@ohio.edu

Past President: Stephen Nowicki, Department of Biology, Duke University, Box 90338, Durham, NC 27708-0325, USA. Phone: (919) 684-6950, E-mail: snowicki@duke.edu

Treasurer: Jim Ha, Department of Psychology and National Primate Research Center, Box 357330, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-7330, USA. Phone: (206) 543-2420, E-mail: jcha@u.washington.edu

Secretary: Jan Randall, Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA 94132, USA. Phone: (707) 874-3876, E-mail: jrandall@sfsu.edu

Program Officer: Jennifer Fewell, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe AZ 85287, USA. Phone: (480) 965-6539, E-mail: j.fewell@asu.edu

Junior Program Officer: Diana Hews. Department of Ecology and Organismal Biology, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN 47809, USA.
Phone: (812) 237-8352, E-mail: dhews@indstate.edu

Parliamentarian: Jill Mateo, University of Chicago, 5730 S. Woodlawn Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637, USA. Phone: (773) 834-9848, E-mail: jmateo@uchicago.edu

Executive Editor: Michael Breed, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, CB 334, Boulder, CO 80309-0334, USA.Phone: (303) 492-7687, E-mail: michael.breed@colorado.edu

Members-at-Large:

Chris Evans, Animal Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Macquarie University, Sydney NSW 2109, Australia, Phone: 61 (0)2 9850-9230, E-mail: chris@galliform.psy.mq.edu.au,

Regina H. Macedo, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade de Brasília 70910-900 -- Brasília -- DF -- Brasil, Phone: +55-61-307-2265, E-mail: rhfmacedo@unb.br

John Eadie. Department of Wildlife, Fish & Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis CA 95616, USA. Phone: (530) 754-9204, E-mail: jmeadie@ucdavis.edu

Historian: Donald Dewsbury, Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA. Phone: (352) 392-0601, E-mail: dewsbury@ufl.edu

2007 WARDER CLYDE ALLEE

COMPETITION

The Warder Clyde Allee Competition for Best Student Paper will take place at the 2007 Annual Meeting in Burlington, Vermont, 21-25 July. All eligible students are encouraged to participate. The following rules govern the Allee Award for best student paper presented in the Warder Clyde Allee session at the annual meeting:

Eligibility requirements: Any independent graduate student research (including, but not limited to, the doctoral dissertation) is eligible. The work presented may be part of a larger collaborative effort, but the student should have the principal responsibility for the conceptualization and design of the research, the collection and analysis of the data, and the interpretation of the results. The entrant cannot have completed defense of the doctoral dissertation before the preceding ABS annual meeting (August 2006). An individual can enter the session only once per lifetime. Only single-authored papers are eligible for the session.

To enter: Students must indicate their desire to be considered for the competition by checking the appropriate box on the abstract submittal form for the annual meeting; submit a written (or electronic) version of their paper which includes their addresses, telephone numbers and e-mail addresses; fill out a signed and dated form indicating that they meet all eligibility requirements (to be supplied to entrants after receipt of their papers); present a spoken version during the 2007 Annual Meeting; attend both the Allee welcoming dinner on the evening before the competition day, and the banquet during the Annual Meeting. The spoken portion of the competition is limited to 18 students. If more than 18 students enter, the Allee Judges will select the best 18 submitted papers for the spoken paper session and further eligibility. Four (4) copies of a written version, or an electronic version in PDF format, of no more than 7 double-spaced text pages and no more than a total of 4 tables and/or figures (this limit does not include abstract, references or acknowledgments) must be received by ABS 2nd President Elect, Dr. Molly R. Morris, Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio University, Athens OH, 45701 USA. E-mail: morrism@ohio.edu. Papers should be formatted using the instruction for authors for a research paper in the journal Animal Behaviour (http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/622782/authorinstructions).

Deadline for receiving papers is the same as for abstract submissions for the annual meeting, 15 MAY, 2007. If significant new results arise after submission, students may submit a one-page addendum to their papers up to 30 days before the first day of the Annual Meeting. Questions should be addressed to Dr. Molly R. Morris, E-mail: morrism@ohio.edu.

Representing diversity at 2006 ABS meeting (left to right): Zuleyma Tang-Martinez, Elizabeth Congdon and Danielle Lee

DIVERSITY FUND

STUDENT REGISTRATION FEE AWARDS FOR ANNUAL MEETINGS

A limited number of awards will be made from the Diversity Fund to cover registration fees for graduate students attending the annual ABS Meeting in Burlington, VT. Applicants must be enrolled in a graduate program at the time of application and must be members of under-represented minorities, including those living in North America who are African American, Native American, Asian American, and Hispanic American or are citizens of Central/South America. Awards will be chosen by a lottery of all valid applications received by 20 April, 2007. An electronic letter of application and an electronic statement directly from the student's major professor (confirming the student's graduate status) should be directed to ABS Treasurer Jim C. Ha, Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 97195, USA. E-mail: jcha@u.washington.edu

2007 FOUNDERS' MEMORIAL POSTER

This award is given to the best poster paper presented in the Founders' Poster session at the annual meeting and is open to all members of the Society in good standing. To join that session (and thus receive consideration from the judging panel), you must indicate your interest on the registration form for the scientific program.

2007 GENESIS AWARD FOR UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH

The Genesis Award, first presented at the 2000 meeting, was created to encourage undergraduates from academic institutions of all sizes to participate in research and present their findings in a professional forum. Undergraduates who submit posters for presentation at the annual meeting of the Animal Behavior Society are automatically entered in the Genesis Award poster competition. Judging criteria include significance of the research topic, research methodology, research results, and presentation. Presentation encompasses the student's oral discussion with the judges and the poster itself, including clear statements of the question and results, demonstration that there has been appropriate literature review, good organization, and visual appeal. Students should be prepared to demonstrate a mastery of their subject material. A complete set of judging criteria can be found at the ABS Education Committee website, under Career Development.

DISTINGUISHED TEACHING AWARD

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS

PLEASE NOMINATE QUALIFIED COLLEAGUES FOR THIS PRESTIGIOUS AWARD. Selection of the award recipient will be made by the Animal Behavior Society Education Committee and approved by the Executive Council. The award recipient will be announced at the annual meeting of the Society. (See November 2006 newsletter for further information.)

DEADLINE: Nominating letters should be submitted by 31 March, 2007, to Becky Talyn, 7883 Stewart Road, Colton, CA 92324, USA. E-mail: btalyn@csusb.edu

CALL FOR SYMPOSIA

FOR THE 2008 ABS ANNUAL MEETING

Symposium proposals for the 2008 annual ABS meeting, 14-19 August, at Snowbird Resort, Utah,should be submitted by 1 July, 2007. Symposia proposals will be considered by the Executive Committee at the ABS 2007 Annual Meeting in July.Information on organizing symposia may be found at the ABS website: http://www.animalbehavior.org/ABSHelp

Proposals should be submitted to the JuniorProgram Officer, Diana Hews, by e-mail at dhews@indstate.edu, or at the Department of Ecology and Organismal Biology, Indiana State, University Terre Haute, Indiana 47809.

Consultation with the Junior or Senior (Jennifer Fewell, j.fewell@asu.edu) Program Officers before submission is highly recommended.

Program officers Diana Hews and Jennifer Fewell. Penny Bernstein in background.

FOR THE 2008 AAAS MEETING

ABS is striving to expand awareness of its excellent science via symposia for the annual AAAS meeting. The target date for the next symposium is February 2008 in Boston. Anyone interested in organizing a symposium for the meeting, please contact Jan Randall at jrandall@sfsu.edu. Symposia proposals for the 2008 meeting are due in May 2007.

CALL FOR RESOLUTIONS

Resolutions that deal with timely and substantive political or social issues that members wish to submit for the consideration of the ABS membership should be submitted by 15 June, 2007. Submitted resolutions should provide direction to the ABS President to facilitate prompt action and will be evaluated by the Public Affairs Committee for appropriateness. Resolutions will be voted on at the annual business meeting in Burlington. Approved resolutions reflect the views of the Animal Behavior Society membership and are sent to the appropriate external agencies, organizations, or to the general public. Send resolution proposals to Jill Mateo, Acting Chair of the ABS Public Affairs Committee, University of Chicago, 5730 S. Woodlawn Avenue Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA, or electronically to jmateo@uchicago.edu.

ARTICLES

PLENARY ADDRESSES AT ABS MEETINGS: A HISTORY

Donald A. Dewsbury, University of Florida

Society Historian

A much-anticipated feature of meetings of the Animal Behavior Society (ABS) is the presence of plenary addresses. These serve to provide integrative overviews of research and conceptual areas that cannot be provided in brief presentations.

The ABS emerged from two progenitors, the Section of Animal Behavior and Sociobiology of the Ecological Society of America (ESA), founded in 1956, and the Division of Animal Behavior of the American Society of Zoologists, now the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (ASZ), in 1958 (Guhl & Schein, 1976; Schein, 1965). The initial meeting of the Section occurred at the ESA meetings in conjunction with those of the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) at the University of Connecticut in 1956. Beginning in 1958, the organization also sponsored sessions at meetings of the ASZ in conjunction with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). A pattern of meeting twice a year, in the summer with the ESA-AIBS and in winter with the ASZ-AAAS, continued for a number of years. Because these meetings were held in conjunction with larger organizations, sessions consisted primarily of symposia and contributed papers; there was little opportunity for plenary sessions. In some years there was a lunch meeting and some appear to have included featured speakers. Documentation of this is hard to find, however.

The ABS was formally established at the 1964 meeting in Montreal. The first independent meeting of the ABS was not held until 1971, however. The ABS met in June on the campus of Utah State University in Logan, Utah. Plenary addresses were immediately added to the program. That year, Gerard P. Baerends of the University of Groningen, Netherlands, gave a lecture on “Incubation Behavior in Gulls” -- the first ABS plenary address. There have been plenary addresses at every independent meeting of the ABS ever since. Initially, these addresses were given in the evening, after the banquet. They were moved to various times during the day beginning in 1977.

By my count, there have now been a total of 91 plenary addresses (i.e., those given a special place on the program with no competing sessions) of various kinds. I have tried to classify and characterize these addresses along several dimensions. This requires many judgment decisions; my decisions may differ from those of others. In many cases, only a title was available. Nevertheless, these data provide some characterization of the talks.

Type of Address. Talks have borne a variety of labels. At most meetings there has been at least one Keynote Address; on two occasions there were two. Beginning in 1966, the ABS began electing a group of Fellows. In 1983 the Executive Committee voted to establish a series of Fellows Addresses. The first Fellows Addresses were given in 1984 by Donald Dewsbury and Frank McKinney. There have been one or two such addresses at all subsequent meetings. Beginning in 2002, there have also been Distinguished Animal Behaviorist Lectures by those receiving the Society’s highest award. Speakers thus far have been Edward Wilson, Richard Alexander, and Robert Trivers. In addition, there have been Plenary Addresses under various rubrics, including Guest Lectures, Plenary Addresses, Public Lectures, an Anniversary Lecture, and a Special Lecture. For the 1978 meeting in Seattle, funding was obtained for four “John Danz Guest Lectures.” The speakers were Richard Alexander, Richard Dawkins, William Hamilton, and Robert Trivers. At the 1983 meeting at Bucknell University, there were five Plenary Addresses. Overall, there have been 41 Fellows addresses, 31 Keynote Addresses, and 19 bearing other designations.

Gender. According to the ABS Central Office, current gender data are available for 2,092 members (96%). There are 1,058 females and 1,034 males (50.6% female). This has changed over the course of the history of the ABS. Just 8.8% of the charter members were women; according to a 1991 estimate, the percentage had risen to 35% (Dewsbury, 1992a, b).

Seventy-three of the plenary addresses were given by men; 17 by women. One was a joint presentation (Nicholas and Elsie Collias). Thus, about 81% of the addresses were given by men. Only three women (10%) were represented in the 31 Keynote Addresses: Marian Dawkins, Gail Michener, and Felicity Huntingford. All three Distinguished Animal Behaviorist Addresses have been by men.

The first 15 Plenary Addresses were given by men; the breakthrough year for women was 1983, when Jeanne Altmann and Sue Savage-Rumbaugh spoke. However, there was just one more woman for the rest of the decade (Devra Kleiman in 1987). The percentages of talks by women were 0% during the 1970s and 12% during the 1980s. During the 1990s, 30% of the addresses were by women. Thus far in the first decade of the 21 st century, that number has dropped to 23%. Because of the changing gender mix over time, the reasons for these and other changes are difficult to interpret.

Racial Diversity. As best I can tell, all Plenary speakers have been Caucasian.

Discipline. By my estimate, 80 of the 91 (88%) plenary addresses have been given by scientists trained in one form of zoology or another. Ten have been given by psychologists and one by an MD.

Affiliations. As the field of animal behavior studies developed in Europe and North America, there was a perceived need to increase cross-fertilization. Plenary talks were initiated, in large part, to provide that. Thus, 10 of the first 15 addresses were by Europeans. That mix has changed dramatically in recent years, so that overall, just 18 of the talks were by Europeans. Of these, 10 were from England, three from the Netherlands, and two from Germany, with one each from Scotland, Sweden, and Switzerland. Canadians gave four talks and a scientist from Mexico gave one. Among those with U.S. affiliations, the trends generally followed population distributions: 12 had affiliations in California, nine in New York, and five each in Florida and the State of Washington. All told, U.S. speakers were affiliated with 24 different states and the District of Columbia.

Taxa. Many of the addresses have been general rather than confined to a specific taxon (e.g., Richard Dawkins’ 1978 “What is the Optimon?”). I was able to classify 51 addresses by taxon. Of these, 21 (41%) dealt with birds, twenty dealt with mammals (five with humans, five with nonhuman primates, and 10 with other mammals). Five addresses dealt with fishes, three with insects, one with reptiles, and one with amphibians.

Topics. Similarly, many talks were difficult to classify by topic; these classifications were highly subjective. Many were general. I classified 49 with respect to topic. There were 10 on communication; nine on reproductive behavior; four on mechanisms; and three each on genetics, migration and orientation, parental behavior, and population phenomena. The remainder concerned other topics.

Conclusion. Overall, the Plenary Addresses have greatly enriched the ABS meetings. They have brought prominent animal behaviorists from overseas, exposed ABS members to speakers not primarily identified as animal behaviorists (e.g., Barrie Frost, Colin Pittendrigh, Richard Wurtman), and provided opportunities for increased interchange with accomplished animal behaviorists. That said, one might be critical of the lack of diversity with regard to several of the categories presented here. There are historical reasons for some of these. As the ABS continues to evolve, we can expect greater diversity with respect to gender, country of affiliation (especially Latin America), and taxa. It appears less likely that there will be changes along some of the other dimensions.

References

Dewsbury, D. A. (1992a). The charter members of the Animal Behavior Society. Animal Behavior Society Newsletter , 37(1), 3-4.

Dewsbury, D. A. (1992b). A study of the elections of the Animal Behavior Society. Animal Behavior Society Newsletter , 37(1), 4-6.

Guhl, A. M., & Schein, M. W. (1976). The Animal Behavior Society: Its early history and activities. Animal Behavior Society, 66 pp.

Schein, M. W. (1965). The Animal Behavior Society: an intersociety organization. BioScience, 15, 592-593.

Plenary speaker Clutton-Brock enjoying himself at the banquet at the 2006 annual meeting.

Note from Jan Randall: I am reprinting the following article by Chuck Snowdon at a time when funding of animal behavior research is very limited, ~10% at NSF. There are many good arguments for support of our discipline in the article. Please tell them to your representative in Congress to help increase funding.

SIGNIFICANCE OF ANIMAL BEHAVIOR RESEARCH

Prepared by Charles T. Snowdon, while President of the Animal Behavior Society

Animal behavior is the bridge between the molecular and physiological aspects of biology and the ecological. Behavior is the link between organisms and environment and between the nervous system and the ecosystem. Behavior is one of the most important properties of animal life. Behavior plays a critical role in biological adaptations. Behavior is how we humans define our own lives. Behavior is that part of an organism by which it interacts with its environment. Behavior is as much a part of an organism as its coat, wings, etc. The beauty of an animal includes its behavioral attributes.

For the same reasons that we study the universe and subatomic particles, there is intrinsic interest in the study of animals. In view of the amount of time that television devotes to animal films and the amount of money that people spend on nature books, there is much more public interest in animal behavior than in neutrons and neurons. If human curiosity drives research, then animal behavior should be near the top of our priorities.

Research on animal behavior and behavioral ecology has been burgeoning in recent years despite below inflation increases (and often decreases) in research funding. Two of our journals, Animal Behaviour and Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, rank in the top six behavioral science AND zoological journals in terms of impact as measured by the Science Citation Index. From 1985 to 1990, Animal Behaviour has grown from a quarterly to a monthly publication, and its page budget has more than doubled. Many related journals have increased their size and frequency of publication in the same period. Ours is an active and vital field.

While the study of animal behavior is important as a scientific field on its own, our science has made important contributions to other disciplines with applications to the study of human behavior, to the neurosciences, to the environment and resource management, to the study of animal welfare and to the education of future generations of scientists.

A. ANIMAL BEHAVIOR AND HUMAN SOCIETY

1. Many problems in human society are often related to the interaction of environment and behavior or genetics and behavior. The fields of socioecology and animal behavior deal with the issue of environment-behavioral interactions both at an evolutionary level and a proximate level. Increasingly social scientists are turning to animal behavior as a framework in which to interpret human society and to understand possible causes of societal problems. (For example, Daly and Wilson's book on human homicide is based on an evolutionary analysis from animal research. Many studies on child abuse utilize theory and data from studies on infanticide in animals.)

2. Research by de Waal on chimpanzees and monkeys has illustrated the importance of cooperation and reconciliation in social groups. This work provides new perspectives by which to view and ameliorate aggressive behavior among human beings.

3. The methodology applied to study animal behavior has had a tremendous impact in psychology and the social sciences. Jean Piaget began his career with the study of snails, and he extended the use of careful behavioral observations and descriptions to his landmark studies on human cognitive development. J. B. Watson began his study of behavior by observing gulls. Aspects of experimental design, observation techniques, and attention to nonverbal communication signals were often developed in animal behavior studies before their application to studies of human behavior. The behavioral study of humans would be much diminished today without the influence of animal research.

4. Charles Darwin's work on emotional expression in animals has had an important influence on many psychologists, such as Paul Ekman, who study human emotional behavior.

5. Harry Harlow's work on social development in rhesus monkeys has been of major importance to theories of child development and to psychiatry. The work of Overmier, Maier and Seligman on learned helplessness has had a similar effect on child development and psychiatry.

6. The comparative study of behavior over a wide range of species can provide insights into influences affecting human behavior. For example, the woolly spider monkey in Brazil displays no overt aggressive behavior among group members. We might learn how to minimize human aggression if we understood how this species of monkey avoids aggression. If we want to have human fathers be more involved in infant care, we can study the conditions under which paternal care has appeared in other species like the California mouse or in marmosets and tamarins. Studies of various models of the ontogeny of communication in birds and mammals have had direct influence on the development of theories and the research directions in the study of child language. The richness of developmental processes in behavior, including multiple sources and the consequences of experience are significant in understanding processes of human development.

7. Understanding the differences in adaptability between species that can live in a variety of habitats versus those that are restricted to limited habitats can lead to an understanding of how we might improve human adaptability as our environments change.

8. Research by animal behaviorists on animal sensory systems has led to practical applications for extending human sensory systems. Griffin's demonstrations on how bats use sonar to locate objects has led directly to the use of sonar techniques in a wide array of applications from the military to fetal diagnostics.

9. Studies of chimpanzees using language analogs have led to new technology (computer keyboards using arbitrary symbols) that have been applied successfully to teaching language to disadvantaged human populations.

10. Basic research on circadian and other endogenous rhythms in animals has led to research relevant to human factors and productivity in areas such as coping with jet-lag or changing from one shift to another.

11. Research on animals has developed many of the important concepts relating to coping with stress, for example studies of the importance of prediction and control on coping behavior.

B. ANIMAL BEHAVIOR AND NEUROBIOLOGY

1. Sir Charles Sherrington, an early Nobel Prize winner, developed a model for the structure and function of the nervous system based only on close behavioral observation and deduction. Seventy years of subsequent neurobiological research has completely supported the inferences Sherrington made from behavioral observation.

2. Neuroethology, the integration of animal behavior and the neurosciences, provides important frameworks for hypothesizing neural mechanisms. Careful behavioral data allow neurobiologists to narrow the scope of their studies and to focus on relevant input stimuli and attend to relevant responses. In many cases the use of species-specific natural stimuli has led to new insights about neural structure and function that contrast with results obtained using non-relevant stimuli.

3. Recent work in animal behavior has demonstrated a downward influence of behavior and social organization on physiological and cellular processes. Variations in social environment can inhibit or stimulate ovulation, produce menstrual synchrony, induce miscarriages and so on. Other animal studies show that the quality of the social and behavioral environment have a direct effect on immune system functioning. Researchers in physiology and immunology need to be guided by these behavioral and social influences to properly control their own studies.

C. ANIMAL BEHAVIOR AND THE ENVIRONMENT, CONSERVATION AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

1. The behavior of animals often provides the first clues or early warning signs of environmental degradation. Changes in sexual and other behavior occur much sooner and at lower levels of environmental disruption than changes in reproductive outcomes and population size. If we wait to see if numbers of animal populations are declining, it may be too late to take measures to save the environment. Studies of natural behavior in the field are vital to provide baseline data for future environmental monitoring. For example, the Environmental Protection Agency uses disruptions in swimming behavior of minnows as an index of possible pesticide pollution.

2. Basic research on how salmon migrate back to their home streams started more than 40 years ago by Arthur Hasler has taught us much about the mechanisms of migration. This information has also been valuable in preserving the salmon industry in the Pacific Northwest, and applications of Hasler's results has led to the development of a salmon fishing industry in the Great Lakes. Basic animal behavior research can have important economic implications.

3. Animal behaviorists have described variables involved in insect reproduction and host plant location leading to the development of non-toxic pheromones for insect pest control that avoid the need for toxic pesticides. Understanding of predator-prey relationships can lead to the introduction of natural predators on prey species.

4. Knowledge of honeybee foraging behavior can be applied to mechanisms of pollination, which in turn is important for plant breeding and propagation.

5. An understanding of foraging behavior in animals can lead to an understanding of forest regeneration. Many animals serve as seed dispersers and are thus essential for the propagation of tree species and essential for habitat preservation.

6. The conservation of endangered species requires that we know enough about natural behavior (migratory patterns, home range size, interactions with other groups, foraging demands, reproductive behavior, communication, etc) in order to develop effective reserves and effective protection measures. Relocation or reintroduction of animals (such as the golden lion tamarin) is not possible without detailed knowledge of a species' natural history. With the increasing importance of environmental programs and human management of populations of rare species, both in captivity and in the natural habitat, animal behavior research becomes increasingly important. Many of the world's leading conservationists have a background in animal behavior or behavioral ecology.

7. Basic behavioral studies on reproductive behavior have led to improved captive breeding methods for whooping cranes, golden lion tamarins, cotton-top tamarins, and many other endangered species. Captive breeders who were ignorant of the species' natural reproductive behavior were generally unsuccessful.

D. ANIMAL BEHAVIOR AND ANIMAL WELFARE

1. Our society has placed increased emphasis on the welfare of research and exhibit animals. U.S. law now requires attending to exercise requirements for dogs and the psychological well-being of nonhuman primates. Animal welfare without knowledge is impossible. Animal behavior researchers look at the behavior and well-being of animals in lab and field. We have provided expert testimony to bring about reasonable and effective standards for the care and well-being of research animals.

2. Further developments in animal welfare will require input from animal behavior specialists. Improved conditions for farm animals, breeding of endangered species, and proper care of companion animals all require a strong behavioral database.

E. ANIMAL BEHAVIOR AND SCIENCE EDUCATION

Many in our society are concerned with scientific illiteracy, the lack of interest that students have in science, and the fact that women and minority groups are underrepresented in science. Courses in animal behavior and behavioral ecology serve as hooks to interest students in behavioral biology. At the University of Wisconsin, Madison more than 700 students a year take courses in animal behavior and behavioral ecology in the Departments of Anthropology, Psychology and Zoology, yet none of these courses serve as required courses for majors. Cornell University enrolls nearly 400 students in an Introduction to Behavior course that is required of only 60-70 students. Enrollment has grown by 30% in the last three years. At the University of Stirling, Scotland, 75% of graduates in Psychology enroll in the elective, non-required animal behavior course. At the University of Washington, Seattle, more than 300 students enroll each quarter in a basic animal behavior class. Similar results can be found on many other campuses.

For many students, especially females, these courses are their first introduction to behavioral biology. Many female undergraduates approach us to discuss graduate school and research careers after taking these courses. 75% or more of our graduate applicants are female. A good proportion of students enrolled in animal behavior courses become motivated for research careers, but there is little hope to offer them that they will actually be able to become practicing scientists when they finish due to severe limitations on research funding.

NOTICE TO DEVELOPING NATION

SCIENTISTS PLANNING TO ATTEND ABS 2007

The Latin American Affairs Committee can provide letters of invitation to help scientists (faculty or students) from developing countries obtain travel funding from their universities in order to attend the ABS meeting in 2007. If such a letter would be useful in helping you to obtain funding, please contact Zuleyma Tang-Martinez: zuleyma@umsl.edu to request an invitation. Please provide your name and address, as well as the title or topic of the paper you will be presenting at the conference.

ATTENTION AUTHORS

Are you an author or editor of a book related to animal behavior? If so, we would like to list it on the ABS Books by Members Web page

(http://www.animalbehavior.org/ABSBooks/ ). Listing your book is quick and easy! And remember, if the book is still available, there is a direct link to Amazon.com from the web site for interested buyers (and ABS earns up to 5% from purchases made through this link). Send the following information to Jill Mateo (jmateo@uchicago.edu): Author name(s), book title, publication year, publisher, number of pages, ISBN number (specify whether for hardcover or paperback), and a *brief* abstract of the book.

IN SADNESS

Elsie Collias has died at the age of 87 at her home in Van Nuys, California, on 17 December, 2006. Elsie was one of the Founders of the Animal Behavior Society and a regular attendant at annual ABS meetings with her husband Nicholas Collias, also a Founder of the Society.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

LATIN AMERICAN STUDENT MEMBERSHIPS

At the August 2005 ABS Executive Committee Meeting in Snowbird, Utah, a new initiative was approved to aid with recruitment of Latin American faculty and students. This endeavor involves contributions from ABS Members to a fund that will be maintained at the Central Office. Each year, beginning now, the Membership Committee will fund a certain number (depending upon contributions) of new subscriptions from the fund. Each membership costs $24 for the student rate with the paper journal ($19 without the paper -- online only). With the assistance of Regina Macedo, the Membership Committee has already compiled a list of 60+ students who would like to join the ABS. We ask that you consider making a contribution to the Latin American Membership Fund (checks made out to Animal Behavior Society with appropriate notation for this fund). Please send your contribution to the ABS Central Office, 2611 East 10th Street, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47408-2603, noting that your gift is for this program. THANKS in advance to all who contribute -- this sort of endeavor is exactly what we, as a society, have decided to make a high priority. If you have questions, please contact Joe Haydock by e-mail at haydock@gonzaga.edu.

A B S n e t

THE ELECTRONIC MAIL NETWORK OF THE ANIMAL BEHAVIOR SOCIETY

ABSnet provides a fast electronic forum for animal behaviorists and others interested in the study of animal behavior, in a digest or newsletter form. ABSnet provides job announcements, requests for information, computer related news (virus and bug alerts), appropriate software and hardware reviews and news of Society activities and business. ABSnet is not an interactive, listserv-type discussion group, but rather a moderated forum for the exchange of information of interest to animal behaviorists. The digest or newsletter does not replace the official Society hard-copy newsletter sent to all Society members via regular mail. Questions? Ask James C. Ha, University of Washingtonjcha@u.washington.edu. To SUBSCRIBE to ABSnet go to: http://www.animalbehavior.org and click on the News and Announcements link on the left, then on the Subscribe/Unsubscribe link under ABSNet and fill out the Web-based form. Links to post an article or view the archives are also available.

DID YOU KNOW?

Purchases via the Amazon.com link on our main Web page, http://www.animalbehavior.org, contribute 5% of the total to ABS. If you have books to order and would like to contribute to the society's efforts at the same time, please consider this option. The Amazon link is found at the bottom of our main Web page.

Join an ABS Committee!

If you would you like to volunteer for one of the society's active committees, contact ABS President Douglas Mock, Department of Zoology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA. Phone: (405) 325-2751, E-mail: dmock@ou.edu

MEETINGS

ANIMAL BEHAVIOR SOCIETY

ANNUAL MEETINGS

2007: 21-25 July, Burlington, Vermont

2008: 14-19 August, Snowbird, Utah

2009: 22-26 June, Pirenopolis, Brazil

OTHER MEETINGS OF INTEREST

2007: American Arachnological Society Annual Meeting, Susquehanna University, Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, 13-17 July.

2007 : Ecological Society of America and the Society for Ecological Restoration International Joint Annual Meeting, San Jose McEnergy Convention Center, San Jose, CA, 5-10 August, 2007.

INTERNATIONAL MEETINGS

2007: International Ethological Conference,

15-23 August, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada

2007: The Crustacean Society,

14-17 October, La Serena, Coquimbo, Chile

2008: International Society of Behavioral Ecology ,

9-14 August, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

NOTICE!

Issues of the ABS Newsletter are published first on the ABS Web page. Hard copies of the Newsletter are delivered by mail and may take weeks to arrive. To get ABS news fast , point your browser to: http://www.animalbehavior.org/ and click News And Announcements in the left navigation bar.

REGIONAL ABS MEETING IN MEXICO SUCCESSFUL

The first regional Animal Behavior Society meeting in Latin America was considered a huge success by those attending. Over one hundred attendants from eleven countries ( Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Spain, USA, Uruguay and Venezuela) gathered in the picturesque town of Xico, Veracruz, Mexico, surrounded by the cloud forest of the eastern slope of the Sierra Madre Oriental on 8-12 October, 2006. Two plenary speakers, Leticia Aviles, University of British Columbia , Canada, and Bill Eberhard, Universidad de Costa Rica, Costa Rica, and 62 individual contributions were the focus of a rich exchange of ideas among scientists from a wide geographic and cultural range. The Latin-American Affairs Committee (LAAC) of ABS organized the meeting to promote discussion and exchange of information between animal behaviorists from North South America in the Society, the main objective of the LAAC. The host institution, the Instituto de Ecología, A.C. Mexico, was an excellent choice for this first meeting, given the large group of animal behaviorists in the country, and its stepping-stone location. (More information and the full program may be found at http://www.ecologia.edu.mx/laabs/.)

OPPORTUNITY

RESEARCH ASSISTANTS NEEDED FOR BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY OF PRAIRIE DOGS.

Students will participate in long-term research in Colorado with white-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys leucurus), which are large, diurnal, colonial rodents that are in danger of extinction. Research begins on 5 March, 2007, and ends in early July 2007. Topics of investigation include demography, incest, multiple mating by females, alarm calling, and communal nursing. The only prerequisite is enthusiasm for field research in behavioral/population ecology. If your interest is genuine, then I guarantee that your experience will be worthwhile. For more information, please contact Professor John L. Hoogland, Appalachian Laboratory, University of Maryland, Frostburg, Maryland, 21532, USA. Phone: (301) 689-7130, E-mail: hoogland@al.umces.edu.

Below is a group picture of attendees at the first Regional Latin American Meeting of the Animal Behavior Society at Xico, Veracruz, Mexico, held 8-12 October, 2006.

Burlington 2007


Registration for the

44 th Annual Meeting of the Animal Behavior Society,

21-25 July, 2007

will open on 15 March.

Online registration and mail-in forms will be available via link from the ABS Meetings page at: http://www.animalbehavior.org/ABSMeetings/

Scientific Program Highlights

Featured Speakers :

Keynote speaker:Bert Hölldobler, Arizona State University, TBA

Fellows lectures:

Elizabeth Adkins-Regan , Cornell University, Hormonal activation and organization of mating

and pairing: a tale of two birds

Randy Nelson , Ohio State University, Environmental Regulation of Trade-Offs Between Reproduction and Immune Function

Jan Komdeur, University of Groningen, The Netherlands, TBA

Symposia :

Evolutionary ecology of learning, memory and information use

Organizers: Reuven Dukas, McMaster University, Canada

John Ratcliffe, Cornell University

Conservation Behavior: From implications to applications

Organizer: Colleen Cassady St. Clair, University of Alberta, Canada

Special Session:

Teaching Animal Behavior: Tips From the Top

Organizers: Penny Bernstein, Kent State University

Michael Noonan, Canisius College

Recipients of the Animal Behavior Society's Distinguished Teaching Award will demonstrate award-winning strategies for teaching animal behavior.

Film Festival:

The XXIII Annual Animal Behavior Society Film Festival. Saturday, 21 July, and Sunday, 22 July.

Special Events

Please bring items to Burlington to donate to the auction:

(1) Books on animal behavior, biology, ecology, conservation, applied animal behavior, etc.; (2) autographed books from ABS authors; (3) items with animal themes (t-shirts, jewelry, calendars, greeting cards, posters, etc.); (4) software useful for members (statistics, data collection, etc.); (5) videotapes for teaching or entertainment with behavior themes; (6) memorabilia from past ABS meetings and members (vintage artifacts); (7) animal photography; (8) animal artwork; (9) statistical consulting; (10) behind-the-scenes tour of a zoo, etc. Donated items will be placed on tables next to bidding forms, or described, if the item is not present.

Contact James Ha (jcha@u.washington.edu) or Renee R. Ha (robinet@u.washington.edu) for further information concerning the auction.


Registration, Food, Lodging, Transportation

Participants must register by 8 May, 2007, and submit abstracts by 15 May, 2007. Abstracts will only be accepted from registered participants. Members in good standing may sponsor one contributed submission, either a paper or poster presentation. Symposium talks are not included under this limit.

Be advised that there is a limit on the number of Contributed Talks that can be accepted. ABS bylaws require us to accept talk abstracts in the order received rather than the merits of the abstract or the presenter. You may still submit your most excellent abstract as a contributed poster, but not as a contributed talk, once this limit has been reached. The current limit is set at 200.

Registration: Fees for 2007, as approved by the Executive Committee, are listed below

(all prices are in U.S. Dollars) :

Early

Late

(After May 8)

Full member

$195

$260

Student Member

95

160

Full Non-Member

260

350

Student Non-Member

175

240

Guest/Spouse

64

64

(Children under 12, free with parent registration)

Developing Country

64

64

Other Items:

Welcome reception/picnic

$26

Banquet

Salmon

$35

Roast Beef

$29

Vegetarian

$27

T shirt

$15

Food: There is a restaurant (G's) in the hotel with a full but somewhat limited menu, along with a bar that serves lighter fare (Tuckaway's Pub). Some restaurants of varying prices are within walking distance with the closest, Friendly's, on the other side of the highway, about 10 minutes away . Downtown Burlington is an easy bike or bus-ride away. Restaurants offer an excellent array of dining choices ranging from to National fast food chains to many wonderful locally owned restaurants ( http://hungryburlington.com/search/all.php ).

We will be making a "cheat sheet" available with the locations of the best food deals, and the lunch break is long enough to allow time for conference participants to forage efficiently at midday.

Housing: Housing will be primarily on site at the Sheraton and Conference Center in Burlington. Reservations will be handled entirely by Sheraton staff.

Prices: $112/night ($94/night for a limited number of students for a standard room with 2 double beds), tax not included. Regular rooms usually have a single king bed or two double beds. A limited number of rooms have two queen-size beds.

Alternative housing and camping are also convenient and inexpensive in and near Burlington, although reservations are recommended.

Transportation: Burlington International (BTV) is an international airport served by several major carriers ( Delta, JetBlue, Continental, US Airways and United). Nonstop flights are available from some major hubs, but those wishing to fly to Burlington are advised to make reservations well in advance.

Ground transportation from BTV airport to the Sheraton Hotel and Conference Center (10 min) is provided by the free hotel shuttle. Travelers can call for a pickup using the free hotel shuttle phones at the airport(baggage claim area) .

Things to Do: Located on the eastern shore of Lake Champlain between the Adirondack and Green Mountains, Burlington is one of America's most livable cities. The hotel has two hot tubs, a swimming pool, and a fitness center with a bar on site. Hiking and biking are popular options in the area, and will be good options for conference participants. One hiking trail runs right by the hotel, and we will arrange to have bike rental on site. Burlington is very bike friendly, and there is an excellent bike trail that runs along the shore of Lake Champlain. Downtown Burlington also has great shopping, especially along a pedestrian mall, and an active night life (the University of Vermont is next to the SheratonHotel). Some special attractions to consider are: Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory tour (speaks for itself), Lake Champlain Chocolates (fresh, delicious and fun for the whole family -- includes a factory tour), Echo at the Leahy Center for Lake Champlain (aquarium and science center with 100 hands-on exhibits on Lake Champlain), andShelburne Farms (575 ha working farm and National Historic Landmark). Northern Lights Cruises runs scenic lunch and dinner cruises daily (reservations required), or you can take the ferry across to New York state.

Child Care: On-site child care is not provided by the Sheraton Hotel and Conference Center and must be arranged by individuals. The hotel has a short referral list available at the Front Desk and the Vermont Nanny Connection (Phone: 802-660- 0610, Website: http://www.vermontnannyconnection.com) has reasonable rates for a group of four children.

For Further Information: Please have a look at the Animal Behavior Society website or, if all else fails, contact the Designated Host, Ken Yasukawa, by e-mail (yasukawa@beloit.edu) or by phone at (608) 363-2314.