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ABS Members in the News
Notices are added frequently, with links to articles in, for example, CNN, Nature, Science, NY Times, ABC News, BBC, Scientific American, and more! If you have a link to add, please contact the chair of the Public Affairs Committee.
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ABSNews |
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Animal Behavior Society's News and Announcments |
Gannet chicks have been tracked with satellite tags confirming they can fly to Australia from Cape Kidnappers in Hawke's Bay.Mark Hauber from Auckland University's school of biological sciences says unlike the adult birds, the young gannets took a longer route south towards Stewart Island before turning West to cross the Tasman.For more, see:http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/stories/2009/03/26/1245a4c0c86f
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Tagging monarch butteflies in their introduced range continues to generate new data on microevolution and species invasions. Mark Hauber, now of Hunter College CUNY, continues to collaborate with the public on studying the movements of monarch butterflies in New Zealand. For the latest, see the news write up in the Wellington Dominion Post:http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/communities/hutt-news/1403579
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Researchers from The University of Auckland and the University of Bath, UK, have studied the habits of the Australasian gannet, Morus serrator, and identified that the male bird supplies seaweed to line the nest, providing an insulating layer.The results of the study are published in the latest issue of the journal Behaviour.Gannet eggs should ideally be kept at a temperature around 35C to ensure normal chick development. Where seaweed was included in the structure, nests were significantly warmer in the morning, when low temperatures and heat loss are most detrimental to the roosting parent. This increase in insulation is particularly important in areas where the Australasian gannet nests in New Zealand, where temperatures can drop to 9C at night during the August to October laying period.The research studied gannets during October 2007 at the Plateau Colony, a subcolony of the famous Cape Kidnappers gannetry in Hawkes Bay. The study observed over 100 gannets in their natural environment, and temperatures of the nest were measured using thermal imagery from up to 5 metres away, minimising disruption of the birds."The sex specific behaviour of seabirds is well known, but this is the first study to look at the nest building of Australasian gannets," says PhD student Steffi Ismar of the School of Biological Sciences, the corresponding author on the study. "The gannet only lays one or sometimes two eggs, and their winter laying period means it is vital for the nest to provide some insulation, both to maintain ideal temperatures for successful chick development and to protect the incubating parent from the cold. It is interesting to see the male taking the lead in this home-making behaviour."The first-named author on the study, Jeni Matthews, was a visiting student toThe University of Auckland from the University of Bath, UK. The project was carried out in connection with Steffi Ismar's PhD research, supervised by Dr Mark Hauber and funded in part by an international doctoral research scholarship from Education New Zealand.http://www.voxy.co.nz/national/males-keep-home/5/5350
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Any president-elect has to make appointments to many important offices. But Barack Obama has an additional burden: although most presidents have brought a First Dog with them, his family has yet to fill that position. Stephen Zawistowski, an executive vice president for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and a member of the Animal Behavior Society. Stanley Coren, a psychologist who has written a series of best-selling books on dogs and a featured speaker at the Society's 2008 meeting all offer advise.
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