Architectural Innovation and Evolution of Weaverbird Nests
Rauri Bowie, Professor
Integrative Biology, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology
Closed. This professor is continuing with Spring 2024 apprentices on this project; no new apprentices needed for Fall 2024.
Nest structures are widespread across animals including insects, fish, amphibians, and most conspicuously, birds. Despite their ubiquity, nests remain one of the most understudied components of avian life history. Some of the most remarkable examples of elaborate nest design are within the passerine weaverbirds (family Ploceidae). Weaverbirds are an Old World radiation of sparrow-like birds primarily distributed throughout sub-Saharan Africa, with several species occurring in tropical Southeast Asia and on several islands in the Indian Ocean. The family is comprised of 116 species in 15–17 genera and as their name implies, are perhaps best known for their elaborately designed nests which some species construct by intricately “weaving” together nesting materials using specialized knots, making them exceptionally strong and pliant. Our research primarily focuses on studying the extensive nest diversity exhibited by the family, by taking morphological measurements directly from nest specimens in museum collections. Data from hundreds of nests have already been collected from representative species across the family and will be used to look at variation in nest design between them. These results will ultimately be placed within a broader evolutionary context in order to identify the potential forces of selection that have influenced avian nest design.
Role: We seek a URAP student (or two) that will be supervised by an IB graduate student and will assist in 1.) processing and organizing images of individual nests taken from museum specimens; 2.) assisting in proper species identification of nests using online resources and published field guides; 3.) collecting morphological data from nest images using analytical software such as ImageJ. Through working on this project the URAP student will gain experience in morphological data analysis, museum-based research with direct exposure to museum specimens, and instruction in the fields of evolutionary biology, avian natural history and ecology.
Qualifications: Qualifications: Looking for a disciplined, enthusiastic student who is able to pay close attention to detail, and possesses a strong interest in the fields of ornithology, natural history, and or museum-based research. Students that have taken either the Natural History of the Vertebrates (IB104) or Ornithology (IB174) courses will be considered stronger candidates.
Day-to-day supervisor for this project: Jackie Childers, Graduate Student
Hours: 6-8 hrs
Biological & Health Sciences