Determining behavioral, neuroendocrine, and genetic predictors of dispersal in colonial tuco-tucos (Ctenomys sociabilis)
Eileen Lacey, Professor
Integrative Biology
Closed. This professor is continuing with Fall 2023 apprentices on this project; no new apprentices needed for Spring 2024.
Broadly, we seek to understand how mechanisms in the brain contribute to the vast differences in social behavior evident among mammals, with particular interest in the evolution of such neural and behavioral diversity. Dispersal is an important behavioral and life history transition. Much variation in sociality arises due to differences in individual dispersal decisions: Dispersal can result in solitary adults that interact with conspecifics primarily just to mate, whereas failure to disperse can result in the formation of social groups. While dispersal structures the social lives of all mammals, little is known about the neural and hormonal mechanisms that mediate this critical aspect of behavior. To address this gap, we will be using an integrative approach to evaluate the neuroendocrine predictors of dispersal behavior in captive and semi-captive colonial tuco-tucos (Ctenomys sociabilis).
Role: Undergraduates will have the opportunity to be involved in every step of the research process, including literature review, colony maintenance, behavioral testing (lab and field station), behavioral coding, brain slicing, and neural/hormonal assays. Undergraduates will gain not only experience with important scientific procedures, but will also gain understanding of experimental design and the scientific process more generally.
Qualifications: -biology, neuroscience, or psychology major (or related major/relevant coursework)
-junior or senior (desirable but not essential)
Day-to-day supervisor for this project: Nikki Lee, Post-Doc
Hours: to be negotiated
Related website: http://laceylab.weebly.com/
Biological & Health Sciences