Male túngara frogs aggregate in choruses when advertising for mates. This provides an opportunity for females, as well as competing males, to attend and respond to their advertisement displays (such as acoustic calls). While much is known about female preference for display traits, little is understood about how the same stimuli influence male-male competition. This study investigates the relative importance of three types of social stimuli - acoustic, visual, and chemical - on the calling behavior and hormonal state of male túngara frogs during competitive courtship events.
No specific skills/experience is required to assist with behavioral analyses. Pipetting experience, outside of a university course, is required to assist with hormone assays.
This position is best suited for individuals that enjoy detail oriented tasks and work efficiently.
Fall 2018 - Spring 2019
Tasks: Video analysis (scoring behavior), call analysis (characterizing calls), and potential for assisting with hormone analyses (working in a wet lab).
Expectations: You should expect many tasks to be meticulous and highly repetitive. We will work together to establish a schedule of 10 hours/week. You will learn about animal communication and how behavioral experiments are conducted, learn new software programs and lab techniques, and have a research experience to add to your CV. You may also apply for three hours of course credit if you contact Meghan ASAP.
