PhD Projects
Read a bit more about what I've been researching recently!
Figure 1. Most house sparrows show high (red) or low (blue) neophobia. Left: Data from 1 h trials (n=24 birds) where the food dish was presented with a novel object after an overnight fast. Right. Photo of a neophobic bird avoiding the food dish during a novel object trial. Object was a purple plastic egg.
Figure 1. Most house sparrows show high (red) or low (blue) neophobia. Left: Data from 1 h trials (n=24 birds) where the food dish was presented with a novel object after an overnight fast. Right. Photo of a neophobic bird avoiding the food dish during a novel object trial. Object was a purple plastic egg.
BEHAVIOR
BEHAVIOR
Investigating neophobia behavior in wild-caught house sparrows
Investigating neophobia behavior in wild-caught house sparrows
Neophobia, or "fear of the new", is an exploration-avoidance behavior that effects an animals ability to interact with novelty in their environment. In the Lattin Lab, I studied neophobia in house sparrows, an invasive species found on almost every continent. They are consistently either highly neophobic or non-neophobic and I aim to uncover why. I also explored neophobia in different contexts to better understand how this behavior influences an animals relationship with their environment. Read my review on neophobia experimental design here.
Neophobia, or "fear of the new", is an exploration-avoidance behavior that effects an animals ability to interact with novelty in their environment. In the Lattin Lab, I studied neophobia in house sparrows, an invasive species found on almost every continent. They are consistently either highly neophobic or non-neophobic and I aim to uncover why. I also explored neophobia in different contexts to better understand how this behavior influences an animals relationship with their environment. Read my review on neophobia experimental design here.
BRAINS
BRAINS
Uncovering the neural mediators of neophobia
Uncovering the neural mediators of neophobia
In my dissertation, I aim to uncover what in the brain causes a house sparrow to be either neophobic or non-neophobic. I have explored this broadly looking at neuronal activation in the whole brain (see Kimball et al. 2022), and more specifically by investigated dopamine receptors in the hippocampus (unpublished).
In my dissertation, I aim to uncover what in the brain causes a house sparrow to be either neophobic or non-neophobic. I have explored this broadly looking at neuronal activation in the whole brain (see Kimball et al. 2022), and more specifically by investigated dopamine receptors in the hippocampus (unpublished).
Figure 2. Coronal section of a house sparrow brain at 4x magnification. Brain sections were stained for ZENK, an immediate early gene that indicates neuronal activation.
Figure 2. Coronal section of a house sparrow brain at 4x magnification. Brain sections were stained for ZENK, an immediate early gene that indicates neuronal activation.
Figure 3. ZENK expression of female sparrows did not differ in response to predator or conspecific calls. AMV=medial ventral arcopallium, cHP=caudal hippocampus, HA=apical hyperpallium, NCL=caudolateral nidopallium, NCM=caudomedial nidopallium, and CMM=caudomedial mesopallium. Error bars represent standard error.
Figure 3. ZENK expression of female sparrows did not differ in response to predator or conspecific calls. AMV=medial ventral arcopallium, cHP=caudal hippocampus, HA=apical hyperpallium, NCL=caudolateral nidopallium, NCM=caudomedial nidopallium, and CMM=caudomedial mesopallium. Error bars represent standard error.
Figure 4. Female house sparrows moved less when exposed to predator calls (a & b) and fed more when treated with estradiol and exposed to conspecific calls (c). “Average movement” in panels a refers to the average number of hops and flights for females in that group. In panel c, different letters indicate p<0.05. Error bars represent standard error. *p<0.05
Figure 4. Female house sparrows moved less when exposed to predator calls (a & b) and fed more when treated with estradiol and exposed to conspecific calls (c). “Average movement” in panels a refers to the average number of hops and flights for females in that group. In panel c, different letters indicate p<0.05. Error bars represent standard error. *p<0.05
HORMONES
HORMONES
Investigating how hormonal changes can influence perception of breeding signals
Investigating how hormonal changes can influence perception of breeding signals
The presence of predators can cause major changes in animal behavior, but how this interacts with hormonal state and brain activity is poorly understood. We explored this in the Lattin Lab by quantifying behavior and neuronal activity in female house sparrows exposed to estradiol and predator playback (Kimball et al. 2023).
The presence of predators can cause major changes in animal behavior, but how this interacts with hormonal state and brain activity is poorly understood. We explored this in the Lattin Lab by quantifying behavior and neuronal activity in female house sparrows exposed to estradiol and predator playback (Kimball et al. 2023).