Application Deadline: 22nd June 2023
All animals constantly make spatial decisions relating to the different areas in which they live, but we know relatively little about how social and climatic factors influence habitat choices and movement patterns. This interdisciplinary project will combine cutting-edge modelling with rich datasets from different timescales to investigate how within-group dynamics, intergroup interactions and climatic conditions drive these crucial behavioural choices. Work at the University of Bristol, UK (with Prof. Andy Radford, School of Biological Sciences) will focus on the long-term Dwarf Mongoose Research Project (https://dwarfmongooseresearch.weebly.com/), which has already completed over a decade of year-round monitoring of eight wild groups. Daily GPS tracks, life-history data, behavioural observations and weather recordings, alongside mapping of critical resources, will allow analyses at the scale of days to seasons. Work at Macquarie University, Australia (with Prof. Simon Griffith) will use data from animal-borne transponders on model bird species (e.g., zebra finches, wedgebills) that provide high-resolution positional fixes every 5 seconds. Analyses will make use of novel spatial mapping and movement modelling approaches developed by Dr Luca Giuggioli (School of Engineering Maths, University of Bristol). There is also the possibility to run complementary field experiments. In combination, the project aims to generate broadly applicable insights about the drivers of habitat use, movement patterns and social interactions in heterogeneous landscapes.
Fit to EPSRC remit: The use of physics-based spatial and movement modelling fits the EPSRC priority areas ‘Mathematical biology’ (specifically, application of state-of-the-art mathematical or statistical tools and techniques to investigate biological processes) and ‘Analytical science’ (specifically, novel application of existing techniques to analyse biological systems).
How to apply:
Please apply though the PGEVA system, you can find a link here:
Start your application | Study at Bristol | University of Bristol
Continue with Facebook
