Titi monkeys Callicebus nigrifrons present a very complex vocal repertoire, and studies on their alarm calls have shown that they can encode both the type of predator and its location in the alarm sequences. This project aims to investigate deeper the understanding of those messages by the listeners, using playback experiments and presentations of stuffed predators, and to investigate factors influencing the structure of alarm calls.
We are looking for a master student starting around January 2016 to collect and analyze data in the Reserve of Caraça, Brasil.
The internship would last around six months. The master student will participate in behavioral data collection, including acoustic recordings in the forest, presentation of stuffed predators and playback experiments. The data collection will be done in Caraça but the data analysis and the report redaction can be done out of the field. In order to establish the schedule, the applicant needs to check the visa procedure to stay in Brazil related to its country.
The successful applicant needs:
- Really good social skills (there is no private space in the house and it can be crowded)
- Interest in different culture and will to learn Portuguese if he/she does not speak yet (most of the people do not speak English there)
- Really good physical and mental conditions: Following the monkeys in the dense forest is physically demanding. Be prepared for long days without break in the field and to encounter dangerous fauna (snakes, tarantulas, big cats…)
-Have a strong interest in animal cognition
-Be curious and motivated
Qualifications/Experience:
Applicants should:
- Have background in ethology, behavioral ecology, primatology, psychology, or any relative field
-Have a previous experience of at least two months on the field
-Be rigorous, autonomous and independent.
-Speak English or French.
Salary/funding:
No salary is provided.
The master student will be responsible for its flight (to Belo Horizonte) and housing/meals costs, visa and health insurance. The fees at the Sanctuary (housing + breakfast + diner) are 44 BRL/days. All transport from Belo Horizonte to Caraça and around Caraça (grocery shopping for example) will be provided.
Application Deadline:
Review of applicants will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.
To apply please send your CV including one-two detailed referents, a cover letter and your last academic transcription to melissa.berthet@unine.ch
If you are interested by the position but your dates do not match with those proposed above, please feel free to contact me, we can have a look on it.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.
Contact Information:
Mélissa Berthet, PhD student
Laboratory of Comparative Cognition
University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland
melissa.berthet@unine.ch