mardi 26 septembre 2017

Master/internship research projects with apes

We have two master/internship research positions available with the laboratoire de Cognition Comparée, Université de Neuchâtel. These positions would suit undergraduate students looking for a master project and/or to further their research experience.
Interested applicants can email me at eloise.deaux@unine.ch, with a CV and a short personal statement indicating the project of interest and their suitability for that project (1-page max).

Start dates are flexible and positions will remain open until filled.

Project 1. Social transmission mechanisms of a new behaviour within a captive group of gorillas
 
This project has two primary aims. The first is to train a group of captive gorillas to use touch screens installed in their enclosure. The second is to assess whether and how individual acquisition patterns are influenced by social learning mechanisms. To test this, we will collect focal data on individuals’ interaction with the touch screens, observation patterns of ‘demonstrators’ by naive individuals and affiliation patterns.
 
We will then use social network analysis to investigate whether the pattern of acquisition of the new behaviour correlates with their affiliation network. We will also test if the rate of acquisition is better explained by the frequence of observation or by the characteristics of the models.
 
This project will be based at Basel zoo (Basel, Switzerland) and is expected to last 6 months. A bachelor’s degree in biologie, cognitive science or animal behaviour, is required. No research experience needed. Knowledge of German is desirable.
I do not have funds to cover food/lodging expenses, but can help draft grant applications for interested applicants.
 
Project 2: Pant grunts acoustic characteristics in relation to varying social contexts
 
This is a desktop computer-based project only.
 
In 2016, we recorded pant grunt vocalisations from females as well as data on contexts of production, recipient characteristics and female status (with or without young infants). We are interested in investigating whether the acoustic characteristics of these calls are modulated as a function of the social environment of the calling individual.
 
This project would thus involve extracting vocalisations and focal data from field recordings and log books, and then perform acoustic and statistical analyses using R and the seewave package.
Applicant will be trained in all of these techniques, such that no prior experience is needed.
This project is expected to take 3-4 months.

Eloïse Déaux
Postdoctoral fellow
Department of Comparative Cognition
University of Neuchâtel
Rue Emile Argand 11
2000 Neuchâtel
Switzerland