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Project properties |
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| Title | Behavioural innovation promotes population expansion in great tits |
| Group | Behavioural Ecology |
| Project type | thesis |
| Credits | 36-39 |
| Supervisor(s) | Kees van Oers (WUR-BHE/NIOO-KNAW) Xiaomei Chi (WUR/NIOO) |
| Examiner(s) | Prof. dr. Kees van Oers (WUR-BHE/NIOO-KNAW) |
| Contact info | Kees.vanoers@wur.nl or k.vanoers@nioo.knaw.nl |
| Begin date | 2024/09/01 |
| End date | 2028/05/31 |
| Description | Thesis and internship projects possible on wild birds and on captive birds.
Anthropogenic activities, such as the expansion of human settlements and global climate change, change the environment at an unprecedented rate. This causes species to shift their distributions, for example, poleward in response to the warming climate. Adapting to new environments increases the difficulty of survival for species. Some traits help species adapt to new environments and survive challenges, thus playing an important role in range expansions. However, the specific traits that make a species successful in range expansion remain unknown. This project aims to investigate the potential differences in the phenotypic traits of great tits between newly established (less than 100 yr) and established populations. We conduct experiments to assess whether genes or environment underlie individual differences of great tits in these populations. In addition, foraging flexibility enhances an individuals’ ability to locate food and adapt to changing food types, particularly in new populations, where food resources may vary. Cognitive abilities, particularly memory retention for food sources and locations, also significantly impact foraging success and reproductive outcomes in expanding environments. Understanding the interplay between cognition and foraging flexibility can shed light on why certain individuals are fit to live in newly established populations. |
| Used skills | to be discussed |
| Requirements | depends on the type of project |