Monday 6 November 2017

Biosciences Seminar Speaker 09 November 2017

Biosciences Seminar Series - Autumn 2017
09 November 2017 - 1pm - Zoology Museum



The evolutionary and mechanistic drivers of zebra stripes

Prof Tim Caro


We are excited to welcome this week Professor Tim Caro, Professor at the Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology at UC Davis (USA), to our Biosciences Autumn Seminar Series. Tim is a behavioural ecologists and conservation biologist and has extensively published in both fields - not 'only' producing key journal papers but also writing and editing key books in these fields. Examples range from the fascinating Cheetahs of the Serengeti Plains and Antipredator Defenses in Birds and Mammals, to the classic textbooks on Behavioural Ecology and Conservation Biology and on Conservation by Proxy, to the recent one on Zebra Stripes. His current research continues to focus on both topics, Animal Coloration in mammals, such as zebra stripes (more on that in the seminar!), and coconut crabs, and Conservation Biology, especially in Tanzania - trying to find ways to halt lion killing in protected areas and the conservation of forest fragments. A key effort is also aimed at linking these two disciplines, by exploring the conceptual links between animal behaviour and conservation.


Abstract
In this talk I will discuss evidence and present new data for and against each of the hypotheses for zebra's extraordinary coat coloration. Homing in on the reason that zebras are striped, I will discuss unpublished information collected on Bristol zebras that is leading to an understanding of how stripes confer a fitness advantage to their bearers. 



Hope to see many of you - everyone most welcome to attend!


For the list of forthcoming seminars see here

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