Overview of Research in the Behavioural Biology Group

Our research is concerned with the cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying animal behaviour. We are interested in all four main questions in behavioural biology - Evolution, Function, Development and Causation - but with a clear emphasis on the last two. That is, our focus is on the mechanisms of behaviour, both cognitive and neural. Within this framework, we are investigating a number of different behavioural paradigms, in different species. In addition, we are investigating theoretical and comparative aspects of animal cognition and neurobiology. More detailed descriptions of current projects and publications can be found on the webpages of the various project leaders.

News:

New: research pages on the birdsong project

Complete publication list available for the group.

Cognitive neuroscience of bird song learning

We investigate the behavioural and neural mechanisms of song learning in songbirds. Songbirds, such as the zebra finch, need to learn their songs from a tutor, usually a male adult bird. We are investigating how songs are learned, and where and how auditory information about songs is stored in the avian brain (click here for pdf of recent review article). For this we use a number of behavioural and neurobiological techniques, including immunocytochemical analysis of the expression of immediate early gene products, a marker of neuronal activation. We have evidence suggesting that restricted regions of the songbird brain (known as NCM and CMM) are (part of) the neural substrate for the representation of the learned tutor song.

Project leader is Johan Bolhuis.

Primate social cognition

An important part of our work, in which our group has a long tradition, is concerned with non-human primates. After extensive research into the ecology and evolution of primate social behaviour, we have now begun to focus on the cognitive mechanisms of primate social behaviour.

Project leaders are Liesbeth (Elisabeth) Sterck and Berry Spruijt.
Research projects are conducted by Marusha Dekleva, Ellen Evers, Madeleine Hardus, Adriano Lameira, Jorg Massen, Anne Voorduin.
Work is conducted at the ethology station, Utrecht University, Burgers' Zoo, Arnhem, and as part of the Gunung Leuser Project in Sumatra, Indonesia. Also see the Primate Brain Bank home page.

Animal innovation and social learning in primates, birds and fish

We focus on the processes underlying the creation and transmission of novel behaviour patterns, utilising various animal models to address four areas: (i) the causes of individual, population and species-level variation in innovation and social learning propensities, (ii) the dynamics of the diffusion of acquired information, (iii) the relationship between asocial and social learning, and (iv) the role of innovation and social learning in brain evolution. Project leader is Simon Reader. Research projects are conducted by Charlotte Lindeijer, Will Swaney, Ulf Toelch.

Last updated: 11 nov 2009. Click here to report site updates and problems.