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Ever wondered what goes on inside your furry friend's head, or what makes a pod of killer whales tick? Then come along to the pub for an evening of brilliant talks on some of the fantastic beasts being studied by researchers at the University of York. From the furry to the flippered, this evening plans to give you an insight into both the social lives of animals, and the science behind how we socialise with animals! This could be as close to feeling like Dr Dolittle as you can get in York.
Canine communication
Alex Benjamin
(PhD student in Psychology, University of York)
Do you talk to your dog? If you do, you probably use high-pitched, rhythmic speech that makes your friends and family look at you like you're on another planet. We know that infant-directed speech is useful when interacting with human babies, as it facilitates language acquisition and allows babies to choose appropriate social partners. So we set about to find out whether this is also true for dog-directed speech. In my talk, I will tell you about our results and how they suggest we should ignore our friends' judgemental looks and continue to talk so sweetly to our furry friends!
Exploring animal personalities
Eleanor Drinkwater
(PhD student in Biology, University of York)
Animals have personality!? Well perhaps not personality as you would think of in people, but differences in behaviour between individual animals are thought to be a key factor in individual survival. This talk will draw on research from birds to ants to answer the questions; what is animal personality and why is it important?
Grandmother knows best
Dan Franks
(Reader and behavioural ecologist, University of York)
Last year a killer whale matriarch –affectionately known as Granny (J2)– died at an estimated age of over 100. She was part of a group of killer whales (orcas), whose females live long beyond their reproductive years. Following Granny and other matriarch killer whales has shown their crucial role within the family group: they guide their family as it forages, take care of their grandchildren, and feed the larger males. These female leaders use their wisdom to help their families to survive, and the advantage they offer helps to show what drives a species to evolve to stop reproducing mid-life.
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