October 2, 2019
Special Division of Biology seminar on collective behavior and predator evasion
Juliane Lukas, doctoral candidate at the Humboldt University in Berlin and the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, will present a special seminar in the Division of Biology at 11 a.m. Friday, Oct. 4, in 232 Ackert Hall.
The seminar is titled "Collective predator evasion: the unique fright waves of sulfur-adapted fishes in Mexico".
Lukas is a behavioral ecologist investigating how and why individuals synchronize their behavior to generate coordinated group performances. Specifically, she studies how startle responses of a few individuals may spread to other members of the group, resulting in cascading reactions of the entire group that propagate in a wave-like manner. By combining field observations of natural predation events with highly controlled experiments and individual-based computer models, Lukas explores both the ultimate function and the proximate mechanisms underlying the occurrence of collective predator avoidance behaviors.
Lukas will visit K-State Oct. 3 and 4. If you would like to visit with her, please contact Michi Tobler at tobler@k-state.edu.