Animals gather information from two main sources: personal experience ('personal information') and by observing the actions of others ('social information'). We are interested in why and when each of these types of information is used, whether one is favoured over the other, or if information is instead combined. The way an individual uses information may have implications for others in their community - if they use social information, it becomes available to a wider network of individuals. Or, if information is passed on with error, this could affect evolutionary outcomes for the 'third party' - the prey being eaten, or the brood parasite attempting to lay its egg.
Our current research uses information ecology theory to address three key questions:
(1) what are the conditions that enable host switching by parasites, and the evolution of defences in hosts?
(2) how do aposematic warning signals evolve in prey?
(3) can we improve conservation interventions through social information?
See more on our project pages
Rose Thorogood, principal investigator
Edward Kluen, postdoctoral researcher
Katja Rönkä, postdoctoral researcher
Purabi Deshpande, doctoral researcher
Teresa Abaurrea, doctoral researcher
Deryk Tolman, doctoral researcher
Nora Bergman, doctoral researcher
Gloria Murari, research assistant