We use a synthetic movement ecology framework to understand how wild, long-lived vertebrates integrate physiological and behavioral strategies in unpredictable environments -- from regulation of heart beats, to social foraging and migration. We target 4 main questions to understand the fundamental relationships of animals with their environments:
- How do energy landscapes affect behavioral decisions, and how does this scale from individuals to collective behavior of groups and populations?
- What behavioral and physiological trade-offs do individuals make in fluctuating environments?
- What are the ecological and physiological consequences of climate-induced changes in migration behavior?
- How do animals integrate social information with their own experience in unpredictable environments?
The group focuses on animal movement that is powered by natural history to understand how animals manage their incredible lifestyles. We work mostly on mammals (especially bats), but we aren't afraid to dive into new systems and species when cool new problems poke their head out.
Photo: Teague examining a common noctule (Nyctalus noctula) as part of a long-term, collaborative study with Dina Dechmann at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior. Photo courtesy Kamran Safi.
