|
The
Wright Lab |
|
|
People
Wright Lab (aka bird nerds), Spring 2007
Back
row (L to R): J. Guerra, D. Acosta, E. Schirtzinger, L. Moseman, Front
row (L to R): T. Wright, C. Dahlin, A. Young, S. Jefferson, J. Moore-Garcia,
L. Gonzalez Way
out in front: A. Salinas-Melgoza |
|
Christine Dahlin, PhD student (crdahlin@yahoo.com) B.S.
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry M.S. Northern Arizona University
Research Interests: Communication in social species of
birds My primary research interest is how
communication is structured and the ways it functions in social birds such as
corvids and parrots. Social
species may possess more complex communicative abilities that are demanded by
a more social environment, because of the need to recognize a large number of
individuals, place them within a dominance hierarchy, and communicate
appropriately about activities such as food, predators and more. Some topics
that interest me include how increasing social and environmental complexity
influences communication, whether birds have referential and semantic
communication, and whether birds communicate different information to
different categories of individuals (audience effect). Currently I am researching duets in yellow-naped amazons in Costa Rica. Mated pairs of males and females signal together, and I am interested in how the duets function, why the birds cooperate to give these signals, and how the duets are structured. I am researching the duets through a combination of lab and field research. I started my PhD at NMSU in Fall, 2004. Publications: Dahlin, C.R., Balda, R.P., and Slobodchikoff, C.
2005. Food, audience and sex effects on pinyon jay (Gymnorinus
cyanocephalus) communication.
Behavioural Processes 68(1), 25-39. Wright, T.F. & C.R. Dahlin. 2007. Pair duets in the yellow-naped
amazon (Amazona auropalliata): phonology and syntax. Behaviour, 144:207-228. [PDF] Wright, T.F., C.R. Dahlin, A.
Salinas-Melgoza. 2008. Stability and change in vocal dialects of the
yellow-naped amazon. Animal Behaviour. [PDF]. Presentations: 9/2002 Dahlin, C.R.,
Balda, R.P. Audience effects on pinyon jay communication. Third North American
Ornithological Conference, New Orleans, LA. 12/2003 Dahlin, C.R. Audience effects and syntax in
pinyon jays. Invited talk at the Smithsonian National Zoo, Washington D.C. 7/2006 Dahlin, C.R., Wright, T.W., Guerra, J. Structure
of pair duets in the yellow-naped amazon parrot. International Society for
Behavioural Ecology, Tours, France. Erin Schirtzinger, PhD student (eesem@nmsu.edu) B.A. (Anthropology) University of Notre DameB.S.
(Biological Sciences) University of Notre Dame M.A.
(Anthropology-Bioarchaeology) Arizona State University Research
Interests: Systematics and biogeography of parrots and seahorses My research interests focus mainly on the use of molecular phylogenies to investigate the biogeographic history of parrots. The Neotropical parrot species, which are considered by many to represent a single monophyletic group, which is supported by several recent molecular phylogenetic studies is the first area of research focus. My current research uses both mitochondrial and nuclear intron sequences to create a species-level phylogeny of the Neotropical parrots. From this phylogeny, times of divergences within and among major clades can be used to can be inferred and linked to biogeographic and climatic processes, of both major and minor scales within the Neotropical region. Future work will include the creation of a species-level phylogeny for the entire order Psittaciformes, which can then be used to map the development of longevity, learning capabilities or other traits and behaviors. A major goal is to determine the oldest parrot lineages and how these relate to the breakup of Gondwana. Additionally, I have an interest in seahorses, specifically of the western hemisphere. The situation with seahorses is very similar to that of parrots, in which many species are heavily exploited and are in need of dramatic conservation efforts to ensure their survival. Seahorses lend themselves especially well to studies of population genetics and incipient speciation, due to their restricted range sizes and patchy distribution. I started my PhD at NMSu in Fall, 2004. Selected
Publications and Presentations: 2005 American Ornithological Union, Santa Barbara , CA. Timothy F. Wright, Erin E. Schirtzinger, Tania Matsumoto, Jessica R. Eberhard, Gary R. Graves, and Robert C. Fleischer. A framework phylogeny of parrot genera derived from mitochondrial coding and nuclear intron sequences. Anna Young, PhD student (annay@nmsu.edu) B.S. Ecology &
Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona Research interests: Psittacine cognition and communication My research interests
focus on parrot vocal behavior and development, specifically warbling and monologue
speech. Monologue speech can be
produced alone or amongst others, but without an apparent communicative
intent. Warbling has no apparent
structural order, and varies greatly in form and length. While working with captive birds in
zoos and capturing specific vocal responses on cue using operant
conditioning, I have observed that the parrots more readily reproduce
targeted vocalizations when human observers are out of visual range or when
there is background noise. When
I worked in the lab of Dr. Irene Pepperberg as an undergraduate researcher,
the Grey parrots were more inclined to produce speech sound when in a room
alone. What possible parallels are there between monologue speech and
warbling, and what are their implications? Very little is known about parrot vocal learning, and
warbling is the least understood.
There is a difference in warbling among parrot species; what is
responsible for this divergent evolution? What is the function of warbling? I believe warbling provides a method
of practicing vocalizations without the consequence of sending false
signals. How do different
species of parrots differ in their vocal development and why does this
difference exist? I am starting
my PhD work by analyzing Orange-Winged Amazon calls taken at different stages
of juvenile development. I started my PhD at NMSU in Fall 2005. Alejandro Salinas
Melgoza, PhD
student (aletz@nmsu.edu) B.S. (Biology) Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolas de Hidalgo M.S. (Biological Science) Universidad Nacional Autonoma
de Mexico Research
Interests: Spatial dynamics of parrots My main
research interest is the strategies used by birds to cope with the stress of
seasonal environments. Environmental and biological factors may influence
decision to move from one place to another. Parrots are highly social birds
that exhibit large movements over the landscape on a number of timescales:
daily (ranging), seasonally (migration) and at certain stages in development
(dispersal). The factors influencing these different types of movements are
poorly understood. My past research on parrots in the tropical dry forests of
Mexico has focused on the environmental factors that affect movements. One
key factor is food availability, which can cause parrots to shift among
habitat types and migrate to places with higher food availability in seasonal
environments. Such movements may play a major role in individual survival and
population dynamics. Ongoing questions of interest to me are: where, when and
how far do individuals move? What are the factors that lead to natal
dispersal patterns in parrots? Do particular situations at the family or
population level predict certain dispersal behaviors? Studies on calls and
genetics on the yellow-naped amazon suggest that dispersal may play an
important role in the presence of vocal dialects. I plan to use of
radio-telemetry techniques to elucidate how local and regional movements may
affect the presence of such dialect. I also hope to develop improved
telemetry methods, using satellite technology in collaboration with
Engineering faculty and students at NMSU. I started my PhD at NMSU in Fall,
2005. Selected
Publications and Presentations:
Wright, T.F., C.R. Dahlin, A. Salinas-Melgoza. 2008.
Stability and change in vocal dialects of the yellow-naped amazon. Animal Behaviour. [PDF]. Salinas-Melgoza, A. & Renton, K.
2007. Postfledging survival and development of juvenile lilac-crowned
parrots. J. Wildlife Manage. in press. Salinas-Melgoza,
A. and K. Renton. 2005.
Seasonal variation in activity pattern of juvenile Lilac-crowned parrots in
tropical dry forest. Wilson Bulletin. 117:291–295. Renton, K.
and A. Salinas-Melgoza. 2004.
Climatic variability, nest predation, and reproductive output of
Lilac-crowned parrots (Amazona finschi) in tropical dry forest of western
Mexico. The Auk. 121:1214–1225. Renton, K.
and A. Salinas-Melgoza. 1999.
Nesting behavior of the Lilac-crowned Parrot. Wilson Bulletin. 111: 488-493. Elizabeth
Hobson,
Ph.D. candidate (emoseman AT nmsu.edu) (formerly
Elizabeth Moseman) B.A. (Environmental Studies) McGill
University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada 2004
Research
Interests:
Social structure, social network analysis, invasive species biology I
am interested broadly in social structure in social species, especially in
communally living or cooperative species and species with fission-fusion
social structure. I am
interested in investigating how social structure initially forms, and in
experimenting with the benefits individuals receive from occupying their
specific place within the social structure. My research at NMSU focuses on social network analysis in
both native and invasive populations of the Monk Parakeet (Myiopsitta
monachus). My project seeks to determine: 1) How sampling and
methodology can influence the construction of social networks, and how social
network analysis compares to traditional dominance hierarchies in terms of
the resulting social structure 2) How genetic and vocal
patterns function to shape the social landscape and group membership
decisions 3) How the resulting
social structure, through social associations and the dominance hierarchy,
regulates access to limited food resources 4) Determining if social
behaviors differ between native and introduced populations, and how regional
introduced populations differ The
Monk Parakeet is a highly social parrot species that nests colonially and
multiple pairs often nest communally in the same nest structure. Monks
flock together to find food resources, and may depend on their social
associates to find food more efficiently. The Monks are an interesting,
charismatic, and approachable species that favors establishment in cities and
suburbs around the world. This creates a unique opportunity for
scientific outreach and citizen science. I am interested in working
with teachers, birders, and interested citizen scientists in order to collect
data on behavior in the Monks from introduced populations in order to conduct
a broad scale behavioral comparison. Please
visit my Monk Parakeet research website. I
started my Ph.D. at NMSU in the spring of 2006, and advanced to candidacy in
the spring of 2008. Selected
publications and presentations: Hobson, E. & T.
Wright. 2008. Multivariate analysis of variables
affecting behavior in Monk Parakeets (Myiopsitta monachus). Biosymposium, Department of Biology,
New Mexico State University poster presentation. Hobson, E. T. Clarke,
R. Gueth, T. Wright & S. Buhrman-Deever. 2008. Sex-specific and condition-dependent signals in the
vocalizations of the brown-throated parakeet (Aratinga pertinax
xanthogenesis).
NMSU Graduate Research Arts Symposium, poster presentation Buhrman-Deever,
Susannah C., Elizabeth A. Hobson, Aaron D. Hobson, & Jack W.
Bradbury. Social group
similarity and preferential response to similar contact calls in the
Brown-throated Conure (Aratinga pertinax). Animal Behaviour, in revision. Buhrman-Deever,
Susannah C., Elizabeth A. Hobson, & Aaron D. Hobson. Individual recognition and
recruitment using contact calls in Brown-throated Conures (Aratinga
pertinax). (in review). Buhrman-Deever,
Susannah C., Elizabeth A. Hobson, & Aaron D. Hobson. Nutritional ecology of the
Brown-throated Conure on the island of Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles. (in review). Moseman, Elizabeth A. & Timothy F. Wright. 2007. Biogeographic patterns in vocalizations of an invasive parakeet. NMSU Graduate Research Arts Symposium, poster presentation Wright, T., A. Young,
A. Salinas-Melgoza, E. Schirtzinger, E. Moseman, and J. Munshi-South. 2006. Sources of selection on acoustic signal structure: a
comparative analysis of the contact calls of Neotropical parrots. Invited talk. Animal Behaviour Society annual
meeting, Snowbird, UT, Aug 12-16 2006. |
|
|
|
|
|
Lab Publications (with
links to PDF files) Wright, T.F., E.E.
Schirtzinger, T. Matsumoto, J.R. Eberhard, G. Graves, J.J. Sanchez, S. Capelli, H. Müller, J. Scharpegge , G.K. Chambers and R.C.
Fleischer. 2008. A multi-locus molecular phylogeny of the parrots
(Psittaciformes): Support for a Gondwanan origin during the Cretaceous. Molecular Biology and
Evolution. in
press. [Preprint],
[Suppl.
Table 1], [Suppl.
Figures 1 & 2] Russello, M.A., M.L.
Avery, & T.F. Wright. 2008. Genetic evidence links invasive monk parakeet
populations in the United States to the international pet trade. BMC
Evolutionary Biology, 8:217. [PDF] Wright, T.F., C.R. Dahlin, A.
Salinas-Melgoza. 2008. Stability and change in vocal dialects of the
yellow-naped amazon. Animal Behaviour. 76:1017-1027. [PDF] Wright, T.F. & C.R. Dahlin. 2007. Pair duets in the yellow-naped
amazon (Amazona auropalliata): phonology and syntax. Behaviour, 144:207-228. [PDF] Kongrit,
C.C. Siripunkaw, W.Y. Brockelman, V. Akkarapatumwong, T.F. Wright, L.S.
Eggert. 2007. Isolation and characterization of dinucleotide microsatellite
loci in the Asian elephant (Elaphas maximus). Molecular
Ecology Notes.
doi: 10.1111/j.1471-8286.2007.01916.x [PDF] Wright,
T.F. 2006.
Review of The Evolution of Animal Communication: Reliability and Deception
in Signaling Systems by W.A. Searcy and S. Nowicki. Condor 108:989-990. Graham,
J.E., T.F. Wright, J. Ruediger & R.J. Dooling. 2006. Sensory capacities
of parrots. pp. 33-41 in Manual of Parrot Behavior (ed. A. Luescher).
Blackwell Publishing: Ames, IA.
[PDF] Wright, T.F. 2006. Review of The Carolina Parakeet: Glimpses of a
Vanished Species
by N.R.F.Snyder. Auk123:291-292. [PDF] Wright, T.F. A. Rodriguez & R.C.
Fleischer. 2005. Vocal dialects, sex-biased dispersal and microsatellite
population structure in the parrot Amazona auropalliata. Molecular Ecology 14:1197-1205. [PDF] Wright, T.F., E. F. Brittan-Powell, R.
J. Dooling, & P. C. Mundinger. 2004. Sex-linkage of hearing and song in
the Belgian Waterslager canary. Proceedings of the Royal Society
(London)B Suppl. Biology Letters 271:S409-S412. [PDF]
[Suppl.
Material] Wright, T.F., Johns, P.M., Lerner,
A.P., Walters J.R., & G.S. Wilkinson. 2004. Microsatellite variation
among divergent populations of stalk-eyed flies, genus Cyrtodiopsis.
Genetical Research
84:27-40. [PDF] Wright, T.F., K.A. Cortopassi, J.W.
Bradbury & R. J. Dooling.
2003. Hearing and vocalizations in the orange-fronted conure, Aratinga
canicularis.
Journal of Comparative Psychology.117:87-95. [PDF] Lohr, B., T.F. Wright, & R. J.
Dooling. 2003. Detection and discrimination of natural calls in masking noise
by birds: estimating the active space of a signal. Animal Behaviour.65:763-777. [PDF] South, J. & T.F. Wright. 2002.
Nestling sex ratios in the yellow-naped amazon: no evidence for adaptive
modification. Condor. 104:437-440. [PDF] Wright, T.F. & G.S. Wilkinson.
2001. Population genetic structure and vocal dialects in an amazon parrot. Proceedings
of the Royal Society of London B. 268:609-616. [PDF] Eberhard*, J. R., T.F. Wright* & E.
Bermingham. 2001. Duplication and concerted evolution of the mitochondrial
control region in the parrot genus Amazona. Molecular Biology
and Evolution.
18:1330-1342.
[PDF] *co-first authors Wright, T.F., C.A. Toft , E.
Enkerlin-Hoeflich, J. Gonzalez-Elizondo, M. Albornoz, A. Rodriguez-Ferraro,
F. Rojas-Suarez, V. Sanz, A. Trujillo, S.R. Beissinger, V. Berovides A., X.
Galvez A., A.T. Brice, K. Joyner, J.R. Eberhard, J. Gilardi, S.E. Koenig, S.
Stoleson, P. Martuscelli, J.M. Meyers, K. Renton, A. M. Rodriguez, A C.
Sosa-Asanza, F.J. Vilella, & J.W. Wiley. 2001. Nest poaching in Neotropical parrots. Conservation
Biology.
15:710-720. [PDF] Wright, T.F. & M. Dorin. 2001. Pair
duets in the yellow-naped amazon (Amazona auropalliata): responses to
playbacks of different dialects. Ethology 107:111-124. [PDF] Wright, T.F. 1996.
Regional dialects in the contact call of a parrot. Proceedings of the Royal Society
of London B
263:867-872. [PDF] Upton,
S.J., T.A. Langen, & T.F. Wright. 1995. A new species of Isospora Schneider, 1881
(Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from the white-throated magpie jay, Calocitta
formosa
(Passeriformes: Corvidae) from Costa Rica. Systematic Parasitology 31:195-199. Upton, S.J., & T.F. Wright. 1994. A
new species of Eimeria (Apicomplexa) from the orange-fronted conure, Aratinga
canicularis
(Psittaciformes), in Costa Rica.
Acta Protozoologica
33:117-119. Lab Photos
Chris and her Costa Rica
field team, Spring 2008
(L. to R. Brenda,
Ulla, Pedro and Chris)
Anna and Jaime giving a talk
to the Mesilla Valley Audubon Society
(September 2007)
Liz, Alejandro and new friend
(June 2006, Costa Rica)
Jaime, Huicho, Chris and
Angelica
(March 2006, Costa
Rica)
Hughes Undergraduate Research
Scholars, 2006-2007
(R
to L): D. Acosta, T. Wright, Shandean Jefferson, Jennifer Currier
Wright Lab, Spring 2006
(L
to R): E. Schirtzinger, A. Young, T. Wright, L. Moseman, D. Carillo, A.
Salinas-Melgoza, A. Midamegbe In
the field in Costa Rica: C. Dahlin, J. Guerra
Wright Lab, Fall 2005
(R to
L): C. Dahlin, A. Midamegbe, E. Schirtzinger, A. Young, J. Guerra, A. Salinas-Melgoza,
P. McNamara, T. Wright |
|
|
|
|
Biology Home | A&S Home | NMSU
Search/Help | NMSU Home | Admissions