The BEER Lab - past and present Researchers Jane M. Waterman, Ph.D. Selective factors that influence the evolution of sociality and mating systems. Graduate Students Mary Beth Manjerovic, M.S. Selective factors that influence male mating stategies and population genetics in Cape ground squirrels. Molly Phillips, B.S. I have had amazing opportunities so far to work with many different organisms and in many different disciplines. I received my bachelors in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation from the University of Florida. During my undergraduate degree I worked in a behavioral neuroscience lab, working on two species of small mammals.  I also did field work in an avian ecology lab studying an urban adapted bird species. After graduating in 2006, I was unsure of which interests to pursue so I decided to take a break from my education and gain more experience.  I worked in a forest genomics lab and went to Costa Rica and Panama for a summer as a field technician on a project studying two species of singing mice. Following these opportunities I took a position at the Florida Museum of Natural History and spent time working in the Ichthyology and Invertebrate divisions where I brushed up on my taxonomy, data managing skills, and developed an appreciation for biodiversity.  Throughout my experiences in a variety of disciplines I maintained an interest in animal behavior. I am currently pursuing my Masters degree at the University of Manitoba under Dr. Jane Waterman.  I will study anti-predator behaviors in the Cape ground squirrel.  I will investigate variation in snake mobbing responses between individual squirrels and with different predator species. I would also like to study venom immunity in Cape ground squirrels. In addition to intraspecies cooperation, I would also like to investigate if Cape ground squirrels use information from other closely associated species’ alarm calls to access danger and avoid predation. Former Graduate Students Danielle A. Munim (2008): Status survey of Big Cypress fox squirrel in order to evaluate the conservation status of this species. (UCF Website) Melissa Hillegass (2007): Importance of parasitism on social structure and behavior of Cape ground squirrels. (UCF Website) Carlos J. R. Anderson (2007): Computational and mathematical approaches to biological problems: automated identification of individual polar bears and network analysis of world rivers. (UCF Website) Beth Pettitt (2006): Reproductive suppression and hormone cycles of Cape ground squirrels (UCF Website; New lab website) Doug Skurski (2006): Monitoring a potentially stressful situation in captive western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) through analysis of behavior and urinary cortisol Brandon Barton (2005): Cascading effects of predator removal on the ecology of sea turtle nesting beaches Gillian Eckhardt (2005): The effects of ecotourism on polar bear behavior Corey Maggiano (2005): Confocal laser scanning microscopy as a tool for the investigation of tetracycline labels in archaeological human bone Lynette Bouchie (2004): Ovulation in the Cape ground squirrel (Xerus inauris) Barbara Fields (2004): Behavior of captive Florida manatees, Trichechus manatus latirostris Carolyn Unck (University of Pretoria, 2004): Does kin selection influence anti predator vigilance in Cape ground squirrels (Xerus inauris)? Laura Plog (2004): Sea turtle nutrient input to dune vegetation: a stable isotope analysis Ali Rabatsky (2003): Caudal luring and defensive tail display in the dusky pigmy rattlesnake, Sistrurus miliarius barbouri, with comments on ontogeny and evolution Rebecca Sellin (2003): Influence of hormones and sexual swellings on social interactions in female mandrills (Mandrillus spinx)