GRADUATE STUDENTS
Shakilur Kabir
[email protected]
I am an Integrated Ph.D student and my interest is in understanding evolution of
animal communication. My research is primarily focused on understanding signal design,
signaller-receiver interaction dynamics, and the role of environment in driving those patterns. To do
this, I am performing a comparative study of visual and chemical signals of five species of diurnal
geckos in the genus Cnemaspis, endemic to the Western Ghats. Understanding changes in signals,
the corresponding changes in their reception, and the cause and/or mechanism of the change is key
to determine how animal communication evolves.
Publications:
Kabir MS, Radhika V, Thaker M. Mismatch in receiver responses to multimodal signals in a diurnal gecko.
Animal behaviour. 2019 Jan 1;147:115-23.
Kabir S, Venkatesan R and Thaker M. 2020. Multiple sensory modalities in diurnal geckos is associated
with the signalling environment and evolutionary constraints. Integrative Organismal
Biology. forthcoming.
[email protected]
I am an Integrated Ph.D student and my interest is in understanding evolution of
animal communication. My research is primarily focused on understanding signal design,
signaller-receiver interaction dynamics, and the role of environment in driving those patterns. To do
this, I am performing a comparative study of visual and chemical signals of five species of diurnal
geckos in the genus Cnemaspis, endemic to the Western Ghats. Understanding changes in signals,
the corresponding changes in their reception, and the cause and/or mechanism of the change is key
to determine how animal communication evolves.
Publications:
Kabir MS, Radhika V, Thaker M. Mismatch in receiver responses to multimodal signals in a diurnal gecko.
Animal behaviour. 2019 Jan 1;147:115-23.
Kabir S, Venkatesan R and Thaker M. 2020. Multiple sensory modalities in diurnal geckos is associated
with the signalling environment and evolutionary constraints. Integrative Organismal
Biology. forthcoming.
Vibhuti Shastri
[email protected] I'm an MSc. student at CES and I am studying predator movement dynamics from a conceptual point of view, as well as from empirical data of carnivores from South Africa. Education: BS-MS (Biological Sciences), IISER Bhopal (2017) Current Position: Ph.D. student, CES, IISc Bangalore (Aug 2017 joining) |
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Avik Banerjee
[email protected] Foraging is an indispensable task of all animals required for providing necessary energy for all fitness related activities, thereby, directly affecting an animal's ability to survive and reproduce. Environmental risks, such as predators or resource uncertainty, can influence foraging decisions in animals by creating new nutritional demands in them. My study explores the role that such risks in environment play in governing dietary/nutritional decisions of the Indian Rock Agama, Psammophilus dorsalis, found in peninsular India. Research interests: Behavioural ecology, Behavioural endocrinology, Predator-prey interactions, Nutritional energetics. Education: MSc in Zoology, Visva Bharati (2017) Subhasmita Patro [email protected] I am currently pursuing my PhD at CES, IISc. My research explores the functional relationships between traits. Animals in wild express multiple traits across multiple contexts. Identifying the nature of the relationships between these traits across contexts, is essential to understand behavioural plasticity and trait evolution. For my current research work, I am studying the relationships between traits involved in social signalling and the role of hormones in the development of these trait relationships.. Research Interests: Evolutionary ecology, Behavioural endocrinology, Correlated trait evolution, Communication Education: B.Tech: Electrical and electronics engineering, Manipal Institute of Technology Amanda Ben [email protected] I am currently a PhD student at CES, IISc. During my MSc, I had been exploring the role of multimodal integration and the behavioural context in the colour preferences of Common Emigrant butterfly, Catopsilia pomona. I am now exploring new research ideas. Education: BS-MS (Biological Sciences), IISER Thiruvananthapuram(2020) Mihir Joshi [email protected] | twitter: @JoshiMihir24 I am broadly interested in understanding behavioural and physiological responses of ectotherms, mainly lizards, to the changing world. My current research is focused on nutritional ecology of the Indian spiny-tailed lizard (Saara hardwickii) in the Thar desert of north-western India. Acquiring macronutrients in sufficient amount and balance is crucial for functional homeostasis and survival, especially in extreme ecological conditions. I want to understand how these lizards employ behavioural and physiological mechanisms in concert to maintain nutritional balance when resources and stressors are simultaneously varying in their habitat. Previously, my research has looked at the effects of ectoparasites on signalling, performance, and mate choice in diurnal geckos, and sleep behaviour and physiology of peninsular rock agamas under urbanization, as a part of a collaboration. In my spare time, one can find me playing tabla, cricket, tennis, or listening to Indian classical music. Education: MS (Research) - Biology - IISER Pune (2020) Publications: -Joshi, M., Ellsworth, B., & Thaker, M. (2022). Single components of complex chemical signals convey sex identity and individual variation. Animal Behaviour, 187, 1-13. -Mohanty, N. P., Joshi, M., & Thaker, M. (2021). Urban lizards use sleep sites that mirror the structural, thermal, and light properties of natural sites. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 75(12), 1-11. Sofia V M [email protected] I'm currently a Ph.D. student at CES., IISc. For my Master's dissertation, I worked on the endemic antelope, the Indian Blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra). It was a two-parter looking at the drivers of stress using a non-invasive assessment of fecal glucocorticoid in four populations of Blackbucks in Tamil Nadu, India, and their phylogeny using fecal mtDNA. My interests mainly focus on stress physiology, behavioral ecology, and its application in the rehabilitation and welfare of animals. I'm also very passionate about evolutionary biology and animal cognition. Education: M.Sc. Wildlife Biology, A.V.C. College, Mayiladuthurai (2020) |
POSTDOCS
Nitya Mohanty
[email protected]
My post-doctoral research focusses on the ecology and evolution of sleep in reptiles. Sleep or sleep-like behaviour has been observed in most animals examined and has restorative, cognitive, and developmental functions. As sleep evolved in the wild, it is likely to be influenced by ecological processes of predation, competition, and thermoregulation. This research asks how sleep is governed by the environment, over evolutionary and ecological timescales (e.g. urbanization, invasions). Much of my previous research and doctoral work were focused on biological invasions of herps.
Key publications:
- Mohanty NP, Measey J. (2019). The global pet trade in amphibians: species traits, taxonomic bias, and future directions. Biodiversity & Conservation 28:3915–3923. DOI: 10.1007/s10531-019-01857-x
- Mohanty NP, Measey J. (2019). Reconstructing biological invasions using public surveys: a new approach to retrospectively assess spatio-temporal changes in invasive spread. Biological Invasions 21(2):467-480. DOI: 10.1007/s10530-018-1839-4.
- Mohanty NP, Measey J. (2018) What’s for dinner? Diet and potential trophic impact of an invasive anuran Hoplobatrachus tigerinus on the Andaman archipelago. PeerJ DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5698.
- Mohanty NP, Sachin A, Selvaraj G, Vasudevan K. (2018). Using key informant surveys to rapidly and reliably estimate distributions of invasive species. Biotropica 50(2):197–201.
- Mohanty NP, Harikrishnan S, Vasudevan K. (2016). Watch out where you sleep: nocturnal sleeping behaviour of Bay Island lizards. PeerJ 4:e1856.
[email protected]
My post-doctoral research focusses on the ecology and evolution of sleep in reptiles. Sleep or sleep-like behaviour has been observed in most animals examined and has restorative, cognitive, and developmental functions. As sleep evolved in the wild, it is likely to be influenced by ecological processes of predation, competition, and thermoregulation. This research asks how sleep is governed by the environment, over evolutionary and ecological timescales (e.g. urbanization, invasions). Much of my previous research and doctoral work were focused on biological invasions of herps.
Key publications:
- Mohanty NP, Measey J. (2019). The global pet trade in amphibians: species traits, taxonomic bias, and future directions. Biodiversity & Conservation 28:3915–3923. DOI: 10.1007/s10531-019-01857-x
- Mohanty NP, Measey J. (2019). Reconstructing biological invasions using public surveys: a new approach to retrospectively assess spatio-temporal changes in invasive spread. Biological Invasions 21(2):467-480. DOI: 10.1007/s10530-018-1839-4.
- Mohanty NP, Measey J. (2018) What’s for dinner? Diet and potential trophic impact of an invasive anuran Hoplobatrachus tigerinus on the Andaman archipelago. PeerJ DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5698.
- Mohanty NP, Sachin A, Selvaraj G, Vasudevan K. (2018). Using key informant surveys to rapidly and reliably estimate distributions of invasive species. Biotropica 50(2):197–201.
- Mohanty NP, Harikrishnan S, Vasudevan K. (2016). Watch out where you sleep: nocturnal sleeping behaviour of Bay Island lizards. PeerJ 4:e1856.
Seshadri K S
[email protected]
I am a Post-Doctoral Fellow in the lab and my current research focus is on understanding the evolution of parental care behavior in frogs. I grew up in Bangalore and have always been captivated by the sheer beauty and complexity of nature, especially when I started bird-watching. I have spent much of the time in ‘the field’ and observing nature. I have in the past studied several ecological systems ranging from dragonflies to epiphytes in the tall forest canopies in the Western Ghats. As part of my doctoral research at the National University of Singapore, I discovered new species and new reproductive behavior of frogs and examined the evolutionary ecology of such behavior. Over the last couple of years, I have worked at different capacities with organizations like the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, The Madras Crocodile Bank Trust, and Gubbi Labs. I am committed to the cause of conservation and strongly believe that there is an urgent need to rekindle a sense of wonder towards nature among people so that they care about our planet. I enjoy talking and writing about science and ecology to people outside of academia. In my spare time, one could find me tending a garden, reading a book, or exploring the wilderness with a pair of binoculars and some times, a camera.
Website: http://seshadriks.weebly.com/
Key publications:
1. Seshadri, K. S and David Bickford (2018). Faithful fathers and crooked cannibals: the adaptive significance of parental care in the bush frog Raorchestes chalazodes, Western Ghats, India. Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology 72 (1), 4.
2. Seshadri, K. S., Singal R, Priti H, Ravikanth G, Vidisha M. K, Saurabh S, Pratik M, Gururaja K. V. (2016). Microhyla laterite sp. nov., A New Species of Microhyla Tschudi, 1838 (Amphibia: Anura: Microhylidae) from a Laterite Rock Formation in southwest India. PloS one 11 (3), e0149727.
3. Seshadri, K. S., Gururaja, K. V., & Bickford, D (2014). Breeding in bamboo: A novel reproductive strategy by anurans observed in Rhacophorid frogs of Western Ghats, India. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 114:1-11.
4. Seshadri, K. S. (2014). Effects of Historical Selective Logging on Anuran Communities in a Wet Evergreen Forest, South India. Biotropica 56(5): 1-9.
5. Seshadri, K. S., and Ganesh, T. (2011) Faunal mortality on roads due to religious tourism across time and space in protected areas: a case study from south India. Forest Ecology and Management 262 (2011) 1713–1721.
[email protected]
I am a Post-Doctoral Fellow in the lab and my current research focus is on understanding the evolution of parental care behavior in frogs. I grew up in Bangalore and have always been captivated by the sheer beauty and complexity of nature, especially when I started bird-watching. I have spent much of the time in ‘the field’ and observing nature. I have in the past studied several ecological systems ranging from dragonflies to epiphytes in the tall forest canopies in the Western Ghats. As part of my doctoral research at the National University of Singapore, I discovered new species and new reproductive behavior of frogs and examined the evolutionary ecology of such behavior. Over the last couple of years, I have worked at different capacities with organizations like the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, The Madras Crocodile Bank Trust, and Gubbi Labs. I am committed to the cause of conservation and strongly believe that there is an urgent need to rekindle a sense of wonder towards nature among people so that they care about our planet. I enjoy talking and writing about science and ecology to people outside of academia. In my spare time, one could find me tending a garden, reading a book, or exploring the wilderness with a pair of binoculars and some times, a camera.
Website: http://seshadriks.weebly.com/
Key publications:
1. Seshadri, K. S and David Bickford (2018). Faithful fathers and crooked cannibals: the adaptive significance of parental care in the bush frog Raorchestes chalazodes, Western Ghats, India. Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology 72 (1), 4.
2. Seshadri, K. S., Singal R, Priti H, Ravikanth G, Vidisha M. K, Saurabh S, Pratik M, Gururaja K. V. (2016). Microhyla laterite sp. nov., A New Species of Microhyla Tschudi, 1838 (Amphibia: Anura: Microhylidae) from a Laterite Rock Formation in southwest India. PloS one 11 (3), e0149727.
3. Seshadri, K. S., Gururaja, K. V., & Bickford, D (2014). Breeding in bamboo: A novel reproductive strategy by anurans observed in Rhacophorid frogs of Western Ghats, India. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 114:1-11.
4. Seshadri, K. S. (2014). Effects of Historical Selective Logging on Anuran Communities in a Wet Evergreen Forest, South India. Biotropica 56(5): 1-9.
5. Seshadri, K. S., and Ganesh, T. (2011) Faunal mortality on roads due to religious tourism across time and space in protected areas: a case study from south India. Forest Ecology and Management 262 (2011) 1713–1721.
Other STUDenT Researchers and AffIliates
Dhanya Bharath
[email protected]
I am a final-year undergraduate doing my Bachelor's thesis at the Thaker lab. I am investigating colour-based signalling and receiver responses in the animal kingdom. I am studying the role of luminance in colour perception, and the effects of colour perception on mate choice in zebra finches, using behavioural assays and realistic animations of videos of singing birds with beak colour modifications. In addition, I am extending these ideas to look at colour variation and receiver perception in butterflies using colorimetry and behavioural assays.
Research interests: Evolutionary Ecology, Behavioural Ecology, Conservation Science
Education: BS (Research) - Biology, Indian Institute of Science (2020)
[email protected]
I am a final-year undergraduate doing my Bachelor's thesis at the Thaker lab. I am investigating colour-based signalling and receiver responses in the animal kingdom. I am studying the role of luminance in colour perception, and the effects of colour perception on mate choice in zebra finches, using behavioural assays and realistic animations of videos of singing birds with beak colour modifications. In addition, I am extending these ideas to look at colour variation and receiver perception in butterflies using colorimetry and behavioural assays.
Research interests: Evolutionary Ecology, Behavioural Ecology, Conservation Science
Education: BS (Research) - Biology, Indian Institute of Science (2020)
Ridhi Chandarana
[email protected]
I am interested in exploring how animals respond to novel, urban stressors. Are they able to adapt, behaviourally cope or through any other mechanism avoid extinction. Urbanization can produce intense pressures causing animals to rapidly adapt. This offers the opportunity to observe natural selection and adaptation at a relatively noticeable pace. Knowledge about a species’ capacity to adapt can also be used to inform conservation decisions.
Currently, we are working on a study that is looking at the evolution of olfactory signalling in Cnemaspis spp. and this work is to form a component of a larger study looking at multimodal signalling with the aim to understand the tradeoffs associated with optimization of different modalities to the environment.
Research interests: Evolutionary ecology, Rapid evolution
Education: B.Sc.: Zoology and Biotechnology, Stella Maris College, Chennai, India; M.Sc.: Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Pondicherry University, Puducherry, India
Publication: Mehta, P., Kulkarni, J., Talmale, S., & Chandarana, R. (2018). Diets of Sympatric Forest Owlets, Spotted Owlets, and Jungle Owlets in East Kalibhit Forests, Madhya Pradesh, India. The Journal of Raptor Research, 52(3), 338-348.
[email protected]
I am interested in exploring how animals respond to novel, urban stressors. Are they able to adapt, behaviourally cope or through any other mechanism avoid extinction. Urbanization can produce intense pressures causing animals to rapidly adapt. This offers the opportunity to observe natural selection and adaptation at a relatively noticeable pace. Knowledge about a species’ capacity to adapt can also be used to inform conservation decisions.
Currently, we are working on a study that is looking at the evolution of olfactory signalling in Cnemaspis spp. and this work is to form a component of a larger study looking at multimodal signalling with the aim to understand the tradeoffs associated with optimization of different modalities to the environment.
Research interests: Evolutionary ecology, Rapid evolution
Education: B.Sc.: Zoology and Biotechnology, Stella Maris College, Chennai, India; M.Sc.: Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Pondicherry University, Puducherry, India
Publication: Mehta, P., Kulkarni, J., Talmale, S., & Chandarana, R. (2018). Diets of Sympatric Forest Owlets, Spotted Owlets, and Jungle Owlets in East Kalibhit Forests, Madhya Pradesh, India. The Journal of Raptor Research, 52(3), 338-348.
Udita Bansal
[email protected]
My main interests include evolutionary ecology of reptiles and other herpetofauna. I am particularly fascinated by colour polymorphism in reptiles. In the lab, I currently study the evolution of multi-modal signalling in Cnemaspis spp., an endemic genus of diurnal geckos in India. We are conducting research about the effects of environment and phylogeny on the evolution of chemical and visual signalling in these geckos which have repeatedly evolved diurnality from nocturnality.
Research interests: Evolutionary ecology, behavioural ecology, colour polymorphism
Education: BSc.: Zoology, University of Delhi (2017) ; MSc.: Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Imperial College London (2018)
Publications:
Bansal, U. (2020). A study of reptile road mortalities on an inter-state highway in the Western Ghats, India and suggestion of suitable mitigation measures. Captive and Field Herpetology, 4(1).
Halimubieke, N., Krisztina, K., (including Bansal, U.) (2020). Breeding success, not failure, predicts divorce in plovers. Scientific Reports, 10(15576).
[email protected]
My main interests include evolutionary ecology of reptiles and other herpetofauna. I am particularly fascinated by colour polymorphism in reptiles. In the lab, I currently study the evolution of multi-modal signalling in Cnemaspis spp., an endemic genus of diurnal geckos in India. We are conducting research about the effects of environment and phylogeny on the evolution of chemical and visual signalling in these geckos which have repeatedly evolved diurnality from nocturnality.
Research interests: Evolutionary ecology, behavioural ecology, colour polymorphism
Education: BSc.: Zoology, University of Delhi (2017) ; MSc.: Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Imperial College London (2018)
Publications:
Bansal, U. (2020). A study of reptile road mortalities on an inter-state highway in the Western Ghats, India and suggestion of suitable mitigation measures. Captive and Field Herpetology, 4(1).
Halimubieke, N., Krisztina, K., (including Bansal, U.) (2020). Breeding success, not failure, predicts divorce in plovers. Scientific Reports, 10(15576).
Aamod Zambre
[email protected]
I am trying to understand how conversion of native habitats to agricultural fields influences the stress physiology and breeding behavior of the Fan throated lizard Sitana ponticeriana in the northern Western Ghats of India. Modification of native habitats is likely to result in altered conditions of resource availability and predation pressure. I expect these changes to influence the breeding biology, life history traits and stress physiology of the agamids, with potential long term population consequences. I am currently a PhD student in the University of Minnesota.
Research interests: sexual selection, behavioral ecology and evolution
Education: BSc: Abasaheb Garware College, University of Pune (2010)
MSc: Wildlife Biology and Conservation, National Centre for Biological Sciences (2012)
Publications:
Zambre A and Thaker M 2017 Flamboyant sexual signals: multiple messages for multiple receivers. Animal Behaviour. 127: 197-203.
Thaker M, Zambre A and Bhosale H. 2018 Wind farms have cascading impacts on ecosystems across trophic levels. Nature Ecology and Evolution. 2: 1854-1858.
[email protected]
I am trying to understand how conversion of native habitats to agricultural fields influences the stress physiology and breeding behavior of the Fan throated lizard Sitana ponticeriana in the northern Western Ghats of India. Modification of native habitats is likely to result in altered conditions of resource availability and predation pressure. I expect these changes to influence the breeding biology, life history traits and stress physiology of the agamids, with potential long term population consequences. I am currently a PhD student in the University of Minnesota.
Research interests: sexual selection, behavioral ecology and evolution
Education: BSc: Abasaheb Garware College, University of Pune (2010)
MSc: Wildlife Biology and Conservation, National Centre for Biological Sciences (2012)
Publications:
Zambre A and Thaker M 2017 Flamboyant sexual signals: multiple messages for multiple receivers. Animal Behaviour. 127: 197-203.
Thaker M, Zambre A and Bhosale H. 2018 Wind farms have cascading impacts on ecosystems across trophic levels. Nature Ecology and Evolution. 2: 1854-1858.
Caleb Daniel G.
[email protected]
I have been working towards understanding life history, nutritional and behavioural trade-offs experienced by the Spiny tailed lizard, Saara hardwickii,in context of varying land-use and land-cover patterns in the Thar desert landscape. Anthropogenic grazing, agricultural pressure and invasive plants are known to alter native vegetation structure, diversity and nutritional content in a landscape. I expect these changes to influence the population density, nutritional uptake, and activity budget of this vulnerable herbivorous lizard. In the past, I studied the thermal ecology, microhabitat use and activity budget of Salea horsfieldii, a cold-adapted montane lizard in the Nilgiris. I am now part of the LTEO herpetofauna monitoring program based at IISc.
Research Interest: Behavioural ecology, Ecophysiology,Evolutionary ecology and Ontogeny.
Education: M Sc.: Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Pondicherry University (2014-2016)
Publications:
Daniel G C, Sreekar R, Deepak V. 2017.An ontogenetically stable sexual character in a montane agamid, Salea horsfieldii Gray, 1845 (Reptilia: Agamidae) from Nilgiris, India. DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2017.1369188
[email protected]
I have been working towards understanding life history, nutritional and behavioural trade-offs experienced by the Spiny tailed lizard, Saara hardwickii,in context of varying land-use and land-cover patterns in the Thar desert landscape. Anthropogenic grazing, agricultural pressure and invasive plants are known to alter native vegetation structure, diversity and nutritional content in a landscape. I expect these changes to influence the population density, nutritional uptake, and activity budget of this vulnerable herbivorous lizard. In the past, I studied the thermal ecology, microhabitat use and activity budget of Salea horsfieldii, a cold-adapted montane lizard in the Nilgiris. I am now part of the LTEO herpetofauna monitoring program based at IISc.
Research Interest: Behavioural ecology, Ecophysiology,Evolutionary ecology and Ontogeny.
Education: M Sc.: Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Pondicherry University (2014-2016)
Publications:
Daniel G C, Sreekar R, Deepak V. 2017.An ontogenetically stable sexual character in a montane agamid, Salea horsfieldii Gray, 1845 (Reptilia: Agamidae) from Nilgiris, India. DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2017.1369188
Shashank Balakrishna
[email protected]
While in the macrophysiology lab, I studied the diet and thermoregulatory strategies of the peninsular rock lizard (Psammophilus dorsalis) across an urban-rural gradient. I find working with lizards interesting as I am also interested in the study of natural history of herpetofauna. I believe gradient studies are an effective framework for studying the effects of anthropogenic disturbance on ecological systems as it helps me in understanding coping mechanisms.
Research interests: Behavioural Ecology, Ecophysiology, Population Ecology.
Education: B.Sc: Zoology, Botany and Chemistry, St. Josephs Science College, Bangalore (Completing Graduation in 2014.)
Publications:
Balakrishna S, Batabyal A and Thaker M. 2016. Dining in the city: dietary shifts in Indian rock agamas across an urban-rural landscape. Journal of Herpetology 50: 423-428.
[email protected]
While in the macrophysiology lab, I studied the diet and thermoregulatory strategies of the peninsular rock lizard (Psammophilus dorsalis) across an urban-rural gradient. I find working with lizards interesting as I am also interested in the study of natural history of herpetofauna. I believe gradient studies are an effective framework for studying the effects of anthropogenic disturbance on ecological systems as it helps me in understanding coping mechanisms.
Research interests: Behavioural Ecology, Ecophysiology, Population Ecology.
Education: B.Sc: Zoology, Botany and Chemistry, St. Josephs Science College, Bangalore (Completing Graduation in 2014.)
Publications:
Balakrishna S, Batabyal A and Thaker M. 2016. Dining in the city: dietary shifts in Indian rock agamas across an urban-rural landscape. Journal of Herpetology 50: 423-428.
ALUMNI
Anuradha Batabyal
[email protected]
[email protected]
Webpage: anuradhabatabyal.weebly.com/
My research focused on the beautiful colour-changing Rock Agamas (Psammophilus dorsalis), which have been remarkably successful at adapting themselves to survive in both rural and urban areas. How do they modify their colour communication system, deal with greater stress, avoid predators and become faster learners to negotiate the fast-paced and hostile urban environment? During my PhD, I tackled all these these questions!
I'm currently a postdoc at the University of Calgary.
Publications:
Batabyal A, Thaker M. 2018. “Compounding climate change with urbanisation: challenges and responses for species”. Biodiversity and climate change: an Indian perspective, (eds.) Bhatt JR, Das AA, Shanker K. New Delhi, India: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India.
Batabyal A, Thaker M. 2019. Lizards learn faster to stay safe in urban areas. Biology Letters. 15: 20190009.
Batabyal A, Thaker M. 2018. Social coping styles of lizards are shifting from proactive to reactive in urban areas. General and Comparative Endocrinology. 270, 67-74. batabyal_thaker_2018_gce.pdf
Batabyal A, Thaker M 2018. Lizards assess complex social signals by lateralizing colour but not motion detection. J Exp Biol. 221: 173252 batabyal_thaker_2018_jeb.pdf
Batabyal A, Thaker M 2017. Signalling with physiological colours: high contrast for courtship and speed for competition. Anim Behav. 129: 229-236. DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.05.018 batabyal_thaker_2017.pdf
Batabyal A, Balakrishna S, Thaker M 2017. A multivariate approach to understanding shifts in escape strategies of urban lizards. Behav Ecol Sociobiol. 71.5: 83. DOI: 10.1007/s00265-017-2307-3 batabyal_et_al._2017.pdf
Balakrishna S., Batabyal A and Thaker M 2016. Dining in the City: Dietary Shifts in Indian Rock Agamas across an Urban–Rural Landscape. Journal of Herpetology 50.3: 423-428. DOI: 10.1670/14-073 balakrishna_batabyal_thaker_2016.pdf
Batabyal A, Gosavi SM and Gramapurohit NP 2014. Determining sensitive stages for learning to detect predators in larval bronzed frogs: Importance of alarm cues in learning. J. Biosci. 39.4 (2014): 701-710. DOI: 10.1007/s12038-014-9455-7 batabyal_et_al._2014.pdf
[email protected]
[email protected]
Webpage: anuradhabatabyal.weebly.com/
My research focused on the beautiful colour-changing Rock Agamas (Psammophilus dorsalis), which have been remarkably successful at adapting themselves to survive in both rural and urban areas. How do they modify their colour communication system, deal with greater stress, avoid predators and become faster learners to negotiate the fast-paced and hostile urban environment? During my PhD, I tackled all these these questions!
I'm currently a postdoc at the University of Calgary.
Publications:
Batabyal A, Thaker M. 2018. “Compounding climate change with urbanisation: challenges and responses for species”. Biodiversity and climate change: an Indian perspective, (eds.) Bhatt JR, Das AA, Shanker K. New Delhi, India: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India.
Batabyal A, Thaker M. 2019. Lizards learn faster to stay safe in urban areas. Biology Letters. 15: 20190009.
Batabyal A, Thaker M. 2018. Social coping styles of lizards are shifting from proactive to reactive in urban areas. General and Comparative Endocrinology. 270, 67-74. batabyal_thaker_2018_gce.pdf
Batabyal A, Thaker M 2018. Lizards assess complex social signals by lateralizing colour but not motion detection. J Exp Biol. 221: 173252 batabyal_thaker_2018_jeb.pdf
Batabyal A, Thaker M 2017. Signalling with physiological colours: high contrast for courtship and speed for competition. Anim Behav. 129: 229-236. DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.05.018 batabyal_thaker_2017.pdf
Batabyal A, Balakrishna S, Thaker M 2017. A multivariate approach to understanding shifts in escape strategies of urban lizards. Behav Ecol Sociobiol. 71.5: 83. DOI: 10.1007/s00265-017-2307-3 batabyal_et_al._2017.pdf
Balakrishna S., Batabyal A and Thaker M 2016. Dining in the City: Dietary Shifts in Indian Rock Agamas across an Urban–Rural Landscape. Journal of Herpetology 50.3: 423-428. DOI: 10.1670/14-073 balakrishna_batabyal_thaker_2016.pdf
Batabyal A, Gosavi SM and Gramapurohit NP 2014. Determining sensitive stages for learning to detect predators in larval bronzed frogs: Importance of alarm cues in learning. J. Biosci. 39.4 (2014): 701-710. DOI: 10.1007/s12038-014-9455-7 batabyal_et_al._2014.pdf
Madhura S. Amdekar
[email protected]
Animal signals usually reflect a balance between the forces of natural and sexual selection. I am interested in understanding the relative strength of these forces in maintenance of a complex signal type: dynamic colour change. Males of the peninsular rock agama (Psammophilus dorsalis) exhibit rapid dynamic colour changes on their lateral and dorsal body regions during social interactions. The costs, benefits, and adaptive significance of this dynamic colour change is yet unknown.
I am interested in examining the relative importance of different components of the dynamic colour signal in sexual signalling by this species, determining the information content of the colour signal and quantifying the effect of ecological variables such as microhabitat, social intensity, and predation intensity on visual signalling.
Currently working at Wiley.
Research Interests: Sexual selection, Behavioural ecology, Communication and signalling
Education:Integrated M.Sc. (Systems Biology), University of Hyderabad (2013)
Publications:
Amdekar MS, Thaker M. Risk of social colours in an agamid lizard: implications for the evolution of dynamic signals. Biology letters. 2019 May 31;15(5):20190207.
Amdekar MS, Kakkar A, Thaker M. Measures of health provide insights into the coping strategies of urban lizards. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. 2018 Sep 7;6:128.
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Animal signals usually reflect a balance between the forces of natural and sexual selection. I am interested in understanding the relative strength of these forces in maintenance of a complex signal type: dynamic colour change. Males of the peninsular rock agama (Psammophilus dorsalis) exhibit rapid dynamic colour changes on their lateral and dorsal body regions during social interactions. The costs, benefits, and adaptive significance of this dynamic colour change is yet unknown.
I am interested in examining the relative importance of different components of the dynamic colour signal in sexual signalling by this species, determining the information content of the colour signal and quantifying the effect of ecological variables such as microhabitat, social intensity, and predation intensity on visual signalling.
Currently working at Wiley.
Research Interests: Sexual selection, Behavioural ecology, Communication and signalling
Education:Integrated M.Sc. (Systems Biology), University of Hyderabad (2013)
Publications:
Amdekar MS, Thaker M. Risk of social colours in an agamid lizard: implications for the evolution of dynamic signals. Biology letters. 2019 May 31;15(5):20190207.
Amdekar MS, Kakkar A, Thaker M. Measures of health provide insights into the coping strategies of urban lizards. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. 2018 Sep 7;6:128.