Phys.Org: UC biologist discusses 100 years of dominance hierarchies
UC assistant professor Elizabeth Hobson co-edited a journal issue dedicated to pecking orders
Phys.Org highlighted a special journal issue dedicated to 100 years of research in dominance hierarchies co-edited by a University of Cincinnati biologist.
UC College of Arts and Sciences assistant professor Elizabeth Hobson contributed to three articles in the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, including an analysis of the past 50 years of research in dominance hierarchies or pecking orders.
Hobson has studied how monk parakeets quarrel with competitors closest in status to cement their positions rather than wasting effort fighting the lowest-ranking members of the colony.
"In the parakeets I work with, we don't find a strong correlation between size and dominance. Instead, individuals may need to recognize their rivals and remember past fights and outcomes to come up with a mental model of rank," she said. "That's a very different cognitive task than choosing to fight an opponent simply because it is slightly smaller than you."
Hobson's students will begin a new study in her lab this year looking at dominance hierarchies and other behavior in northern bobwhite quail.
Featured image at top: University of Cincinnati biologist Elizabeth Hobson and her students study the behavior of gregarious monk parakeets. Photo/Michael Miller
Related Stories
Ancient Maya blessed their ballcourts
April 26, 2024
Using environmental DNA analysis, researchers identified a collection of plants used in ceremonial rituals in the ancient Maya city of Yaxnohcah. The plants, known for their religious associations and medicinal properties, were discovered beneath a plaza floor upon which a ballcourt was built, suggesting the building might have been blessed or consecrated during construction.
OTR mural centerpiece of 'big' celebration of UC alumni
April 26, 2024
New downtown artwork salutes 18 alumni award recipients who personify UC’s alumni success.
From literature to AI: UC grad shares career path to success
April 23, 2024
Before Katie Trauth Taylor worked with international organizations like NASA, Boeing and Hershey, and before receiving accolades for her work in the generative AI space, she was in a much different industry: English and literature.