Behavioural ecology and microbial ecology on aspects of birds
A project under the leadership of Professor Philipp Heeb, supported by the Sandoz Family Foundation.
Research is carried out in the field of behavioural ecology on the morphological characteristics which explain the success of monogamous birds, and on the bacteria which lead to feather decay in birds and which colonize their gastrointestinal system. Since the year 2000, two courses have been held and practical work carried out at the University of Lausanne which deal with the principles of animal behaviour and with behavioural ecology. The project is under the leadership of Philipp Heeb and is supported by the Sandoz Family Foundation plus the Swiss National Fund for the Furthering of Scientific Research.
The research group led by Philipp Heeb deals with the morphological features which explain the reproduction success of monogamous birds. He is studying the influence of the individual signal characteristics on partner selection, the parental input, paternity outside the couple and bacterial infections. Work is carried out both in the field - on the starling and tit populations - and in the laboratory, where paternity is determined with the help of molecular-biological methods.
The group is also studying a bacterial type which makes birds' feathers disintegrate and which colonizes the gastrointestinal system. The question could be asked here whether the presence of these bacteria in nature has an effect on the development of feather characteristics and on the behaviour of the birds. By combining the methodic procedures of behavioural ecology and microbial ecology, the group would like to demonstrate new connections between these organisms which share the same habitat.
And finally, a further research project was launched regarding the interaction between bees and a bacterium which causes American foulbrood in honeybees. The project was carried out in collaboration with the Swiss Centre for Bee Research in Liebefeld (Canton Berne) and the veterinary service of the Canton of Vaud.
Philipp Heeb also lectures on the fundamentals of behaviour in animals, describing the proximate mechanisms with which the expression and development of the behaviour of animals can be explained. A second series of lectures deals with behavioural ecology, describing how biotic and abiotic factors determine animal behaviour in natural habitats, and sexual selection and the development of cooperation plus optimizing concepts and comprises are also dealt with.