Assistant Professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee
My lab broadly explores in the mechanisms, outcomes, and evolutionary consequences of animal decision making. To address these questions, we study foraging behaviors in both bats and bees. Specifically, we ask how animals evaluate and make decisions between foraging options based on the signal and reward properties of each option. We also ask whether species differ in decision-making mechanisms based on their foraging strategy or other aspects of their ecology. Finally, we are interested in how certain decision mechanisms may shape the target of those decisions, such as floral signals and rewards.
Bees have irrational biases when choosing which flowers to feed on − just like human shoppers do
Sep 30, 2024 02:13 am UTC| Nature
Just like people confronted with a sea of options at the grocery store, bees foraging in meadows encounter many different flowers at once. They must decide which ones to visit for food, but it isnt always a straightforward...