Research in my lab asks how collective behavior emerges from variation among system components and environmental pressures. We combine field and lab studies with computer simulations, theoretical work, image analysis, and social network theory. Furthermore, we are interested in the interplay between conservation biology and animal behavior. Examining the behavior of animals can provide important assessment tools for conservation actions and insights on preserving biodiversity. At the same time, wildlife management actions can provide unique opportunities for studying basic science questions in animal behavior. For her PhD work, Dr. Pinter-Wollman studied the effects of translocation, a wildlife management tool, on the behavior and survival of African elephants. Current work in the lab uses different species of ants, including the invasive Argentine ant, which displaces native ant species in its introduced range. We study how variation among individual Argentine ant workers influences the collective behavior of the colony. To uncover the impacts of ecological and spatial constraints on social behavior we study the collective actions of harvester ants and the social structure of a critically endangered griffon vulture population. Our work on how space influences movement patterns and resulting social interactions provides information on the potential for disease transmission and information transfer about poisonous foods to local wildlife managers.
Education:
2008 Ph.D. Animal Behavior. University of California, Davis
2004 M.S. Animal Behavior. University of California, Davis
2003 B.Sc. Zoology. Tel-Aviv University, Israel
