SARAH BENSON

Wednesday October 6, 2021
12:00 pm ~ 01:00 pm
Topic
AMRAM: DOES COGNITION FACILITATE THE ADAPTATION OF WILDLIFE TO URBAN ENVIRONMENTS? A CASE STUDY OF RACCOONS
Location
https://ubc.zoom.us/j/61116026976?pwd=RUIvdHNTRFE2MzgrTCtVMDZGSH Passcode: 685936JnZz09
Host
host: Richardson Lab
Speaker
SARAH BENSON
Affiliation
UBC Biodiversity
Series
Biodiversity Seminar Series
Seminar Video

The fall 2021 BRS seminar will be on the Zoom Webinar Platform:

https://ubc.zoom.us/j/61116026976?pwd=RUIvdHNTRFE2MzgrTCtVMDZGSHJnZz09

Passcode: 685936

Description

Abstract: The ability of animals to perceive, learn about, and respond to the world around them has profound fitness consequences. Advanced cognitive abilities, such as behavioral flexibility, may have particularly strong effects on fitness in cities, which are some of the most extreme novel environments confronted by contemporary wildlife populations. I will present results from my current research program, which is focused on studying the cognition, behavior, and ecology of urban carnivores (particularly raccoons) to understand how cognition is facilitating adaptation of these species to urban environments.