Dave Wilson’s Animal Behaviour Lab
MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY OF NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR
Welcome to the Wilson Lab at Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador. Our group conducts research on animal behaviour, with a focus on animal communication, cognition, predator-prey interactions, and sexual selection. Our research is theory-driven, and we tend to work on questions concerning the underlying mechanisms and functional significance of behaviour. We have worked with a variety of animal species over the years, but most research has focused on wild birds.
Graduate students in the lab are affiliated with graduate programs in either the Department of Biology or the interdisciplinary program in Cognitive and Behavioural Ecology (CABE). If you are interested in joining the lab, please send me a copy of your academic transcript, your CV, and a statement about your research interests.
Lab News:
James Murphy presented his research on the information content of the chick-a-dee call at the Biology and Applied Aquatic Sciences Joint Conference in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. He won the People’s Choice Award for best talk at the biology conference. A month later he successfully defended his thesis to complete his BSc Honours degree in the Department of Biology. Congratulations James! — April, 2025
In 2023, Miguel Mejías became the first PhD graduate from the lab and, at the same time, published the final two chapters of his thesis in the Journal of Avian Biology and the Journal of Field Ornithology. You can read the full articles on our publications page. Congratulations Dr. Mejías, we look forward to hearing about your next adventure!— July 2023
Dave Wilson and Jessika Lamarre presented their research on the effects of omega-3 fatty acids on avian cognition at the annual conference of the Animal Behavior Society in Portland, Oregon.— July 2023
PhD candidate Jessika Lamarre completes an ambitious field season in Montreal, and then completes an encore in Newfoundland where ring-billed gulls breed later in the year. This was the final year of data collection for Jessika’s thesis on the effects of omega-3 fatty acids on avian cognition and she certainly made the most of it!— June 2023
Jessika monitoring breeding ring-billed gulls on Kelly’s Island, Newfoundland.
