MAYTÉ RUIZ
Biology and Animal Behavior
Fall 2007
Mayté Ruiz is a third-year graduate student at Indiana University-Bloomington. She is majoring in biology under the advisement of Dr. Emília P. Martins. Mayté received a Bachelor of Science in biology at Florida International University. She is working in the program for Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior (EEB) as well as the Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior (CISAB). Additionally, she is a trainee of the NIH-funded Common Themes in Reproductive Diversity (CTRD) group at Indiana University.
Currently, she is researching trade-offs within and among courtship and immune function in sagebrush lizards, Sceloporus graciosus. From previous research she has found that individual male identity and female reproductive state are important predictors of variation in male display rate. However, males do not alter their display rate with respect to female quality.
In her upcoming research, she will consider the effects of hormones, namely testosterone and corticosterone, on the immune system of S. graciosus. Previous studies have determined that these hormones play a major immunosuppressive role; however, inconsistencies arise due to the utilization of a number of immune measures and due to the possibility of an interactive effect of hormones within an individual. She proposes to address these inconsistencies by determining the effect of testosterone and of corticosterone on multiple immune responses simultaneously.
She will also test the interactive effect that testosterone and corticosterone have on the immune system. Additionally, she will determine whether corticosterone produces similar immune responses in males and females since males and females have different hormonal physiology and thus interactions with corticosterone may lead to diverse effects between the sexes. Finally, she hopes to connect immunity and reproduction by analyzing how trade-offs between these processes are mediated.
Mayté volunteers her time as a “Big Sister” with Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Central Indiana. She encourages and challenges her “Little Sister,” providing her with a friendship, support, and an example to which she can aspire.
EDUARDO FERNANDEZ
Psychology, Animal Behavior and Neuroscience
Spring 2005
Imagine getting a shot every morning that gave you all the nutrients you need for the day – you no longer need to eat. Do you think you’d still want to chew on something at certain points during the day? Would gum become an appealing habit or would your pen cap suffer? Would you still rummage around the fridge for food?
Eduardo Fernandez thinks you would. And, he says, the desire to forage is a big part of why animals in zoos often exhibit stereotypical behaviors. Polar bears pace, walruses swim in circles, and giraffes lick their barn doors. His research focuses not only on understanding why these behaviors take place, but also how to help animals be able to behave more like they would in the wild.
Many zoos have been experimenting with how to feed their animals by spreading food around for them to find, feeding them at different times of the day and techniques such as these have helped, but it’s important, Eduardo says, that we understand why animals behave as they do in captivity – that it’s not just that animals are bored, like is commonly thought.
For example, walruses spend all day skimming the bottom of the ocean and pounding the ocean floor looking for stuff to eat. One of Eduardo’s projects involves providing a feeding mat that zookeepers can stuff fish and mollusks into for the walrus to forage. Another project involves giving the walruses large balls with fish in them. The walrus takes the balls in their flippers and have to shake the balls to get the fish out one by one.
Another recent project involves polar bears, who have the largest home ranges of any land mammals and, not ironically, exhibit some of the most stereotypic behavior in captivity. With concern for global warming on the rise and the polar caps at risk, learning how to create natural environments allowing polar bears to be more themselves is more important than ever.
Eduardo Fernandez is a graduate student in the department of Psychological and Brain Sciences. To learn more about his research, visit his website.
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