Abigail Dominy
76th Annual Easter Conference for
the Association for the Study of
Animal Behaviour (ASAB)
I recently returned from
the 76th annual Easter Conference
for the Association for the Study of
Animal Behaviour (ASAB). This year
ASAB met in a beautiful Welsh
town called Aberystwyth, which
resides on the west coast of Wales
and overlooks Cardigan Bay.
Participation in this conference
allowed me to interact with fellow
PhD students working in the field of animal behavior. Much of the research presented at the conference
demonstrated novel scientific questions and utilized cutting-edge methodology. Among these
outstanding presentations, I was able to present my research on the visual ecology of the diamondback
terrapin. I met several other PhD students in attendance who are working on visual ecology with other
organisms. We were very excited to learn from each other the different techniques we are utilizing to
answer our research questions. In one instance I was able to provide insight into the problems of 3D
vision modeling for tri-chromatic organisms; in another I was able to explain how a spectrophotometer
can be used to quantify coloration. I learned
from another student how color constancy
(perception of color) might be affected in
changing ambient light environments. The
ability to discuss my research goals with others
who are pursuing very similar research
questions was an invaluable experience. It also
didn't hurt that we met in such a beautiful
place!
In addition to intellectual discourse, I
participated in traditional Welsh dancing,
called tym path. It involves complex,
synchronized dancing, not unlike the Irish
ceilidh. Thankfully we had a dance instructor who 'walked' us through all the steps! If that wasn't
enough, the dancing took place on top of a cliff that overlooks the town of Aberystwyth, giving us a
breath-taking sunset view (pictured above). Also, if you looked hard enough, you could see the
southwestern shoreline of Ireland.
The combination of idea-sharing and social interaction gave me some interesting insights into
the core concepts and principles we follow in the field of animal behavior. Much of animal interaction
involves a level of socially expected behavior; many species use social cues to dictate their own
behavior. For example, many studies presented at the conference demonstrated that individuals within
a population will change their behavior based on the presence of conspecifics and/or heterospecifics.
Finding myself in a new cultural environment, I did things I don't normally do, which was dance!
I am very thankful that I was able to attend this
conference. It not only enabled me to learn about
some of the latest research being conducted in my
field, but also exposed me to unique and inspiring
cultural traditions.