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Date Posted: 15:04:29 06/19/02 Wed
Author: PLOK
Subject: Montana
In reply to: SMH 's message, "Wow!" on 13:33:25 06/19/02 Wed

I'm currently doing field research on spider mating systems. I live and go to school in New Mexico, but it's too hot downt there for me in the summer. My advisor usually teaches a class at a field station in Montana, so I use the facilities at the station to conduct my research.

I'm working on two main projects right now. One is a comparative study (comparing different species) of spider mating systems. For behavior, that means mostly courtship (male-female interactions) and fighting (male-male interactions). I'm trying to connect differences in behavior to differences in the ecology, physiology, and development of the different species. It's really fun when the connections work out.

My other project, which I'm collaborating on with my advisor, is a more detailed study of the specifics of the fighting behavior of a single spider species. We're trying to determine what factors influence the fight outcome, intensity, and degree of escalation. We're looking at ecological factors (e.g. temperature or time of year) and biological factors (e.g. the female's reproductive quality). We're also investigating the energetic requirements of the different fighting behaviors.

While in Montana, I'm also working on numerous side projects with various animals around the field station. Currently, I'm working on lekking behavior in a moth and ant/aphid interactions.

I grew up in a small town in the middle of a national forest. When I'm in the city going to school, I miss being able to simply walk out the door and be surrounded by wildlife. I come up to Montana to get that feeling back. At the field station, I live in a rustic cabin with no heat. The bathrooms/showers are a decent hike away. We have great computer access because it's a place for scientific research, but regular living comforts are minimal. Most of the staff lives off the station grounds and drives in each morning.

Anyway, that's probably more than you ever wanted to know.... I should probably get back to RL. (It's currently raining out, so not much small insect behavior going on except trying-not-to-drown activities, but I'm supposed to be working on a paper for publication. It's supposed to be getting shorter, but every time I give it to my advisor he thinks of 10 more things it would be cool to talk about. *sigh*)

:)
PLOK

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Replies:

Wow...again! -- SMH, 16:15:50 06/20/02 Thu