Andy Radford

Dr Julie Kern with some of the wild dwarf mongooses that she habituated to her close presence in South Africa.

Dr Amy Morris-Drake with a habituated wild dwarf mongoose in South Africa.

Dr Josh Arbon at a termite mound in South Africa with dwarf mongooses.

This #MongooseMonday, some brilliant folk:

@juliekern.bsky.social: set up the Dwarf Mongoose Research Project & co-ran it for 7 years; Masters, PhD, PDRA

#AmyMorris-Drake: RA, Masters & PhD, PDRA; co-managed for 6 years

@josharbon.bsky.social: Masters, PDRA, database guru

#amazing #priceless

How Co-BreeD can change how we see cooperation in animals This blog post is provided by Maike Woith and tells the #StoryBehindThePaper for the article “An integrative, peer-reviewed and open-source cooperative-breeding database (Co-BreeD)”, wh…

Check out the story behind our work on Co-BreeD, written by fabulous @maikewoith.bsky.social and published as a blog in @animalecology.bsky.social
animalecologyinfocus.com/2025/11/11/h...

Funded PhD open to UK-domiciled, home fee applicants of Black African, Black Caribbean or other Black or mixed Black heritage - Biological market monitoring and manipulation in social animals at Unive... PhD Project - Funded PhD open to UK-domiciled, home fee applicants of Black African, Black Caribbean or other Black or mixed Black heritage - Biological market monitoring and manipulation in social an...

⏰ 1 month left to apply for these fully-funded #PhD opportunities with us investigating social monitoring & manipulation. #bioacoustics #mammals

UK-domiciled black-heritage scheme: tinyurl.com/aja54nr6

NERC DLTP: tinyurl.com/4jfy47pp

DM or email me if you have questions.
Please spread the word. ☺️

We have a permanent vacancy for a lecturer in Zoology at Aberystwyth University jobs.aber.ac.uk/en/vacancy/l... Deadline 14th December!

An integrative, peer‐reviewed and open‐source cooperative‐breeding database (Co‐BreeD) Co-BreeD is the first updatable and open-source database dedicated to cooperative breeding. It enables continuous, non-binary measurement of cooperative breeding, transforming how we study breeding s...

📢Out in the NEW issue of @animalecology.bsky.social is our hugely #collaborative paper:

An integrative, peer-reviewed and open-source cooperative-breeding database (Co-BreeD)

#mammals #birds #cooperation #openscience #datasets #alloparents

Led by @benmocha.bsky.social

doi.org/10.1111/1365...

An integrative, peer‐reviewed and open‐source cooperative‐breeding database (Co‐BreeD) Co-BreeD is the first updatable and open-source database dedicated to cooperative breeding. It enables continuous, non-binary measurement of cooperative breeding, transforming how we study breeding s...

📢Out in the NEW issue of @animalecology.bsky.social is our hugely #collaborative paper:

An integrative, peer-reviewed and open-source cooperative-breeding database (Co-BreeD)

#mammals #birds #cooperation #openscience #datasets #alloparents

Led by @benmocha.bsky.social

doi.org/10.1111/1365...

Dr Josh Arbon out birding.

Dr Josh Arbon with a meerkat in the Kalahari, South Africa.

👋to @josharbon.bsky.social who has completed a truly outstanding #NERC-funded postdoc investigating #pre-emptive #behaviour in relation to #intergroup #conflict 👏

Loads of exciting #research, new #methods learned & an awe-inspiring level of help provided to others 🥇

Good luck in #Cambridge, Josh

Well we went early with this year's research group Christmas Symposium, and what a superb collection of talks and films from a wonderfully talented collection of MScR, PhD & Postdocs! Great to mix wasps, birds, mammals with our fish & corals thanks to @andyradford.bsky.social & #PatrickKennedy

Research group of Professor Andy Radford, Professor Steve Simpson and Dr Patrick Kennedy following annual symposium in Bristol.

Research group relaxing in the pub.

Research group enjoying dinner at Coconut Tree in Bristol.

A brilliant afternoon #symposium and evening of #fun with the best #researchgroup in the world (I may be slightly biased!). Fantastic talks from everyone; interesting discussions; great food; laughter throughout. What more could you want?

@bristolbiosci.bsky.social

@profstevesimpson.bsky.social

Dwarf mongoose on sentinel duty in South Africa. Photo by Shannon Benson.

Dwarf mongoose on sentinel duty in South Africa. Photo by Shannon Benson.

🌟 #MongooseMonday is upon us! 🌟

In dwarf mongoose groups, who provides #information matters.

More experienced individuals are 'trusted' the most: doi.org/10.1093/behe...

New group members take time to settle in: doi.org/10.1016/j.cu...

#acousticcommunication #mammals #fieldwork #experiments

After the fight: post-contest acoustic signalling | Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences Animal contests often involve acoustic signals at different stages, but empirical work has primarily focused on usage before and during antagonistic interactions. Far less attention has been paid to post-contest acoustic signals (PCAS): those occurring ...

#Conflict is rife in the natural world & lots of animals use #vocal #signals before & during #contests. But what about in their aftermath? Wonder no more - read our #review on post-contest acoustic signalling:
doi.org/10.1098/rspb...
@josharbon.bsky.social #AmyMorris-Drake
@bristolbiosci.bsky.social

Funded PhD NERC GW4+ DLTP - Social monitoring and manipulation of cooperative exchanges at University of Bristol on FindAPhD.com PhD Project - Funded PhD NERC GW4+ DLTP - Social monitoring and manipulation of cooperative exchanges at University of Bristol, listed on FindAPhD.com

🌟Fully funded #PhD🌟
Social monitoring and manipulation of cooperative exchanges.
#NERC funding
With @ljnbrent.bsky.social, #PatrickKennedy & me.
Based in @bristolbiosci.bsky.social
#LongtermData #Fieldwork
#Mongooses #Macaques
Deadline: 8th Jan 2026

Please share!

www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

Female superb fairywren in Australia.

Male superb fairywren in Australia.

📢NEW paper out NOW in @asab.org Animal Behaviour on how a novel #call changes subsequent responses to #alarms in #fairywrens

🌟CONGRATULATIONS #NatalieTegtman on #first paper from #PhD
👥With #RobMagrath

@bristolbiosci.bsky.social
#animalcommunication #birds #fieldwork #ECR

doi.org/10.1016/j.an...

New paper led by Lauren Common on the “seet” alarm calls of superb fairy-wrens is out today: royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...

Interestingly, this is the second paper this week on these previously undescribed calls (see below)! I think the two studies complement each other really well.

🌍📢 Postdoc alert | 3-yr starting early 2026

Please 🔁!

Understand how ecosystem stability is changing across space and through time using niche modelling, pinpoint at-risk species/regions, and build tools that drive conservation action🌿🧭📈

👉 tinyurl.com/2mafwru3

#Ecology #Jobs #Biodiversity

Meerkat pups in the Kalahari, South Africa

Rhesus macaques in Cayo Santiago

Dwarf mongoose staring at a camera, South Africa.

📢Two fully-funded #PhD opportunities to work with us:

Topic: Social monitoring & manipulation

UK-domiciled black-heritage scheme: tinyurl.com/aja54nr6

NERC DLTP: tinyurl.com/4jfy47pp

Cosupervisors: #PatrickKennedy @ljnbrent.bsky.social
@bristolbiosci.bsky.social
#bioacoustics #mammals #fieldwork

Extended and cumulative effects of experimentally induced intergroup conflict in a cooperatively breeding mammal | Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences Conflict between rival groups is rife in nature. While recent work has begun exploring the behavioural consequences of this intergroup conflict, studies have primarily considered just the 1–2 h immedi...

#MongooseMonday time 👏

Dwarf mongooses battle rival #groups for #territory space

Intergroup #conflict drives changes in #behaviour (doi.org/10.1098/rspb...)

Surprisingly, intergroup threat is positively related to #reproductive success (doi.org/10.1098/rspb...)

#bioacoustics #mammals #war

Female superb fairywren in Australia.

Male superb fairywren in Australia.

📢NEW paper out NOW in @asab.org Animal Behaviour on how a novel #call changes subsequent responses to #alarms in #fairywrens

🌟CONGRATULATIONS #NatalieTegtman on #first paper from #PhD
👥With #RobMagrath

@bristolbiosci.bsky.social
#animalcommunication #birds #fieldwork #ECR

doi.org/10.1016/j.an...

PhD opportunity in #animalbehavior at the University of Bristol, @bristoluni.bsky.social.

Meerkat pups in the Kalahari, South Africa

Rhesus macaques in Cayo Santiago

Dwarf mongoose staring at a camera, South Africa.

📢Two fully-funded #PhD opportunities to work with us:

Topic: Social monitoring & manipulation

UK-domiciled black-heritage scheme: tinyurl.com/aja54nr6

NERC DLTP: tinyurl.com/4jfy47pp

Cosupervisors: #PatrickKennedy @ljnbrent.bsky.social
@bristolbiosci.bsky.social
#bioacoustics #mammals #fieldwork

Funded PhD NERC GW4+ DLTP - Social monitoring and manipulation of cooperative exchanges at University of Bristol on FindAPhD.com PhD Project - Funded PhD NERC GW4+ DLTP - Social monitoring and manipulation of cooperative exchanges at University of Bristol, listed on FindAPhD.com

🌟Fully funded #PhD🌟
Social monitoring and manipulation of cooperative exchanges.
#NERC funding
With @ljnbrent.bsky.social, #PatrickKennedy & me.
Based in @bristolbiosci.bsky.social
#LongtermData #Fieldwork
#Mongooses #Macaques
Deadline: 8th Jan 2026

Please share!

www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

Experimental evidence for delayed contingent cooperation among wild dwarf mongooses | PNAS Many animals participate in biological markets, with strong evidence existing for immediate cooperative trades. In particular, grooming is often ex...

#MongooseMonday is here again 🎉

Dwarf mongooses track what their groupmates are up to in the day using #vocal cues, altering their #grooming in the evening.

They reward helpful hounds (doi.org/10.1073/pnas...) & shun bullies (doi.org/10.7554/eLif...)

#bioacoustics #mammals #cooperation #conflict

Funded PhD NERC GW4+ DLTP - Social monitoring and manipulation of cooperative exchanges at University of Bristol on FindAPhD.com PhD Project - Funded PhD NERC GW4+ DLTP - Social monitoring and manipulation of cooperative exchanges at University of Bristol, listed on FindAPhD.com

Apply now for a NERC-funded PhD position with @andyradford.bsky.social & Patrick Kennedy at @bristolbiosci.bsky.social (with me as friendly 2nd supervisor down the road in @crab-exeter.bsky.social). Network cognition, cooperation, competition...what's not to like?
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

Postdoctoral fellow

🐦 EcoBird is hiring a Postdoc in animal cognition!

Join us + @themanybirds.bsky.social to investigate innovation & problem-solving in birds.

📅 Start: as early as Jan 2026
🌍 Funded through UGent’s international mobility scheme

More info & how to apply ↓
www.ugent.be/en/work/scie...

The winners of our 2025 infographic competition are up! Visit our website for the results www.asab.org/education-news . Here are some of the judges favourite to wet your whistles! Well done to all the entrants.

📢 Amazing #PDRA opportunities.
Exciting and important questions with a stellar and supportive team, plus cool fieldwork options.
Check it out NOW!
#coralreefs #jobs #restoration #research

We're hiring! 🥳 Come and join our team in Lancaster - we're looking for two senior postdocs to work on corporate sustainability and restoration ecology. 🌳 🪸 ♻️ (1 of 2)
@lec-reefs.bsky.social @pentlandcentre.bsky.social @sci-tech-lancaster.bsky.social @lancasteruni.bsky.social

🚨Who wants to work with Kalahari meerkats? A MSc project with @mathildemartin.bsky.social at the University of Zurich.
#bioacoustics 🧪

Dwarf mongoose on sentinel duty in South Africa.

Dwarf mongoose emerging from a termite mound.

🌟Hurrah for #MongooseMonday🌟

The rich vocal repertoire of dwarf mongooses includes calls to:

Warn of danger: dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb...
Recruit help: dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbl...
Announce sentinel duty:
doi.org/10.1073/pnas...

Caller id affects how receivers respond.

#animalcommunication #mammals

📢JOB alert
Excellent opportunity with fantastic team and study system. 🐬
What are you waiting for???