Biological Basis of Behavior Talk: Socio-Cognitive Drivers of Behavioral Plasticity in Wild Animals

Animals living in the modern world face a range of challenges and opportunities associated with human-influenced environments. Because human-induced environmental changes occur at much faster rates compared to natural fluctuations, behavioral adaptations are key to persistence. My research integrates behavioral, physiological, genetic and ecological data to uncover the socio-cognitive drivers of behavioral plasticity in free-ranging social animals, and to examine the fitness consequences of individual-level behavioral variation. In this talk, I will highlight past work on social learning pathways and strategies and in dolphins and songbirds, before introducing my current research program on the physiological and behavioral responses of California ground squirrels to anthropogenic disturbance. I will conclude by discussing the broader implications of this work for conservation and wildlife management, and what squirrels might reveal about adaptability and resilience in our own species.