Social Networking Among Marmoteers

This weekend Tina Wey (former "Team Marmot" graduate student, now an NSF postdoctoral fellow in Andy Sih's lab at UC-Davis) and I met with researchers at the University of Wyoming for an exciting conference on social networks. The photo above depicts the two of us (Jenn on left and Tina on right) pointing out the landmark used in our local directions indicating that we were to "turn right at the black cows (see above)" on our way from Denver to Laramie, Wyoming. Something told me that I was no longer in LA!

Our local hosts, Dave McDonald (left, above) and Andrew Edelman (right, above) graciously organized this amazing symposium around the theme, "Network Science in Biological, Social and Geographic Systems." Talks and posters covered topics ranging from networks among basketball players to cooperation/social networks in animals of all shapes and sizes. Some of the animal networks were comprised of manikins, ants, hyraxes, spotted hyenas, elephants and (of course) marmots. My talk on sibling and maternal effects on the social integration of marmots was well-received.

In addition to the exciting conversations and seminars about research, we also visited a local sage grouse lek (see below--if you have a microscope, then you might able to see the gorgeous birds--23 males dancing for a single female!).