Description of Dr. Romey’s Summer Research Program

The general goal of the summer research program at the Romey lab is to understand how animals choose positions within groups. We believe there are some generally applicable behavioral rules, for how animals choose group positions, based on common evolutionary selection pressures and physiological constraints. The type of group we study are ones in which entry and exit are not restricted such as: schools of fish, swarms of insects, and flocks of birds. When we track individuals in groups, it is apparent that some prefer edge/front positions and others prefer center/back positions. To understand why, we vary environmental factors for the whole groups including: predator attack, food distribution, and water speed. We also want to understand how differences in physiology between individuals influence their decision on where to be in a group. We have found that hunger, gender, and defensive chemicals have all been found to influence group positioning.

Specific Summer Research to be Carried Out:

The general questions above will be addressed with specific studies on a beetle that swims on the surface of ponds and streams, the whirligig beetle (Gyrinidae). These insects are a useful study organism for grouping questions because they: can be obtained in large numbers, are easily maintained in the laboratory, swim in a 2-dimensional plane at the surface of the water, and are easily marked and filmed. The answers we obtain using whirligigs help us to make general theories that help us understand grouping in general. Each student researcher will choose a unique combination of environmental and physiological variables to control and complete at least one of the experiments.