Sensory Synthesis
In addition to experimental work, Dr. Brandley also uses a synthesis approach to understand how sensory physiology may influence the evolution of animal signals (and vice versa). These projects are often collaborative in nature and have spanned multiple aspects of sensory physiology including visual acuity, color vision, and categorical perception.
Undergraduates seeking an I.S. experience that is more theoretical and/or literature based should feel free to discuss these potential projects with Dr. Brandley.
Current Vison and Signals Projects:
1) Creating a database of visual acuity (VA) values across species to better link VA with coloration patterns.
2) Visual acuity and the active space of visual signals.
Differences in sensory physiology (in this case visual acuity) can lead to drastically different amounts of information being gathered from a potential signal. Here the appearance of an aposematic map butterfly is modelled as seen by both conspecifics and potential predators at distances of 10 and 100 cm. Note that many of the spatial aspects of its coloration that are easily visible to predatory birds are unresolvable to conspecifics. Figure adapted from Caves, Brandley, and Johnsen (2018), original picture by Guido Gerding.
Related Papers:
Green, P.A., N.C. Brandley, and S. Nowicki (2020). Categorical perception in animal communication and decision-making. Behavioral Ecology 31:859-867
Caves, E.M., N.C. Brandley, and S Johnsen (2018). Visual acuity and the evolution of signals. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 33: 358-372
Brandley N.C., D.I. Speiser, and S. Johnsen (2013). Eavesdropping on visual secrets. Evolutionary Ecology 27:1045–1068