In the news

Aquatic apes: you have probably heard about the idea that our ancestors had an aquatic past. Read more about the idea here http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2013/apr/27/aquatic-ape-theory-primate-evolution and Henry Gee’s response here (in short, he doesn’t agree) http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/occams-corner/2013/may/07/aquatic-apes-creationism-evolution   3D scans of caterpillars turning into butterflies http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2013/05/14/3-d-scans-caterpillars-transforming-butterflies-metamorphosis/   New species – 2nd year Gregor Davies has been keeping an […]

Fieldwork in the UK or abroad? The British Ecological Society are surveying undergraduates about how fieldwork influences course choice. Please complete it here http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BJYBCB6   A different type of exam… A lecturer at UCLA allows students to use game theory for their game theory exam i.e. no restrictions, the option to use any resources (including […]

MRes Wildlife Conservation The website now contains information about fees and research projects http://www.southampton.ac.uk/biosci/postgraduate/taught_courses/wildlife_conservation.page   SUSU Excellence in teaching awards Thank you for nominating lots of CfBS lecturers http://www.susu.org/making-a-difference/union-awards/2012/eta/nominees.html ! Our winners are: At faculty level: Vincent O’Connor – Best feedback At discipline level: Keith Fox – Outstanding lecturer Neil Gostling – Innovative teaching

Olly Vaughan (1st year, reading group member!) thought you should all read this letter written by Richard Dawkins to his daughter when she turned 10. Thank you Olly! http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2012/12/28/richard-dawkins-letter-to-daughter/   Pete Boyd (PhD student), found this on Jerry Coyne’s blog. Pete describes is as “animals complaining about their evolved traits”, thank you Pete! http://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2013/04/18/dear-evolution-letters-animals-bemoan-their-lot/   […]

Hampshire Museum’s Service are running a 1 day course – Insects for beginners – on 11th May. If you are interested in attending, please email me. Why did the Russian meteor explode? http://www.nature.com/news/the-death-of-the-chebarkul-meteor-1.12540 Monkeys prefer people who are altruistic http://www.nature.com/news/monkeys-stay-away-from-meanies-1.12551 International women’s week – what’s happening in science? http://www.nature.com/news/women-in-science-women-s-work-1.12547 Thermoregulation in Emperor penguins – infrared […]

You can feel very proud about your choice of degree, this is the century of biology http://www.nature.com/nature/supplements/insights/frontiers_biology_2013/index.html Scientists love science (and people?) – PhD student Zoe Harris found this little gem in the Guardian on Valentine’s day last week http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/brain-flapping/2013/feb/14/valentines-day-how-to-woo-a-scientist Thank you Zoe! Conservation status of the world’s reptiles – Rob Gandola, who works with […]

A to Z of social media for academia http://www.andymiah.net/2012/12/30/the-a-to-z-of-social-media-for-academics/  Wildlife on Britain’s roadsides – a fiend of mine’s colleague, Dr Trevor Dines tells more in episode 1 of Wild Things http://www.channel4.com/programmes/wild-things/4od#3472005  Do hens have friends? http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/news/health/2013/130115-n-do-hens-have-friends.aspx  http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168159112003656  Female choice – based on fractal geometry, clever red-legged partridges!http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2013/01/scienceshot-what-birds-know-abou.html?ref=hp  http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/280/1755/20122783  Mind-reading in Eurasian jays  http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2013/02/sensitive-males-provide-clues-to.html                            http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2013/01/29/1209926110  The […]

SEEN has been going since September 2010, with an edition every fortnight during termtime. That makes 12 editions each academic year. You can see every edition below. For volume 3 editions, posts have been separated into separate categories, which you can link to on the left.

Dear all,   Our final SEEN of semester 1. You must have all been very busy with finishing off work because it’s been rather quiet. However, if you find anything interesting whilst you’re revising, please send it in. Best wishes with your exams, Merry Christmas and see you all in 2013! Judith   Our staff […]

Dear all, Quite a little flurry of links since the last edition, thank you and keep sending them in! One more edition before the Christmas holiday… Judith Sent in by PhD student Pete Boyd (thank you Pete) – do bird papers have the best figures?http://dynamicecology.wordpress.com/2012/11/19/do-bird-papers-have-the-best-figures/   Lyndsey de Valmency thought you might all be interested […]