26th Feb, 2010
Dr. David Hill (University of Sussex, U.K.) held a
seminar in Primate Research Institute (PRI).
Dr. David Hill visited PRI and performed "From
monkeys to bats: discovering common ground".
<Abstract>
After a long period of field research on the behaviour, ecology and
conservation of macaques, the main focus of my work switched to
microchiropteran bats. The initial motivation was to examine the effects
of habitat disturbance on bats in warm temperate rain forest in
Yakushima. As with primates, many species of bat face a growing threat
of extinction, with loss and degradation of their habitats being a
principal causal factor. For most bat species, the lack of basic
information on their ecology or behaviour hinders any efforts to promote
their conservation. One reason for this lack of data is that bats are
difficult animals to study, as they are nocturnally active, most species
remain hidden during the day and they are difficult to catch. We
developed a novel technique that enhances our ability to capture bats,
and so greatly increases the potential for surveying and studying them
in the field. I will discuss ways that we have applied this technique to
address issues in bat conservation, and to study aspects of their
ecology and behaviour in England and Japan. I will conclude by
considering another potential application that would reveal whether
foraging within groups of woodland bats is primarily cooperative, or
competitive. Ultimately, it should be possible to assess whether
dominance relationships exist between female bats and whether these are
influenced by concentration of food resources, as they are in female
macaques.
