Bird brains shed light on evolution and pollution

trevor.kenney — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:03:50 +0000

With its mousy brown feathers and ample frame, the ruffed grouse wouldn't win any beauty contests. But for one neuroscientist, the Alberta species is a celebrity.

One of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's newest researchers in the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience (CCBN), Dr. Andrew Iwaniuk, says the species is unique in the world. By beating its wings very quickly, the male creates a loud drumming sound to attract females.

Dr. Andrew Iwaniuk

"It's completely unique to them. There's no other grouse or chicken-like species in the world that has that behaviour," he says.

Iwaniuk, who earned his master's degree at the U of L, has chosen the ruffed grouse as a focal species for his research on brain differences across species. He's trying to understand why the brains of different animals evolve so distinctly and says the grouse's unique behaviour will provide information about how its brain evolved.

His research is supported by several funding bodies, including the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), which recently awarded him nearly $500,000.

Another branch of Iwaniuk's work explores the neurobehavioural impacts of organic pollutants, also through the lens of bird physiology. For this work, he's studying the common quail, which is more sensitive to pollutants than wild birds.

Supported by Alberta Ingenuity and the Alberta Heritage Fund, this work focuses on perfluorinated chemicals, which are contained in stain treatments and Teflon coatings and now circulate widely in the environment.

"A bit of an unknown with these chemicals is how they're affecting our bodies and potentially our brains and behaviours," he says. "The current theory is that these chemicals are upsetting the thyroid gland."

Iwaniuk, who did his PhD at Monash ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in Melbourne, Australia, conducted research at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta and the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., before returning to the U of L.

"The facilities here were better than the other places I was looking at and the funding was better, which offers me the opportunity to hire post-docs, students and research assistants," Iwaniuk says.

Smithsonian opportunities available

trevor.kenney — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 15:48:23 +0000

Renowned as the world's largest museum complex and research organization, the Smithsonian Institution is a treasure trove for scholars, scientists and students alike. It is, however, located in Washington, D.C. and can seem like a world away.

In 2006, the Government of Alberta signed a collaborative agreement with the Smithsonian to jointly sponsor and launch the Alberta Smithsonian Internship Program (ASIP), allowing Albertan scholars access to all the Smithsonian has to offer.

Wednesday, Smithsonian Institution Program Manager, Pamela Hudson-Veenbass, will be on campus to give a presentation about Smithsonian opportunities available to Alberta scholars, particularly its Faculty Fellowships.

ASIP is offered to students enrolled in degree programs at post secondary institutions in Alberta. Participants are provided with a unique opportunity to intern under recognized Smithsonian scholars, scientists and educators in an array of disciplines, either at the Institution itself or at one of its affiliated sites.

In an effort to enhance this relationship, the government of Alberta aims to expand the program via increased international research and cooperation opportunities for Alberta faculty. Hudson-Veenbass will specifically address these opportunities.

The presentation is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, 1:30 p.m. in B756. All interested students and faculty are encouraged to attend.

UNews - Smithsonian Institution

Bird brains shed light on evolution and pollution

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Smithsonian opportunities available

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