Dr Andrea Griffin
Senior Lecturer in Environmental Psychology
School of Psychological Sciences (Psychology)
- Email:andrea.griffin@newcastle.edu.au
- Phone:(02) 4348 4393
Ruling the roost
An expert in predator response and adaptive learning in both animals and humans, Dr Andrea Griffin is building new knowledge on the behaviour and biology of invasive species and the reasons behind their ecological success.

Above: Dr Andrea Griffin with a radio-tracking antenna, used to track radio-tagged common Mynas.
A behavioural ecologist and Senior Lecturer in UON’s School of Psychology, Andrea’s work sits at the junction of psychology, zoology, and biology.
She is currently investigating the impact of the Common Myna in Australia.
In a unique combination of captive and field methodologies, she is focussing on species interactions in the range expansion of Mynas, identifying the historical patterns of the species' Australian range expansion, and measuring their learning and problem solving capacities.
“Only by better understanding the factors facilitating and inhibiting the spread of Mynas, and knowing more about their interactions with natives, will we be equipped to manage the species.”
Her research has already provided first-time demonstrations of place avoidance learning, predator avoidance learning and solving of novel foraging problems amongst introduced Mynas.
Recognised as an international leader in this field, Andrea has authored 46 journal articles and invited book chapters in her field, presented her work at 45 national and international conferences, and delivered 15 national and international guest lectures.
Of her publications, 90 per cent are in top-tier Q1 journals in her field and 70 per cent are first-authored.
About the Myna
The Common Myna, better known as the Indian Myna, is an introduced species, with a black head, chocolate brown body and yellow legs, beak and eye patch.
The Myna is a member of the starling family and not phylogenetically related to the Native Honeyeater, known as the Noisy Miner, despite their similar sounding names and comparable size.
The Myna is the most common bird in many of Australia’s Eastern coast cities. In fact, the myna is one of the most successful bird species in the world. Introduced to six of seven continents worldwide, the Myna has been successful on all of them.
The Myna adapts particularly well to urbanised areas, where they nest in houses, scavenge for food in outdoor eating areas and soil public facilities. They also gather in large roosts, creating deafening noise and health concerns.
In remnant areas of bushland, the Myna inhibits the success of native species due to competition over nesting cavities. On islands where it has been introduced, the Myna is known to predate on native chicks and eggs.
The Myna has certainly adapted with remarkable mastery to many different types of environment across its worldwide range. But there are also areas in Australia where, despite climatic conditions being favourable, it has not adapted so well. Andrea wants to know why.
“If we know where and why Mynas are not spreading, then we can find the Myna’s Achilles’ heel” says Griffin.
Multiple invasion fronts
With support from the Australian Research Council (ARC), Andrea is conducting collaborative research with Associate Professor Salit Kark from the University of Queensland.
In a large-scale interstate, nest box study, the role of species interactions in the range expansion of Mynas is being investigated.
This study will address a major gap in our scientific understanding of invasions by undertaking the first large-scale examination of the role of interactions between species in determining the success, dynamics, and rate of biological invasions.
Breeding and the competition around nesting resources, and the impact on native species in specific habitats, is a main area of interest.
Initially released as a means of controlling insects, several further separate Myna introductions occurred along the east coast of Australia until the 1950s.
“That makes for a very interesting system because we have got replicated invasion fronts that we can study,” Andrea explains.
Identifying the historical patterns of the species' Australian range expansion is the focus of collaboration with Dr Richard Major, an ornithologist from the Australian Museum and the Australian Centre for Wildlife Genomics.
“We are doing a study of genetics to look at how populations are actually connected across Australia,” Andrea says.
Novelty and danger
Another ongoing project for Andrea, with funding from the New South Wales Environmental Trust, is the development of a species-specific oral contraceptive that would make Myna eggs infertile.
This humane culling technique would see adult birds live a normal life but eventually die out, along with the species, due to their inability to reproduce.
Another management option that Andrea is interested in exploring further is a deterrent that impels the Myna population to permanently move away from a particular roosting area.
“We were watching a roost, not far from here actually,” Andrea recalls.
“Every evening we had seen an aggregation of Myna birds there. Until it was visited by a Collared Sparrow hawk for a couple of mornings in a row, then the roost was completely cleared, with not a bird in sight.”
“Maybe if we could just facilitate the native raptors being in town?” Andrea says, laughing.
Identifying an inhibition to range expansion is one thing, designing a way to replicate a deterrent into a long-term management strategy is another.
“That is one of the great capacities of an invasive species, they are cautious around novelty but they also work out pretty quickly when something is not dangerous.”
Evolution of behaviour
A biologist by training, Andrea completed her Masters of Science at Lausanne University in Switzerland.
Family ties then brought her to Australia, where she was awarded a Vice-Chancellor's Commendation for Outstanding PhD at Macquarie University.
Working with Tammar wallabies, Andrea’s doctoral study was focused on training captive-bred or trans located animals to avoid predators, an important survival skill when endangered animals are reintroduced to the wild.
Canada was next, where Andrea switched to birds, investigating the benefits of mixed species aggregation between Zenaida Doves and Carib Grackles.
In 2006, Andrea was awarded an ARC Postdoctoral Fellowship and began her work on predator avoidance and social learning in the Myna.
Andrea has not dedicated her research exclusively to animals.
“I have worked with social psychologists because I am interested in predator response learning,” Andrea says.
“We are talking about the evolution of behaviour, and humans fall under that umbrella as well, our behaviour also evolves in a certain context.”
“Humans also learn about, and assess, people that are different to them, and may be seen as a threat for whatever reason.”
Shared marvels
Management techniques are being sought to pre-emptively restrict their further spread, but it is the Myna’s ultimate defeat and possible return of displaced native birds that Andrea is most looking forward to.
The depth of her fascination and width of her knowledge makes anything Andrea speaks of infinitely interesting, and she thoroughly enjoys interacting with students.
Her skill and passion for teaching have been recognised by a Vice-Chancellor's Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning.
Andrea currently teaches animal behaviour to psychology and environmental science students, and advanced learning to psychology students. She is supervising several post-grad students.
“I am an animal ecologist because I find non-humans just absolutely fascinating”, she says.
“The variety of their behaviours and the capacity to adapt and adjust and to learn new things is amazing.”
“The greatest sensation for me is when I can communicate that, arouse people's curiosity, and enjoy a kind of shared marvel at the natural world that fascinates me so much.”
Ruling the roost
Andrea Griffin's research focuses on the cognitive and behavioural processes that allow animals to adapt to short-term and long-term environmental change.
Career Summary
Biography
Andrea Griffin is a Behavioural Ecologist in the School of Psychology at the University of Newcastle. The 2015 Excellence in Research for Australia assessment rated the School’s research as “above world standard” in the area of “psychology and cognitive science” and “well above world standard” in the specific area of “cognitive science.”
Much of her research involves close collaborations with researchers from the School of Environmental and Life Sciences. The 2015 Excellence for Australia assessment rated the School's research as "above world standard" in the area of Zoology.
The University is ranked among the top 250 universities in the world and in the top 10 in Australia in terms of its research income (QS World University Rankings, 2016; Higher Education Research Data Collection 2014).
RESEARCH
Andrea Griffin's research focuses on the cognitive and behavioural processes that allow animals to adapt to short-term and long-term environmental change and variability. A mid-career level researcher, Andrea has authored 44 journal articles in her field, presented her work at 45 national and international conferences, and delivered 15 national and international guest lectures. 90% of her publications are in top-tier Q1 journals in her field and 70% are first-authored. Her work has been cited nearly 1500 times and she has an h-index (google scholar) of 19. For more information about her research and her research group, please go to http://andreasgriffin.weebly.com/.
Andrea's past work has contributed to developing behavioural interventions to improve the reintroduction success of endangered marsupials.
More recently, Andrea's research is building new knowledge on the behaviour and biology of invasive species and the reasons behind their ecological success. These knowledge advancements have begun to inform invasive bird management.
Andrea is using the highly successful introduced song bird, the common (Indian) myna, as a model system to explore the behavioural and biological traits associated with the range expansion of invaisve birds. Her interests lie in identifying environmental factors that facilitate the range expansion of this species across Eastern Australia, but also those that inhibit its spread.
In a unique combination of captive and field methodologies, her research has demonstrated the extraordinary learning and problem solving capacities of this opportunistic songbird, providing first-time demonstrations of place avoidance learning, predator avoidance learning and solving of novel foraging problems. In a large-scale interstate, nest box study, her collaborative research with Associate Professor Kark from the University of Queensland, which is funded by the Australian Research Council, is investigating the role of species interactions in the range expansion of mynas. She is collaborating with Dr Major from the Australian Museum and the Australian Centre for Wildlife Genomics, to identify the historical patterns of the species' Australian range expansion.TEACHING
Andrea is the recipient of a Vice-chancellor's Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning. Her Student Evaluations of Teaching are consistently above 4.5 out of 5 and often reach the maximum of 5.
Andrea has supervised three PhD student to completion and is currently supervising another three.
Andrea has supervised 55 research honours students and is currently supervising another three.
SERVICE
Andrea serves as associate editor for Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B. She is currently guest editing special issues of the journals Animal Cognition (Cognition in an Anthropogenic world) and Behavioural Processes (Personality and Cognition). She is a regular reviewer for over 10 top journals in her field and several national and international funding agencies, including the Australian Research Council (ARC).
She is a committee member of the Australasian Society for the Study of Behaviour (ASSAB, http://www.assab.org/).
Andrea regularly assists councils and community groups with advice and recommendations regarding avian pest management. She has delivered public presentations to community pest control groups and has spoken about invasive bird behaviour and management on local radio, in the local press and in the context of the recent 20th Biennale of Sydney (https://www.biennaleofsydney.com.au/20bos/events/transition-talk-marco-chiandetti/).
Qualifications
- PhD, Macquarie University
Keywords
- Animal behaviour
- Animal cognition
- Animal innovation
- Animal learning
- Invasive species
Languages
- German (Fluent)
- French (Fluent)
Fields of Research
| Code | Description | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 310901 | Animal behaviour | 30 |
| 410401 | Conservation and biodiversity | 40 |
| 410404 | Environmental management | 30 |
Professional Experience
UON Appointment
| Title | Organisation / Department |
|---|---|
| Senior Lecturer in Environmental Psychology | University of Newcastle School of Psychological Sciences Australia |
| Senior Lecturer in Environmental Psychology | University of Newcastle School of Psychology Australia |
Academic appointment
| Dates | Title | Organisation / Department |
|---|---|---|
| 1/1/2006 - 1/12/2010 | Australian Postdoctoral Fellowship - ARC | ARC Australia |
Awards
Award
| Year | Award |
|---|---|
| 2002 |
Vice-Chancellor's Commendation for Outstanding PhD Macquarie University |
| 2001 |
Best Student Paper Society for Conservation Biology |
| 1991 |
Faculty Award for Outstanding Student Grades Lausanne University |
Distinction
| Year | Award |
|---|---|
| 2001 |
The Bolliger Award Australian Mammal Society |
| 2001 |
Best Student Paper (Honourable mention) Australasian Society for the Study of Animal Behaviour |
| 2001 |
Warder Clyde Allee contest (Honourable mention) Animal Behavior Society |
Professional
| Year | Award |
|---|---|
| 2012 |
Vice-Chancellor’s Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning The University of Newcastle |
Publications
For publications that are currently unpublished or in-press, details are shown in italics.
Chapter (6 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | ||
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| 2019 |
Griffin AS, 'Learning and conservation', Encyclopedia of Animal Behavior 260-265 (2019) The ability to change behavior as a consequence of experience allows animals to adjust their behavior to prevailing ecological conditions. This ability, referred to as learning, h... [more] The ability to change behavior as a consequence of experience allows animals to adjust their behavior to prevailing ecological conditions. This ability, referred to as learning, has the potential to affect all facets of an individual¿s life, including how it avoids predators, how it interacts with conspecifics, with whom it mates, and where, when and on what it forages. Many learned behaviors directly affect survival, reproduction and population-level trait selection, and consequently have far-reaching consequences for conservation efforts. The effects of experience on behavior have been studied traditionally by psychologists with the aim of establishing general laws of learning valid across all species, and more recently by ethologists and behavioral ecologists who combine interest in mechanism and function. Reintroduction biologists are encouraged to make use of this important body of empirical research and to use an experimental hypothesis-driven approach to design captive breeding environments that produce animals with the best chances of post-release survival. Only in this way will research in the field of learning and conservation yield substantial benefits for reintroduction efforts.
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| 2017 |
Peneaux C, Guez D, Griffin A, 'Innovation', Encyclopedia of Animal Cognition and Behavior, Springer, Cham (2017)
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| 2017 |
Griffin, Guez D, 'Solving Foraging Problems: Top-down and Bottom-up Perspectives on the Role of Cognition', Avian Cognition, Cambridge Univeristy Press, Cambridge (2017) [B1]
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| 2016 | Griffin AS, Guez D, 'The innovative bird: Contextual determinants and underpinning mechanisms of innovative foraging.', Animal Cognition Principles, Evolution and Development, Nova Science Publishers, New York 145-170 (2016) [B1] | ||||
| 2016 | Griffin AS, Guez D, Federspiel I, Diquelou M, Lermite F, 'Invading new environments: A mechanistic framework linking motor diversity and cognitive processes to invasion success', Biological Invasions and Behaviour, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 26-46 (2016) [B1] | ||||
| Show 3 more chapters | |||||
Journal article (73 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 |
Bugir CK, Peres CA, White KS, Montgomery RA, Griffin AS, Rippon P, et al., 'Prey preferences of modern human hunter-gatherers', Food Webs, 26 (2021) [C1] Understanding traditional hunter-gatherer lifestyles in our modern world is fundamental to our understanding of their viability, as well as the role of humans as predators in stru... [more] Understanding traditional hunter-gatherer lifestyles in our modern world is fundamental to our understanding of their viability, as well as the role of humans as predators in structuring ecosystems. Here, we examine the factors that drive prey preferences of modern hunter-gatherer people by reviewing 85 published studies from 161 tropical, temperate and boreal sites across five continents. From these studies, we estimated Jacobs' selectivity index values (D) for 2243 species/spatiotemporal records representing 504 species from 42 vertebrate orders based on a sample size of 799,072 kill records (median = 259). Hunter-gatherers preferentially hunted 11 large-bodied, riskier species, and were capable of capturing species ranging from 0.6 to 535.3 kg, but avoided those smaller than 2.5 kg. Human prey preferences were driven by whether prey were arboreal or terrestrial, the threats the prey afforded hunters, and prey body mass. Variation in the size of prey species pursued by hunter-gatherers across each continent is a reflection of the local size spectrum of available prey, and historical or prehistorical prey depletion during the Holocene. The nature of human subsistence hunting reflects the ability to use a range of weapons and techniques to capture food, and the prey deficient wildlands where people living traditional lifestyles persist.
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| 2021 |
Alam MR, Islam R, Anh Tran TK, Van DL, Rahman MM, Griffin AS, et al., 'Global patterns of accumulation and partitioning of metals in halophytic saltmarsh taxa: A phylogenetic comparative approach', Journal of Hazardous Materials, 414 (2021) [C1] The current study represents the first attempt to analyse quantitatively, within a phylogenetic framework, uptake and partitioning patterns of copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd)... [more] The current study represents the first attempt to analyse quantitatively, within a phylogenetic framework, uptake and partitioning patterns of copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) in extant saltmarsh taxa globally, and to assess associations of these patterns with various plant traits indicative of their halophytic adaptations. Despite saltmarsh being diverse taxonomically, most saltmarsh taxa accumulate metals to roots at, or above, unity (> 1). Further, there is significant translocation from roots to shoot for Cu, Zn and Cd (= 1), however, Pb is less mobile (TF = 0.65). Patterns of accumulation were similar among families, except greater Cd accumulation to roots in members of Juncaceae. Patterns of uptake to roots and translocation to leaves were broadly similar among plant type, plant form, habitat and photosynthetic mode. Zinc is lower in the leaves of salt-secreting species for some closely related taxa, suggesting some species co-excrete sodium (Na+) and Zn2+ through glands in leaf tissue. Salinity tolerance has no relationship to metal uptake and translocation. Translocation of Zn is greater at lower Zn sediment exposures, reflecting its active uptake and essentiality, but such bias does not affect outcomes of analyses when included as a covariate.
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| 2021 |
Lermite F, Kark S, Peneaux C, Griffin AS, 'Breeding success and its correlates in native versus invasive secondary cavity-nesting birds', Emu, (2021) Australian cavity-nesting birds in urban habitats can encounter strong competition for nesting cavities. This results from the shortage of old large hollow-bearing trees in urban ... [more] Australian cavity-nesting birds in urban habitats can encounter strong competition for nesting cavities. This results from the shortage of old large hollow-bearing trees in urban areas and because cities often host a suite of alien birds, including cavity-nesters. However, it is unclear whether some behavioural differences are involved with access to nesting cavities. We aimed to examine parental nest attendance, nest disturbance and breeding success in native parrots and the most common invasive urban bird in Australia, the Common Myna, Acridotheres tristis. We installed 78 experimental nest boxes in Newcastle, the second largest city in New South Wales, Australia, to compare native parrots and Mynas. We found that despite occupying nest boxes equally, native parrots had significantly lower breeding success, lost more clutches to hatch failure, exhibited lower levels of parental nest attendance, and encountered higher levels of nest disturbance than the alien Myna. These findings provide important insight into the breeding success of native and alien secondary cavity-nesting birds in cities. Evaluating the effectiveness of urban nest boxes will help guide future research and management aimed at optimising nest box design for maintaining native cavity breeders.
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| 2021 |
Peneaux C, Grainger R, Lermite F, Machovsky-Capuska GE, Gaston T, Griffin AS, 'Detrimental effects of urbanization on the diet, health, and signal coloration of an ecologically successful alien bird.', Sci Total Environ, 796 148828 (2021)
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| 2021 |
Alam MR, Tran TKA, Stein TJ, Rahman MM, Griffin AS, Yu RMK, MacFarlane GR, 'Accumulation and distribution of metal(loid)s in the halophytic saltmarsh shrub, Austral seablite, Suaeda australis in New South Wales, Australia', Marine Pollution Bulletin, 169 (2021) [C1] We examined the patterns of uptake and partitioning of metal(loid)s in Suaeda australis from three highly urbanised estuaries (Sydney Olympic Park, Hunter Wetlands and Lake Macqua... [more] We examined the patterns of uptake and partitioning of metal(loid)s in Suaeda australis from three highly urbanised estuaries (Sydney Olympic Park, Hunter Wetlands and Lake Macquarie) in NSW, Australia. Of these, Sydney Olympic Park was found to be the most contaminated estuary in terms of combined sediment metal(loid) load, followed by Hunter Wetlands and lowest in Lake Macquarie (via PERMANOVA). Uptake in roots was greater for the essential metals Cu and Zn along with the non-essential metal Cd and the metalloid Se (root BCFs >1) and lower for Pb and As (root BCFs <1). Substantial barriers for translocation from roots to stems were identified for all metal(loid)s (stem TFs; 0.07¿0.68). Conversely, unrestricted flow from stems to leaves was observed for all metal(loid)s at unity or higher (leaf TFs = 1). Strong linear relationships between sediment and root for Zn and Pb were observed, indicating roots as a useful bioindicator.
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| 2021 |
Peneaux C, Machovsky-Capuska GE, Endler JA, Griffin AS, 'Eat yourself sexy: how selective macronutrient intake influences the expression of a visual signal in common mynas', Journal of Experimental Biology, 224 (2021) [C1]
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| 2020 |
Griffin AS, Brown C, Woodworth BK, Ballard G-A, Blanch S, Campbell HA, et al., 'A large-scale automated radio telemetry network for monitoring movements of terrestrial wildlife in Australia', Australian Zoologist, 40 379-391 (2020) [C1]
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| 2020 |
Peneaux C, Hansbro PM, Griffin AS, 'The potential utility of carotenoid-based coloration as a biomonitor of environmental change', IBIS, 163 20-37 (2020) [C1]
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| 2020 |
Meyer NFV, Balkenhol N, Dutta T, Hofman M, Meyer J-Y, Ritchie EG, et al., 'Beyond species counts for assessing, valuing, and conserving biodiversity: response to Wallach et al. 2019', CONSERVATION BIOLOGY, 35 369-372 (2020)
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| 2020 |
Rogers AM, Griffin AS, van Rensburg BJ, Kark S, 'Noisy neighbours and myna problems: Interaction webs and aggression around tree hollows in urban habitats', Journal of Applied Ecology, 57 1891-1901 (2020) [C1] Interaction networks among native and invasive species in a community can inform both invasion impacts and applied management of invasive species. The intensity of aggressive inte... [more] Interaction networks among native and invasive species in a community can inform both invasion impacts and applied management of invasive species. The intensity of aggressive interactions may be related to the overlap in species¿ ecological niche and functional traits, especially in cavity-breeding species, that often compete for limited nesting sites. Australia is home to over 100 native and introduced cavity-nesting species, including several invasive species that are widespread globally, such as the common myna Acridotheres tristis. Here, we aimed to test the extent to which shared functional traits inform the intensity of aggression between cavity-nesting birds. We quantified the outcomes of aggressive interactions between birds in large hollow-bearing trees in SE Queensland, Australia. We examined whether more similarly sized birds interacted more frequently, whether larger species won aggressive interactions more often, and whether cavity-breeding species with similar preferences for nesting sites (breeding-niche space) interacted more frequently. We recorded a total of 410 aggressive interactions and 48 interacting bird species around tree hollows, including 20 cavity-nesting bird species. These interactions were dominated by the invasive common myna, the native noisy miner (a non-cavity-breeder) and the native rainbow lorikeet Trichoglossus moluccanus, but the common myna won the largest total number of interspecific interactions. On average, larger birds won aggressive interactions more frequently, yet there were some important exceptions to this finding; the common myna (113¿±¿30¿g) won 26 of the 29 interactions against the larger native rainbow lorikeet (126¿±¿44¿g). Importantly, species with more similar nest-site preferences were observed aggressively interacting more frequently. Synthesis and applications. The impact of the invasive common myna was higher-site preferences. Control efforts for the myna should focus on birds that nest in natural tree hollows. An analysis of shared traits by managers could be used to help identify how many local species would benefit from common myna control in a given area and test if further behavioural studies of common myna are warranted.
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| 2020 |
Diquelou MC, Griffin AS, 'Behavioral Responses of Invasive and Nuisance Vertebrates to Harvesting: A Mechanistic Framework', FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION, 8 (2020) [C1]
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| 2020 |
Peneaux C, Hansbro PM, Jobling P, Holdsworth JL, Griffin AS, 'Tissue structure contributes to the production of a coloured skin display in the Common Myna', Avian Biology Research, 13 100-107 (2020) [C1] Conspicuous coloured displays from ultraviolet to bright red have been documented in many species throughout the animal kingdom. These colours often occur as sexual signals and ca... [more] Conspicuous coloured displays from ultraviolet to bright red have been documented in many species throughout the animal kingdom. These colours often occur as sexual signals and can be incorporated into different types of integuments (e.g. scales, feathers, skin). Two main mechanisms are known to produce coloured integuments: pigmentation and tissue structure. Although pigmental and structural coloration are separate mechanisms and can occur independently, some coloured displays might emerge from a combination of both. Here, we demonstrate, using biochemical, optical and morphological methodologies, that the yellow coloration of the skin located around the eye of Common (Indian) Mynas (Acridotheres tristis) is produced by both light-reflecting nanostructures and light-absorbing carotenoid pigments. Our analysis confirms that nanostructured collagen in the avian dermis work in combination with carotenoid pigments to produce vivid integumentary colours. Identifying the mechanisms behind the production of a coloured signal provides a basis for predicting how a signal¿s function might be influenced by environmental factors such as fledgling nutrition.
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| 2020 |
Griffin AS, Callen A, Klop-Toker K, Scanlon RJ, Hayward MW, 'Compassionate conservation clashes with conservation biology: Should empathy, compassion and deontological moral principles drive conservation', Frontiers in Psychology, 11 (2020) [C1]
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| 2020 |
Wang Z, Fahey D, Lucas A, Griffin AS, Chamitoff G, Wong KC, 'Bird damage management in vineyards: Comparing efficacy of a bird psychology-incorporated unmanned aerial vehicle system with netting and visual scaring', Crop Protection, 137 (2020) [C1]
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| 2020 |
Burstal J, Clulow S, Colyvas K, Kark S, Griffin AS, 'Radiotracking invasive spread: Are common mynas more active and exploratory on the invasion front?', Biological Invasions, 22 2525-2543 (2020) [C1]
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| 2019 |
Subias L, Griffin AS, Guez D, 'Inference by exclusion in the red-tailed black cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus banksii)', Integrative Zoology, 14 193-203 (2019) [C1] Inference by exclusion is the ability to select a given option by excluding the others. When designed appropriately, tests of this ability can reveal choices that cannot be explai... [more] Inference by exclusion is the ability to select a given option by excluding the others. When designed appropriately, tests of this ability can reveal choices that cannot be explained by associative processes. Over the past decade, exclusion reasoning has been explored in several non-human taxonomic groups, including birds, mainly in Corvids and Parrots. To increase our understanding of the taxonomic distribution of exclusion reasoning and, therefore, its evolution, we investigated exclusion performances in red-tailed black cockatoos (Calyptorhynchus banksii), an Australian relative of the Goffin cockatoo (Cacatua goffini), using a food-finding task. Cockatoos were required to find a food item hidden in 1 of the 2 experimenter's hands. Following training sessions in which they reliably selected the closed baited hand they had just been shown open, each individual was tested on 4 different conditions. Critical to demonstrating exclusion reasoning was the condition in which they were shown the empty hand and then offered a choice of both closed hands. The performance of all birds was above chance on all experimental conditions but not on an olfactory and/or cuing control condition. The results suggest that the birds might be able to infer by exclusion, although an explanation based on rule learning cannot be excluded. This first experiment in red-tailed black cockatoo highlights the potential of this species as a model to study avian cognition and paves the pathway for future investigations.
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| 2019 |
Diquelou MC, Griffin AS, 'It's a trap! Invasive common mynas learn socially about control-related cues', Behavioral Ecology, 30 1314-1323 (2019) [C1] Social learning of novel threats coupled with adaptive generalization from learned to novel cues together provide the cognitive mechanisms by which adaptive avoidance of threats c... [more] Social learning of novel threats coupled with adaptive generalization from learned to novel cues together provide the cognitive mechanisms by which adaptive avoidance of threats can spread rapidly both within and across generations. Whereas attention to effects of fishing and hunting on prey is increasing, nothing is known about how human predation can alter the behavior of invasive animals. Here, we examined whether common (Indian) mynas, Acridotheres tristis, one of the most widespread invasive birds in Australia and invasive to many other parts of the world, are learning to respond to anthropogenic predation. We analyzed behavior at an experimental food patch provisioned by 2 distinctly clothed persons both before and after mynas had observed one of the 2 persons seemingly capture conspecifics inside a trap placed at the food patch. After the demonstration, mynas landed in smaller numbers at the food patch and took longer to land. Further, mynas alarm called more when provisioned by the person who had been involved in trapping. Future work will determine whether narrow generalization gradients are a consistent feature of synanthropic species or whether they broaden as a function of human predation threat level as is predicted by the Predator Recognition Continuum Hypothesis. Practical implications for control are discussed.
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| 2019 |
Wang Z, Griffin AS, Lucas A, Wong KC, 'Psychological warfare in vineyard: Using drones and bird psychology to control bird damage to wine grapes', Crop Protection, 120 163-170 (2019) [C1] Bird damage to commercial crops is a significant problem across the globe, especially for high value crops like wine grapes. Various bird control methods have been developed in th... [more] Bird damage to commercial crops is a significant problem across the globe, especially for high value crops like wine grapes. Various bird control methods have been developed in the past to reduce bird damage. After a brief review of the current bird damage control strategies, we found the most effective methods, such as netting and hiring a human scarer, rely on intensive manual labour, as well as fragile and costly infrastructure. Whereas the cheaper methods, such as using alarm calls and predator models, are effective for no more than two weeks before the birds habituate to them. We are proposing a novel Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV, more commonly referred to as drone) system incorporating bird psychology for efficient bird damage control. The UAV is equipped with a loud speaker broadcasting distress calls, as well as a crow taxidermy installed on the undercarriage that appears as captured prey. This special UAV configuration is designed to engage birds¿ well-established abilities to learn to recognise and avoid novel predators, thus providing the benefit that a long-term fear response towards the UAV can be expected. The initial trials were carried out in vineyards around south-eastern Australia. Results indicated the UAV can deter large pest birds such as ravens and cockatoos in a 50-m radius centred on the UAV for an extended period of time. The UAV can also effectively deter small pest birds such as silvereyes for brief time periods after exposure to the UAV. It is also evident from the results that while one UAV is sufficient to protect vineyards smaller than 25 ha, multiple UAVs are needed to protect a large vineyard effectively.
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| 2019 |
Ewart KM, Griffin AS, Johnson RN, Kark S, Magory Cohen T, Lo N, Major RE, 'Two speed invasion: assisted and intrinsic dispersal of common mynas over 150 years of colonization', Journal of Biogeography, 46 45-57 (2019) [C1]
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| 2019 |
Hayward MW, Scanlon RJ, Callen A, Howell LG, Klop-Toker KL, Di Blanco Y, et al., 'Reintroducing rewilding to restoration Rejecting the search for novelty', Biological Conservation, 233 255-259 (2019) [C1]
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| 2019 |
Hayward MW, Callen A, Allen BL, Ballard G, Broekhuis F, Bugir C, et al., 'Deconstructing compassionate conservation', Conservation Biology, 33 760-768 (2019) [C1] Compassionate conservation focuses on 4 tenets: first, do no harm; individuals matter; inclusivity of individual animals; and peaceful coexistence between humans and animals. Rece... [more] Compassionate conservation focuses on 4 tenets: first, do no harm; individuals matter; inclusivity of individual animals; and peaceful coexistence between humans and animals. Recently, compassionate conservation has been promoted as an alternative to conventional conservation philosophy. We believe examples presented by compassionate conservationists are deliberately or arbitrarily chosen to focus on mammals; inherently not compassionate; and offer ineffective conservation solutions. Compassionate conservation arbitrarily focuses on charismatic species, notably large predators and megaherbivores. The philosophy is not compassionate when it leaves invasive predators in the environment to cause harm to vastly more individuals of native species or uses the fear of harm by apex predators to terrorize mesopredators. Hindering the control of exotic species (megafauna, predators) in situ will not improve the conservation condition of the majority of biodiversity. The positions taken by so-called compassionate conservationists on particular species and on conservation actions could be extended to hinder other forms of conservation, including translocations, conservation fencing, and fertility control. Animal welfare is incredibly important to conservation, but ironically compassionate conservation does not offer the best welfare outcomes to animals and is often ineffective in achieving conservation goals. Consequently, compassionate conservation may threaten public and governmental support for conservation because of the limited understanding of conservation problems by the general public.
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| 2018 |
Diquelou MC, MacFarlane GR, Griffin AS, 'Investigating responses to control: a comparison of common myna behaviour across areas of high and low trapping pressure', BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS, 20 3591-3604 (2018) [C1]
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| 2017 |
Lermite F, Peneaux C, Griffin AS, 'Personality and problem-solving in common mynas (Acridotheres tristis)', BEHAVIOURAL PROCESSES, 134 87-94 (2017) [C1]
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| 2017 |
Perals D, Griffin AS, Bartomeus I, Sol D, 'Revisiting the open-field test: what does it really tell us about animal personality?', Animal Behaviour, 123 69-79 (2017) [C1] Animal personality has become a major topic in animal behaviour. Much recent progress has come from the use of the open-field test, which is routinely used to separate individuals... [more] Animal personality has become a major topic in animal behaviour. Much recent progress has come from the use of the open-field test, which is routinely used to separate individuals into fast and slow explorers. However, there is no standard way to conduct the test and it is unclear whether the test really measures exploration. Here, we addressed these issues by combining an open-field test with a battery of independent assays intended to assess the convergent and discriminant validity of the behavioural traits suggested to measure exploration in the open-field test. Our study subjects were common mynas, Acridotheres tristis, introduced to Australia. The analyses confirmed that the open-field test allows individuals to be separated according to their propensity to explore, mainly through metrics related to spatial and object examination of the novel cage. However, other metrics classically used to describe exploratory behaviour, such as the latency to enter the novel space, reflected shyness rather than exploration. The open-field test can therefore be a powerful tool to investigate personality, but only if the biological meanings of the metrics derived from the test are properly validated with independent behavioural assays.
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| 2017 |
Federspiel IG, Garland A, Guez D, Bugnyar T, Healy SD, Güntürkün O, Griffin AS, 'Adjusting foraging strategies: a comparison of rural and urban common mynas (Acridotheres tristis)', Animal Cognition, 20 65-74 (2017) [C1] Establishment in urbanized environments is associated with changes in physiology, behaviour, and problem-solving. We compared the speed of learning in urban and rural female commo... [more] Establishment in urbanized environments is associated with changes in physiology, behaviour, and problem-solving. We compared the speed of learning in urban and rural female common mynas, Acridotheres tristis, using a standard visual discrimination task followed by a reversal learning phase. We also examined how quickly each bird progressed through different stages of learning, including sampling and acquisition within both initial and reversal learning, and persistence following reversal. Based on their reliance on very different food resources, we expected urban mynas to learn and reversal learn more quickly but to sample new contingencies for proportionately longer before learning them. When quantified from first presentation to criterion achievement, urban mynas took more 20-trial blocks to learn the initial discrimination, as well as the reversed contingency, than rural mynas. More detailed analyses at the level of stage revealed that this was because urban mynas explored the novel cue-outcome contingencies for longer, and despite transitioning faster through subsequent acquisition, remained overall slower than rural females. Our findings draw attention to fine adjustments in learning strategies in response to urbanization and caution against interpreting the speed to learn a task as a reflection of cognitive ability.
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| 2017 |
Peneaux C, Machovsky-Capuska GE, Raubenheimer D, Lermite F, Rousseau C, Ruhan T, et al., 'Tasting novel foods and selecting nutrient content in a highly successful ecological invader, the common myna', Journal of Avian Biology, 48 1432-1440 (2017) [C1]
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| 2017 |
Guez D, Subias L, Griffin AS, 'Colour and shape preferences of Apis cerana (Java genotype) in Australia', Bulletin of Insectology, 70 267-272 (2017) [C1]
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| 2016 |
Paolini S, Harris NC, Griffin AS, 'Learning anxiety in interactions with the outgroup: Towards a learning model of anxiety and stress in intergroup contact', Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 19 275-313 (2016) [C1]
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| 2016 |
Tebbich S, Griffin AS, Peschl MF, Sterelny K, 'From mechanisms to function: An integrated framework of animal innovation', Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 371 (2016) [C1] Animal innovations range from the discovery of novel food types to the invention of completely novel behaviours. Innovations can give access to new opportunities, and thus enable ... [more] Animal innovations range from the discovery of novel food types to the invention of completely novel behaviours. Innovations can give access to new opportunities, and thus enable innovating agents to invade and create novel niches. This in turn can pave the way for morphological adaptation and adaptive radiation. The mechanisms that make innovations possible are probably as diverse as the innovations themselves. So too are their evolutionary conse- quences. Perhaps because of this diversity, we lack a unifying framework that links mechanism to function. We propose a framework for animal innovation that describes the interactions between mechanism, fitness benefit and evolutionary significance, and which suggests an expanded range of experimental approaches. In doing so, we split innovation into factors (components and phases) that can be manipulated systematically, and which can be investigated both experimentally and with correlational studies. We apply this framework to a selection of cases, showing how it helps us ask more precise questions and design more revealing experiments.
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| 2016 |
Griffin AS, Guez D, 'Bridging the Gap Between Cross-Taxon and Within-Species Analyses of Behavioral Innovations in Birds: Making Sense of Discrepant Cognition-Innovation Relationships and the Role of Motor Diversity', Advances in the Study of Behavior, 48 1-40 (2016) [C1]
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| 2016 |
Guez D, Griffin AS, 'Unraveling the key to innovative problem solving: A test of learning versus persistence', Behavioral Ecology, 27 1449-1460 (2016) [C1] The possibility that variation in the propensity to forage innovatively is attributable to variation in cognition is a matter of debate. Motor flexibility and persistence offer al... [more] The possibility that variation in the propensity to forage innovatively is attributable to variation in cognition is a matter of debate. Motor flexibility and persistence offer alternative viewpoints. The present study used a computational model to evaluate the relative contribution of these mechanisms to the innovation process. We modeled the effects of low and high motor flexibility on problem-solving performance, which provided a baseline against which to examine how performance changed when combined with operant learning or persistence. We titrated our models through a wide range of parameter values in order to explore where in the outcome space biologically meaningful effect sizes are likely to be detected. The baseline model accurately reproduced an enhancement of performance when relative frequencies of motor expression were balanced (high motor flexibility) rather than skewed (low motor flexibility). Operant learning enhanced performance, but only when agents persisted until they solved and only when motor flexibility was low. In scenarios where agents gave up even if they had not solved, persistence in response to occurrence of secondary cues improved problem solving in both motor flexible and motor inflexible individuals. In scenarios, where the benefits of persistence and learning were compared directly, the benefits of persisting were typically equal, if not greater than those of learning. Given the high metabolic cost of neural tissue, our simulations predict that selection for enhanced problem solving should select for processes that increase persistence (e.g., personality changes) rather than learning.
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| 2016 |
Griffin AS, 'Innovativeness as an emergent property: A new alignment of comparative and experimental research on animal innovation', Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 371 (2016) [C1] Innovation and creativity are key defining features of human societies. As we face the global challenges of the twenty-first century, they are also facets upon which we must becom... [more] Innovation and creativity are key defining features of human societies. As we face the global challenges of the twenty-first century, they are also facets upon which we must become increasingly reliant. But what makes Homo sapiens so innovative and where does our high innovation propensity come from? Comparative research on innovativeness in non-human animals allows us to peer back through evolutionary time and investigate the ecological factors that drove the evolution of innovativeness, whereas experimental research identifies and manipulates underpinning creative processes. In commenting on the present theme issue, I highlight the controversies that have typified this research field and show how a paradigmatic shift in our thinking about innovativeness will contribute to resolving these tensions. In the past decade, innovativeness has been considered by many as a trait, a direct product of cognition, and a direct target of selection. The evidence I review here suggests that innovativeness will be hereon viewed as one component, or even an emergent property of a larger array of traits, which have evolved to deal with environmental variation. I illustrate how research should capitalize on taxonomic diversity to unravel the full range of psychological processes that underpin innovativeness in non-human animals.
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| 2016 |
Diquelou MC, Griffin AS, Sol D, 'The role of motor diversity in foraging innovations: a cross-species comparison in urban birds', BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY, 27 584-591 (2016) [C1]
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| 2015 |
Griffin AS, Guillette LM, Healy SD, 'Cognition and personality: An analysis of an emerging field', Trends in Ecology and Evolution, (2015) [C1] It is now well established that individuals can differ consistently in their average levels of behaviour across different contexts. There have recently been calls to apply the sam... [more] It is now well established that individuals can differ consistently in their average levels of behaviour across different contexts. There have recently been calls to apply the same adaptive framework to interindividual differences in cognition. These calls have culminated in the suggestion that variation in personality and cognition should correlate. We suggest that both these appealing notions are conceptually and logistically problematic. We identify the first crucial step for establishing any cognition-personality relationship. This is to determine the degree to which cognitive abilities yield consistent task performance. We then suggest how to establish whether such consistency exists. Finally, we discuss why formulating predictions about how cognition might be related to personality is much more difficult than is currently realised.
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| 2015 |
Griffin AS, Guez D, 'Innovative problem solving in nonhuman animals: the effects of group size revisited', BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY, 26 722-734 (2015) [C1]
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| 2015 | Peneaux C, Griffin AS, 'Opportunistic observations of travel distances in Common Mynas (Acridotheres tristis).', Canberra Bird Notes, 40 228-234 (2015) [C3] | ||||||||||
| 2015 |
Griffin AS, Diquelou MC, 'Innovative problem solving in birds: A cross-species comparison of two highly successful passerines', Animal Behaviour, 100 84-94 (2015) [C1] Macro-ecological comparisons have repeatedly demonstrated that the taxonomic distribution of foraging innovations coincides with the ability to adjust to novel and changing enviro... [more] Macro-ecological comparisons have repeatedly demonstrated that the taxonomic distribution of foraging innovations coincides with the ability to adjust to novel and changing environments. We sought to obtain experimental support for the link between innovative foraging and opportunism by measuring the innovation abilities of two highly successful passerines on the east coast of Australia with very different success strategies. The ecological success of the introduced Indian myna, Acridotheres tristis, has been linked to its ability to occupy opportunistically an ecological niche that most natives cannot, whereas the native noisy miner, Manorina melanocephala, owes its success to its ability to aggressively outcompete other avian species. Indian mynas were significantly more neophobic than noisy miners. Yet, when tested on a range of innovative foraging tasks, Indian mynas consistently outperformed noisy miners. The ability to use the beak in a greater range of ways, and more flexibly, was highly repeatable in Indian mynas, and underpinned their superior problem-solving performance. We discuss the results in the light of potential methodological influences, but also the idea that necessity may facilitate innovation not only in less competitive individuals, as is documented in the literature, but also in species with less competitive lifestyles.
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| 2014 |
Griffin AS, Diquelou M, Perea M, 'Innovative problem solving in birds: a key role of motor diversity', ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR, 92 221-227 (2014) [C1]
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| 2014 |
Griffin AS, Guez D, 'Innovation and problem solving: A review of common mechanisms', BEHAVIOURAL PROCESSES, 109 121-134 (2014) [C1]
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| 2013 |
Griffin AS, Lermite F, Perea M, Guez D, 'To innovate or not: contrasting effects of social groupings on safe and risky foraging in Indian mynahs', ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR, 86 1291-1300 (2013) [C1]
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| 2013 |
Griffin AS, Guez D, Lermite FCC, Patience M, 'Tracking Changing Environments: Innovators Are Fast, but Not Flexible Learners', PloS one, 8 (2013) [C1]
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| 2012 |
Sol D, Griffin AS, Bartomeus I, 'Consumer and motor innovation in the common myna: The role of motivation and emotional responses', Animal Behaviour, 83 179-188 (2012) [C1]
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| 2012 |
Sol D, Bartomeus I, Griffin AS, 'The paradox of invasion in birds: Competitive superiority or ecological opportunism?', Oecologia, 169 553-564 (2012) [C1]
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| 2011 |
Sol D, Griffin AS, Bartomeus I, Boyce HM, 'Exploring or avoiding novel food resources?: The novelty conflict in an invasive bird', PLoS ONE, 6 1-7 (2011) [C1]
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| 2011 |
Overington SE, Griffin AS, Sol D, Lefebvre L, 'Are innovative species ecological generalists? A test in North American birds', Behavioral Ecology, 22 1286-1293 (2011) [C1] Foraging innovation occurs when animals exploit novel food sources or invent new foraging techniques. Species vary widely in their rates of innovation, and these differences can b... [more] Foraging innovation occurs when animals exploit novel food sources or invent new foraging techniques. Species vary widely in their rates of innovation, and these differences can be quantified using counts of novel behavior observed in the wild. One of the assumed benefits of innovativeness is that it allows species to exploit a wider variety of habitats and foods, enhancing survival when resources are in shortage or when individuals invade new environments. However, the relationship between innovation propensity and ecological generalism lacks firm empirical support. Moreover, innovativeness does not only imply benefits but may also lead to higher risks incurred in the wide array of habitats exploited. In this study, we test whether innovative species exploit a wider variety of habitats and food types as well as face the potential risk of more predators as a consequence of their ecological generalism. Using data for 193 North American bird species in a phylogenetically informed analysis, we find a significant positive relationship between innovation rate and habitat generalism, but not diet breadth. Although habitat generalism is also associated with exposure to a wider variety of predators, there is no direct relationship between innovation rate and predation. Our results suggest that although innovators use a wider variety of habitats, they are not necessarily diet generalists, challenging the classic view that feeding generalism is equivalent to feeding flexibility. © 2011 The Author. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International Society for Behavioral Ecology. All rights reserved.
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| 2011 |
Griffin AS, Haythorpe KM, 'Learning from watching alarmed demonstrators: Does the cause of alarm matter?', Animal Behaviour, 81 1163-1169 (2011) [C1]
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| 2010 |
Griffin AS, Boyce HM, Macfarlane GR, 'Social learning about places: Observers may need to detect both social alarm and its cause to learn', Animal Behaviour, 79 459-465 (2010) [C1]
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| 2009 |
Griffin AS, Boyce HM, 'Indian mynahs, Acridotheres tristis, learn about dangerous places by observing the fate of others', Animal Behaviour, 78 79-84 (2009) [C1]
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| 2009 |
Griffin AS, 'Temporal limitations on social learning of novel predators by Indian Mynahs, Acridotheres tristis', Ethology, 115 287-295 (2009) [C1]
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| 2008 |
Griffin AS, 'Social learning in Indian mynahs, Acridotheres tristis: The role of distress calls', Animal Behaviour, 75 79-89 (2008) [C1]
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| 2008 |
Griffin AS, 'Socially acquired predator avoidance: Is it just classical conditioning?', Brain Research Bulletin, 76 264-271 (2008) [C1]
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| 2005 |
Griffin AS, Savani RS, Hausmanis K, Lefebvre L, 'Mixed-species aggregations in birds: zenaida doves, Zenaida aurita, respond to the alarm calls of carib grackles, Quiscalus lugubris', ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR, 70 507-515 (2005) [C1]
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| 2005 |
Griffin AS, Galef BG, 'Social learning about predators: Does timing matter?', Animal Behaviour, 69 669-678 (2005) [C1] In Pavlovian conditioning, animals acquire a response to a previously neutral stimulus (conditioned stimulus, CS), such as a light, if that stimulus predicts a biologically import... [more] In Pavlovian conditioning, animals acquire a response to a previously neutral stimulus (conditioned stimulus, CS), such as a light, if that stimulus predicts a biologically important event (unconditioned stimulus, US), such as delivery of food. Learning typically occurs when the CS precedes the US (forward conditioning), and not when the CS follows the US (backward conditioning). In social learning about predators, the predator stimulus is considered to be the CS to which observers acquire avoidance responses after the stimulus has been presented in contiguity with an alarmed demonstrator, the US. We tested the prediction that social learning of response to a predator would occur even if the social alarm cues (the US) appeared before the predatory stimulus (the CS). Carib grackles, Quiscalus lugubris, responded to a familiar predator presented at close range by suppressing alarm calls. Presentation of an unfamiliar avian model (black-and-yellow pigeon) also decreased calling, and this inhibition of calling was enhanced following a training session in which the model stimulus was presented in association with grackle alarm calls. Acquired inhibition of calling was independent of the order of presentation of the model and an alarm chorus. These are the first results to indicate that social acquisition of predator avoidance is not dependent upon a particular temporal relationship between predators and social alarm cues. Evolution may have modified some properties of Pavlovian conditioning to accommodate social learning about potentially dangerous stimuli. © 2004 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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| 2005 |
Griffin AS, Galef BG, 'Social learning about predators: does timing matter?', ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR, 69 669-678 (2005)
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| 2004 |
Griffin AS, 'Social learning about predators: A review and prospectus', Learning and Behavior, 32 131-140 (2004) [C1] In comparison with social learning about food, social learning about predators has received little attention. Yet such research is of potential interest to students of animal cogn... [more] In comparison with social learning about food, social learning about predators has received little attention. Yet such research is of potential interest to students of animal cognition and conservation biologists. I summarize evidence for social learning about predators by fish, birds, eutherian mammals, and marsupials. I consider the proposal that this phenomenon is a case of S-S classical conditioning and suggest that evolution may have modified some of the properties of learning to accommodate for the requirements of learning socially about danger. I discuss some between-species differences in the properties of socially acquired predator avoidance and suggest that learning may be faster and more robust in species in which alarm behavior reliably predicts high predatory threat. Finally, I highlight how studies of socially acquired predator avoidance can inform the design of prerelease antipredator training programs for endangered species.
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| 2003 |
Griffin AS, Evans CS, 'Social learning of antipredator behaviour in a marsupial', ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR, 66 485-492 (2003) [C1]
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| 2003 |
Griffin AS, Evans CS, 'The role of differential reinforcement in predator avoidance learning', BEHAVIOURAL PROCESSES, 61 87-94 (2003) [C1]
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| 2002 |
Griffin AS, Evans CS, Blumstein DT, 'Selective learning in a marsupial', Ethology, 108 1103-1114 (2002) [C1] Behavioural plasticity allows animals to adjust rapidly to local environmental conditions, but at the risk of erroneously changing behaviour in response to irrelevant events. Adap... [more] Behavioural plasticity allows animals to adjust rapidly to local environmental conditions, but at the risk of erroneously changing behaviour in response to irrelevant events. Adaptive biases or predispositions constrain learning and reduce such potential costs. Preferential learning about complex biologically-meaningful stimuli, such as predators, has been investigated in only a few systems and there have been no experimental tests for the presence of adaptive biases in a marsupial. We have previously shown that tammar wallabies (Macropus eugenii) became fearful of a model fox (Vulpes vulpes) after it was repeatedly paired with an aversive event. Tammars generalized their acquired response to a cat (Fells catus), but not to a non-predator (juvenile goat, Capra hircus), suggesting that they might have a bias to associate predators with frightening events. The present study tested this idea directly. We used an experimental design identical to that of earlier predator-training experiments, but substituted a model goat for the fox as the stimulus predicting a capture attempt. A control group had the same total experience of the goat and of a human with a net, but without any predictive relationship between these two events. We detected no change in behaviour towards the goat, or to any of an array of control stimuli, as a consequence of training. This finding contrasts strongly with the effects of the same pairing procedure using a fox model. Taken together, these studies provide the first evidence for an adaptive predisposition to acquire a fear of predators in marsupials. Learning processes in this group are thus evolutionarily convergent with those previously described in eutherian mammals.
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| 2002 |
Blumstein DT, Mari M, Daniel JC, Ardron JG, Griffin AS, Evans CS, 'Olfactory predator recognition: Wallabies may have to learn to be wary', Animal Conservation, 5 87-93 (2002) [C1] Many species modify their behaviour in response to the scents of their predators, but species or populations living without predators may lose such abilities. This loss has been s... [more] Many species modify their behaviour in response to the scents of their predators, but species or populations living without predators may lose such abilities. This loss has been suggested to be irreversible, and to constitute a significant hurdle in restoring historical ecosystems. Olfactory predator recognition was studied in two macropodid marsupials - the tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii) and the red-necked pademelon (Thylogale thetis). Both species are in the 'critical weight range' of Australian native mammals that have been negatively affected by the introduction of novel predators since European settlement. Predator-naive animals were tested by exposing subjects simultaneously to two feeders with either a predator or a herbivore faecal or urine sample beneath the food tray. The presence of predator olfactory cues beneath the feeder did not affect foraging behaviour or feeder use when compared to control stimuli (herbivore faeces or urine). Previous studies have found that predator-experienced herbivorous marsupials modify their behaviour in the presence of predator scents. In contrast, our studies of predator-naïve individuals found no evidence of such selectivity, suggesting that marsupial herbivores may have to learn to modify their behaviour in response to olfactory cues from predators. This implies that the loss of olfactory predator recognition may not be irreversible. Animals translocated from predator-free areas could potentially be trained to recognise the smells of their predator. © 2002 The Zoological Society of London.
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| 2001 |
Griffin AS, Evans CS, Blumstein DT, 'Learning specificity in acquired predator recognition', Animal Behaviour, 62 577-589 (2001) [C1] Predator recognition is often dependent upon experience. This behavioural plasticity can potentially be exploited to enhance the antipredator behaviour of captive-bred animals, bu... [more] Predator recognition is often dependent upon experience. This behavioural plasticity can potentially be exploited to enhance the antipredator behaviour of captive-bred animals, but it is first necessary to understand the specificity of learning. We enhanced the responses of tammar wallabies, Macropus eugenii, to a model fox, Vulpes vulpes, by presenting this novel predator in conjunction with a human simulating a capture procedure. A control group had identical total exposure to fox and human, but with no such predictive relationship between these two events. Animals that experienced paired presentations of fox and human behaved more cautiously towards the fox after training than controls. To assess whether this learnt response was specific to the fox, we presented the animals with an array of visual stimuli both before and after training. The tammars generalized their acquired response from the predator with which they were trained to a predator with which they were not trained (cat, Felis catus), but not to a nonpredator (goat, Capra hircus). Tammars also exhibited a transient increase in response to a model wallaby after training. We suggest that this effect is more likely to reflect social behaviour than generalization of the learnt response from predator to conspecific. Two additional controls revealed that changes in behaviour after training were not attributable to the presentation device and were not caused by a general decrease in response threshold associated with training. Our results suggest that tammar wallabies perceive predators as a natural category. © 2001 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.
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| 2000 |
Griffin AS, Blumstein DT, Evans CS, 'Training captive-bred or translocated animals to avoid predators', Conservation Biology, 14 1317-1326 (2000) [C1] Animal reintroductions and translocations are potentially important interventions to save species from extinction, but most are unsuccessful Mortality due to predation is a princi... [more] Animal reintroductions and translocations are potentially important interventions to save species from extinction, but most are unsuccessful Mortality due to predation is a principal cause of failure. Animals that have been isolated from predators, either throughout their lifetime or over evolutionary time, may no longer express appropriate antipredator behavior. For this reason, conservation biologists are beginning to include antipredator training in pre-release preparation procedures. We describe the evolutionary and ontogenetic circumstances under which antipredator behavior may degenerate or be lost, and we use principles from learning theory to predict which elements can be enhanced or recovered by training. The empirical literature demonstrates that training can improve antipredator skills, but the effectiveness of such interventions is influenced by a number of constraints. We predict that it will be easier to teach animals to cope with predators if they have experienced ontogenetic isolation than if they have undergone evolutionary isolation. Similarly, animals should learn more easily if they have been evolutionarily isolated from some rather than all predators. Training to a novel predator may be more successful if a species has effective responses to similar predators. In contrast, it may be difficult to teach proper avoidance behavior, or to introduce specialized predator-specific responses, if appropriate motor patterns are not already present. We conclude that pre-release training has the potential to enhance the expression of preexisting antipredator behavior. Potential training techniques involve classical conditioning procedures in which animals learn that model predators are predictors of aversive events. However, wildlife managers should be aware that problems, such as the emergence of inappropriate responses, may arise during such training.
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| 2000 |
Blumstein DT, Daniel JC, Griffin AS, Evans CS, 'Insular tammar wallabies (Macropus eugenii) respond to visual but not acoustic cues from predators', Behavioral Ecology, 11 528-535 (2000) [C1] We studied the way in which a population of tammar wallabies (Macropus eugenii), which have been isolated from mammalian predators since the last ice age, responded to the sight a... [more] We studied the way in which a population of tammar wallabies (Macropus eugenii), which have been isolated from mammalian predators since the last ice age, responded to the sight and sound of historical and ontogenetically and evolutionarily novel predators. Tammars were shown a range of visual stimuli, including taxidermic mounts of two evolutionarily novel predators, a red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and a cat (Felis catus), and a model of an extinct predator, the thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus). Controls were a conspecific, the cart on which all mounts were presented, and blank trials in which spontaneous change in behavior was measured. We played back recorded sounds to characterize responses to acoustic cues from predators and to a putative conspecific antipredator signal. Treatments included the howls of dingoes (Canis lupus dingo), an evolutionarily novel predator; calls of a wedge-tailed eagle (Aquila audax), a historical and current predator; and wallaby foot thumps. Controls were the song of an Australian magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen) and a blank trial. After seeing a fox, wallabies thumped their hind feet in alarm, suppressed foraging, and increased looking. The sight of a cat similarly suppressed foraging and increased looking. The sounds of predators did not influence responsiveness, but wallabies foraged less and looked more after thump playbacks. Our results suggest that tammars respond to the sight, but not the sounds, of predators. In contrast, the response to foot thumps demonstrates that this particular sound functions as an antipredator signal. We suggest that responsiveness to visual cues has been preserved under relaxed selection because predator morphology is convergent, but vocalizations are not.
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| 1998 |
Etienne AS, Maurer R, Berlie J, Derivaz V, Georgakopoulos J, Griffin A, Rowe T, 'Cooperation between dead reckoning (path integration) and external position cues', Journal of Navigation, 51 23-34 (1998) [C1]
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| 1998 |
Griffin AS, Etienne AS, 'Updating the path integrator through a visual fix', Psychobiology, 26 240-248 (1998) [C1] Mammals can navigate through path integration (dead reckoning) by updating their position on the basis of internal signals generated during locomotion, without using any external ... [more] Mammals can navigate through path integration (dead reckoning) by updating their position on the basis of internal signals generated during locomotion, without using any external references. However, being open to cumulative errors, path integration remains functional over short excursions only, unless corrected by familiar landmarks. That such a corrective process may occur was examined in golden hamsters during hoarding excursions occurring in darkness, within a large open arena. The subjects proceeded from their peripheral nest to a feeding site on a platform. If the annuals were rotated during food pouching, their subsequent homing behavior was disoriented, self-generated positional information having been disrupted. By contrast, when the subjects were rotated at the food source and then briefly presented with the familiar visual environment, they returned homeward, albeit not very precisely. Thus, the animals may have taken an approximate positional fix or reset their internal compass only.
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Review (1 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Griffin AS, 'Learning and conservation', Encyclopedia of Animal Behavior (2010) [D1] |
Conference (1 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | ||
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| 2016 |
Neumann DL, Webb S, Paolini S, Griffin AS, O'Donnell AW, 'Affective learning about racial in-group and out-group members', The European Conference on Psychology & the Behavioral Sciences 2016: Official Conference Proceedings, Brighton, UK (2016) [E1]
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Grants and Funding
Summary
| Number of grants | 38 |
|---|---|
| Total funding | $1,773,884 |
Click on a grant title below to expand the full details for that specific grant.
20211 grants / $80,000
Saving migratory shorebirds – quantifying critical habitat and foods in the face of toxic contaminants$80,000
Funding body: NSW Department of Local Land Services - Hunter
| Funding body | NSW Department of Local Land Services - Hunter |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Doctor Andrea Griffin, Professor Matthew Hayward, Doctor Geoff MacFarlane, Associate Professor Troy Gaston, Doctor Michael Stat |
| Scheme | Research Grant |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2021 |
| Funding Finish | 2021 |
| GNo | G2100471 |
| Type Of Funding | C2400 – Aust StateTerritoryLocal – Other |
| Category | 2400 |
| UON | Y |
20206 grants / $689,936
Surviving the inferno: how threatened macropods survive catastrophic fire$238,534
Funding body: ARC (Australian Research Council)
| Funding body | ARC (Australian Research Council) |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Professor Matthew Hayward, Doctor Andrea Griffin, A/Prof Karl Vernes, Associate Professor John Clulow, Dr Ninon Meyer, Ms Kersten Tuckey, Dr Brad Law, Peter Fleming, Dr Paul Meek, Ninon Meyer, Ms Kersten Tuckey, Karl Vernes, Dr Bradley Law, Paul Meek |
| Scheme | Linkage Projects |
| Role | Investigator |
| Funding Start | 2020 |
| Funding Finish | 2023 |
| GNo | G2000197 |
| Type Of Funding | C1200 - Aust Competitive - ARC |
| Category | 1200 |
| UON | Y |
Assessment of population dynamics, distribution and habitat use for the green and golden bell frog at Avoca$215,000
Funding body: Central Coast Council
| Funding body | Central Coast Council |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Professor Matthew Hayward, Associate Professor Troy Gaston, Doctor Andrea Griffin, Doctor Alex Callen, Miss Samantha Sanders |
| Scheme | Research Grant |
| Role | Investigator |
| Funding Start | 2020 |
| Funding Finish | 2023 |
| GNo | G2000788 |
| Type Of Funding | C2400 – Aust StateTerritoryLocal – Other |
| Category | 2400 |
| UON | Y |
Climate Change Impact on the Spread of Invasive Weeds$108,413
Funding body: Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)
| Funding body | Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Doctor Andrea Griffin, Professor Matthew Hayward, Doctor Sascha Fuller, Miss Carrol Chan |
| Scheme | PhD Scholarship |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2020 |
| Funding Finish | 2022 |
| GNo | G2001247 |
| Type Of Funding | C3500 – International Not-for profit |
| Category | 3500 |
| UON | Y |
Understanding the human-invasive species relationship for climate resilient communities$108,413
Funding body: Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)
| Funding body | Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Doctor Sascha Fuller, Professor Matthew Hayward, Doctor Andrea Griffin, Mr William Young |
| Scheme | Research Grant |
| Role | Investigator |
| Funding Start | 2020 |
| Funding Finish | 2022 |
| GNo | G2001257 |
| Type Of Funding | C3500 – International Not-for profit |
| Category | 3500 |
| UON | Y |
Little Tern Nest Predation $14,576
Funding body: NSW Department of Local Land Services - Hunter
| Funding body | NSW Department of Local Land Services - Hunter |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Doctor Andrea Griffin, Professor Matthew Hayward |
| Scheme | Regional Land Partnership Program |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2020 |
| Funding Finish | 2022 |
| GNo | G2000690 |
| Type Of Funding | C2400 – Aust StateTerritoryLocal – Other |
| Category | 2400 |
| UON | Y |
Optimising urban nest-box design to support parrot breeding in our cities.$5,000
Funding body: The Ecological Society of Australia Ltd (ESA)
| Funding body | The Ecological Society of Australia Ltd (ESA) |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Doctor Andrea Griffin, Doctor Andrea Griffin, Professor Philip Hansbro, Dr Gabriel Machovsky-Capuska, Miss Chloe Peneaux |
| Scheme | Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2020 |
| Funding Finish | 2020 |
| GNo | G1901532 |
| Type Of Funding | C3300 – Aust Philanthropy |
| Category | 3300 |
| UON | Y |
20192 grants / $62,123
Shorebird monitoring in Estuaries of the Hunter Region$55,948
Funding body: NSW Department of Local Land Services - Hunter
| Funding body | NSW Department of Local Land Services - Hunter |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Doctor Andrea Griffin |
| Scheme | Research Grant |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2019 |
| Funding Finish | 2020 |
| GNo | G1801457 |
| Type Of Funding | C2400 – Aust StateTerritoryLocal – Other |
| Category | 2400 |
| UON | Y |
Optimising urban nest-box design to support parrot breeding in our cities$6,175
Funding body: The Ecological Society of Australia Ltd (ESA)
| Funding body | The Ecological Society of Australia Ltd (ESA) |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Doctor Andrea Griffin, Professor Philip Hansbro, Professor Phil Hansbro, Dr Gabriel Machovsky-Capuska, Miss Chloe Peneaux |
| Scheme | Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2019 |
| Funding Finish | 2019 |
| GNo | G1801084 |
| Type Of Funding | C3300 – Aust Philanthropy |
| Category | 3300 |
| UON | Y |
20171 grants / $3,900
Designing Cities that Meet the Needs of Urban Wildlife: Predictors of parrot reproductive success in urban nest-boxes $3,900
Funding body: Lake Macquarie City Council
| Funding body | Lake Macquarie City Council |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Doctor Andrea Griffin, Dr Gabriel Machovsky-Capuska |
| Scheme | Lake Macquarie Environmental Research Grant |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2017 |
| Funding Finish | 2017 |
| GNo | G1700165 |
| Type Of Funding | C2400 – Aust StateTerritoryLocal – Other |
| Category | 2400 |
| UON | Y |
20164 grants / $8,800
Behaviour of common mynas$2,400
Funding body: Marco Chiandetti
| Funding body | Marco Chiandetti |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Doctor Andrea Griffin |
| Scheme | Research Grant |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2016 |
| Funding Finish | 2016 |
| GNo | G1601208 |
| Type Of Funding | C3300 – Aust Philanthropy |
| Category | 3300 |
| UON | Y |
Centre for Brain and Mental Health Infrastructure Funding Round$2,400
Funding body: Priority Research Centre Brain and Mental Health
| Funding body | Priority Research Centre Brain and Mental Health |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Griffin, A.S., Hansbro, P. |
| Scheme | Infrastructure Funding |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2016 |
| Funding Finish | 2016 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | N |
Faculty PVC Conference Assistance Grant 2016$2,000
Funding body: University of Newcastle
| Funding body | University of Newcastle |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Griffin, A.S. |
| Scheme | Travel Grant |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2016 |
| Funding Finish | 2016 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | N |
Centre for Brain and Mental Healthy Infrastructure Funding Round$2,000
Funding body: Priority Research Centre Brain and Mental Health
| Funding body | Priority Research Centre Brain and Mental Health |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Griffin, A.S. |
| Scheme | Infrastructure Funding |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2016 |
| Funding Finish | 2016 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | N |
20154 grants / $71,780
A targeted approach to containing the spread of pest birds: genetic identification of invasion pathways of the common (Indian) myna$60,541
Funding body: Australian Museum
| Funding body | Australian Museum |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Major, R., Griffin, A.S. & Kark, S. |
| Scheme | Australian Museum Foundation Grant |
| Role | Investigator |
| Funding Start | 2015 |
| Funding Finish | 2017 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Other Public Sector - State |
| Category | 2OPS |
| UON | N |
How well do people fit their social group and thus should be stereotyped?$7,239
Funding body: Keats Endowment Research Fund
| Funding body | Keats Endowment Research Fund |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Doctor Andrea Griffin, Associate Professor Stefania Paolini |
| Scheme | Research Grant |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2015 |
| Funding Finish | 2016 |
| GNo | G1500215 |
| Type Of Funding | C3200 – Aust Not-for Profit |
| Category | 3200 |
| UON | Y |
Do common mynas pose a threat to native secondary cavity nester?$2,000
Funding body: Hunter Bird Observers Club
| Funding body | Hunter Bird Observers Club |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Mrs Francoise Lermite, Doctor Andrea Griffin |
| Scheme | Wilma Barden Memorial Grant |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2015 |
| Funding Finish | 2015 |
| GNo | G1501145 |
| Type Of Funding | C3200 – Aust Not-for Profit |
| Category | 3200 |
| UON | Y |
Faculty PVC Conference Assistance Grant 2015$2,000
Funding body: University of Newcastle
| Funding body | University of Newcastle |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Griffin, A.S. |
| Scheme | Travel Grant |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2015 |
| Funding Finish | 2015 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | N |
20145 grants / $437,101
The role of behavioural interactions in shaping invasion dynamics: A global synthesis using the common myna as a model system$310,000
Invasive species have detrimental effects on human health, the economy and native biodiversity. This study will address a major gap in our scientific understanding of invasions by undertaking the first large-scale examination of the role of interactions between species in determining the success, dynamics and rate of biological invasions. The project will integrate data, across four continents, on dispersal, demography, breeding and behavioural interactions into one framework to create a cutting-edge model of invasion dynamics using the highly invasive common myna as a model system. This novel approach will significantly advance theoretical developments in invasion biology and will inform pest management and threat mitigation globally.
Funding body: ARC (Australian Research Council)
| Funding body | ARC (Australian Research Council) |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Kark, S. Griffin, A.S. Blackburn, T., van Renseburg, B., Lockwood, J. |
| Scheme | Discovery Project |
| Role | Investigator |
| Funding Start | 2014 |
| Funding Finish | 2017 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Aust Competitive - Commonwealth |
| Category | 1CS |
| UON | N |
OvoControl contraception as a myna management tool $73,751
Funding body: NSW Environmental Trust
| Funding body | NSW Environmental Trust |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Emeritus Professor John Rodger, Doctor Andrea Griffin |
| Scheme | Environmental Research (Major Grant) |
| Role | Investigator |
| Funding Start | 2014 |
| Funding Finish | 2015 |
| GNo | G1300311 |
| Type Of Funding | Aust Competitive - Non Commonwealth |
| Category | 1NS |
| UON | Y |
The role of behavioural interactions in shaping invasion dynamics: A global synthesis using the common myna as a model system$45,000
Funding body: ARC (Australian Research Council)
| Funding body | ARC (Australian Research Council) |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Associate Professor Salit Kark, Doctor Andrea Griffin, Dr Berndt Van Rensburg, Professor Timothy Blackburn, Associate Professor Julie Lockwood |
| Scheme | Discovery Projects |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2014 |
| Funding Finish | 2016 |
| GNo | G1400515 |
| Type Of Funding | Aust Competitive - Commonwealth |
| Category | 1CS |
| UON | Y |
Behaviour and social dynamics of crop raiding in Asian elephants: does social learning influence behaviour around beehive fence protected farms?$6,350
Funding body: Mr Des Carty
| Funding body | Mr Des Carty |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Conjoint Professor Natalie Moltschaniwskyj, Doctor Andrea Griffin, Dr Lucy King |
| Scheme | Memorial Scholarship |
| Role | Investigator |
| Funding Start | 2014 |
| Funding Finish | 2017 |
| GNo | G1400301 |
| Type Of Funding | Donation - Aust Non Government |
| Category | 3AFD |
| UON | Y |
Faculty PVC Conference Assistance Grant 2014$2,000
Funding body: University of Newcastle - Faculty of Science & IT
| Funding body | University of Newcastle - Faculty of Science & IT |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Doctor Andrea Griffin |
| Scheme | PVC Conference Assistance Grant |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2014 |
| Funding Finish | 2014 |
| GNo | G1401191 |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | Y |
20133 grants / $13,998
The movement ecology of Indian Mynas (Sturnus tristis) in Lake Macquarie Council: assessing Myna movement patterns and their implications for control measures$9,851
Funding body: Lake Macquarie City Council
| Funding body | Lake Macquarie City Council |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Doctor Andrea Griffin, Ms Marie Diquelou |
| Scheme | Lake Macquarie Environmental Research Grant |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2013 |
| Funding Finish | 2013 |
| GNo | G1200119 |
| Type Of Funding | Other Public Sector - Local |
| Category | 2OPL |
| UON | Y |
Cognition and brains of ecological invaders$2,147
Funding body: University of Newcastle - Faculty of Science & IT
| Funding body | University of Newcastle - Faculty of Science & IT |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Doctor Andrea Griffin |
| Scheme | Strategic Initiative Research Fund (SIRF) |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2013 |
| Funding Finish | 2013 |
| GNo | G1401034 |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | Y |
Faculty PVC Conference Assistance Grant 2013$2,000
Funding body: University of Newcastle - Faculty of Science & IT
| Funding body | University of Newcastle - Faculty of Science & IT |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Doctor Andrea Griffin |
| Scheme | PVC Conference Assistance Grant |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2013 |
| Funding Finish | 2013 |
| GNo | G1401159 |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | Y |
20124 grants / $58,216
Population control and adaptation to trapping in Indian mynas, Acridotheres tristis: mechanisms and recommendations$36,263
Funding body: Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Australia
| Funding body | Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Australia |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Doctor Andrea Griffin |
| Scheme | Australian Pest Animal Research Program (APARP) |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2012 |
| Funding Finish | 2013 |
| GNo | G1200141 |
| Type Of Funding | Other Public Sector - Commonwealth |
| Category | 2OPC |
| UON | Y |
Understanding the behavioural and neuroendocrine mechanisms of invasiveness in an avian system: do Indian mynahs display a dopaminergic-dependent invasion syndrome?$12,211
Funding body: University of Newcastle - Faculty of Science & IT
| Funding body | University of Newcastle - Faculty of Science & IT |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Doctor Andrea Griffin, Professor Chris Dayas, Doctor David Guez |
| Scheme | Strategic Small Grant |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2012 |
| Funding Finish | 2012 |
| GNo | G1401098 |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | Y |
DRD4 dopamine receptor genetics and microsatellite assays in the Indian myna: key analyses for future grants.$8,250
Funding body: University of Newcastle - Faculty of Science & IT
| Funding body | University of Newcastle - Faculty of Science & IT |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Doctor Andrea Griffin |
| Scheme | Strategic Initiative Research Fund (SIRF) |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2012 |
| Funding Finish | 2012 |
| GNo | G1401021 |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | Y |
Parent-offspring transmission of trap avoidance by Indian mynas in the wild$1,492
Funding body: The Ecological Society of Australia Ltd (ESA)
| Funding body | The Ecological Society of Australia Ltd (ESA) |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Miss Marie Diquelou, Doctor Andrea Griffin |
| Scheme | Student Research Award |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2012 |
| Funding Finish | 2012 |
| GNo | G1200871 |
| Type Of Funding | Grant - Aust Non Government |
| Category | 3AFG |
| UON | Y |
20111 grants / $43,218
Behavioural flexibility and adaptation to trapping procedures in the Indian Mynah, Acridotheres tristis: mechanism and solutions$43,218
Funding body: Wyong Shire Council
| Funding body | Wyong Shire Council |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Doctor Andrea Griffin |
| Scheme | Research Grant |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2011 |
| Funding Finish | 2015 |
| GNo | G1100691 |
| Type Of Funding | Other Public Sector - Local |
| Category | 2OPL |
| UON | Y |
20103 grants / $42,750
Indian Mynah (Acridotheres tristis) population expansion in the Hunter region: Underlying mechanisms and management solutions$33,750
Funding body: Port Stephens Council
| Funding body | Port Stephens Council |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Doctor Andrea Griffin |
| Scheme | Research Grant |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2010 |
| Funding Finish | 2012 |
| GNo | G0900248 |
| Type Of Funding | Other Public Sector - Local |
| Category | 2OPL |
| UON | Y |
Learning, cognition and evology of the Indian mynah (Acridotheres tristis)$5,000
Funding body: University of Newcastle
| Funding body | University of Newcastle |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Doctor Andrea Griffin |
| Scheme | New Staff Grant |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2010 |
| Funding Finish | 2010 |
| GNo | G1000698 |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | Y |
Growing Anxious of Ethnic Others: Investigating the role of Observational Learning and Prior Intergroup Contact in the Development of Intergroup Email.$4,000
Funding body: Keats Endowment Research Fund
| Funding body | Keats Endowment Research Fund |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Doctor Andrea Griffin, Associate Professor Stefania Paolini |
| Scheme | Research Grant |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2010 |
| Funding Finish | 2010 |
| GNo | G0900231 |
| Type Of Funding | Grant - Aust Non Government |
| Category | 3AFG |
| UON | Y |
20091 grants / $9,962
Indian mynah (Acridotheres tristis) population expansion in the Hunter region: Underlying mechanisms and management solutions $9,962
Funding body: The Tom Farrell Institute
| Funding body | The Tom Farrell Institute |
|---|---|
| Project Team | A.S. Griffin & K. Haythorpe |
| Scheme | Scholarships |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2009 |
| Funding Finish | 2010 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Not Known |
| Category | UNKN |
| UON | N |
20071 grants / $1,100
International Brain Research Organisation satellite symposium: Brian mechanisms, cognition and behaviour in birds, 19/7/2007 - 23/7/2007, Heron Island QLD$1,100
Funding body: University of Newcastle
| Funding body | University of Newcastle |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Doctor Andrea Griffin |
| Scheme | Travel Grant |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2007 |
| Funding Finish | 2007 |
| GNo | G0187381 |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | Y |
20061 grants / $10,000
Video playback: a novel approach to studying the cultural transmission of predator avoidance$10,000
Funding body: University of Newcastle
| Funding body | University of Newcastle |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Doctor Andrea Griffin |
| Scheme | Early Career Researcher Grant |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2006 |
| Funding Finish | 2006 |
| GNo | G0186695 |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | Y |
20051 grants / $241,000
Social learning about predators: is it just Pavlovian conditioning?$241,000
Funding body: ARC (Australian Research Council)
| Funding body | ARC (Australian Research Council) |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Doctor Andrea Griffin |
| Scheme | Discovery Projects |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2005 |
| Funding Finish | 2007 |
| GNo | G0184378 |
| Type Of Funding | Aust Competitive - Commonwealth |
| Category | 1CS |
| UON | Y |
Research Supervision
Number of supervisions
Highlighted Supervision
| Commenced | Level of Study | Research Title | Program | Supervisor Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Honours | Developing a technique for studying social learning in Indian mynahs: a comparison between responses to model and video stimuli | Psychology, Faculty of Science | University of Newcastle | Sole Supervisor |
Current Supervision
| Commenced | Level of Study | Research Title | Program | Supervisor Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | PhD | Conservation Ecology of Threatened Wallabies (Parma Wallaby, Notamacropus Parma) | PhD (Environmental Sc), College of Engineering, Science and Environment, The University of Newcastle | Co-Supervisor |
| 2021 | PhD | Post Fire Research into the Population Dynamics and Ecology of Threatened and Native Arboreal Mammals in Species that have Lost Equal To and Greater 70 % of their Habitat During the 'Black Summer' Fires 2019/2020 | PhD (Environmental Sc), College of Engineering, Science and Environment, The University of Newcastle | Co-Supervisor |
| 2021 | PhD | Assessment of Population Dynamics, Distribution and Habitat use for the Green and Golden Bell Frog at Avoca Lagoon | PhD (Environmental Sc), College of Engineering, Science and Environment, The University of Newcastle | Co-Supervisor |
| 2021 | PhD | The Movement and Foraging Ecology of Migratory Shorebirds in the Hunter and Port Stephens Estuaries | PhD (Environmental Sc), College of Engineering, Science and Environment, The University of Newcastle | Principal Supervisor |
| 2021 | PhD | Mitigating Science Denial in an Australian Context: Relationships between Covid-19 and Climate Change Denial | PhD (Psychology - Science), College of Engineering, Science and Environment, The University of Newcastle | Co-Supervisor |
| 2021 | PhD | Movement Ecology of Migratory Shorebirds within Port Stephens and Hunter Estuaries | PhD (Environmental Sc), College of Engineering, Science and Environment, The University of Newcastle | Principal Supervisor |
| 2021 | PhD | Surviving the Inferno - How Threatened Macropods Survived the Catastrophic ‘Black Summer’ Bushfires | PhD (Environmental Sc), College of Engineering, Science and Environment, The University of Newcastle | Co-Supervisor |
| 2020 | PhD | Understanding the Impact of Rats on Ecosystem Recovery to Strengthen Climate Adaptation and Resilience | PhD (Environmental Sc), College of Engineering, Science and Environment, The University of Newcastle | Co-Supervisor |
| 2020 | PhD | Investigating Invasive Species Distributive Threat Post-Cyclone Impact in Samoa | PhD (Environmental Sc), College of Engineering, Science and Environment, The University of Newcastle | Principal Supervisor |
| 2020 | PhD | The Impact of Feral Horses (Equus caballus) in the Barrington Tops National Park | PhD (Environmental Sc), College of Engineering, Science and Environment, The University of Newcastle | Co-Supervisor |
| 2020 | PhD | Understanding the Human-Invasive Species Relationships for Climate Resilient Communities | PhD (Human Geography), College of Engineering, Science and Environment, The University of Newcastle | Co-Supervisor |
| 2020 | PhD | Metals in Saltmarsh Ecosystem: Assessment from Global Scale to Local | PhD (Environmental Sc), College of Engineering, Science and Environment, The University of Newcastle | Co-Supervisor |
Past Supervision
| Year | Level of Study | Research Title | Program | Supervisor Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | PhD | Finding the Keys to Spread: Behavioural, Morphological, and Nutritional Consequences of Urbanisation on One of the World’s Most Successful Avian Ecological Invaders, the Common Myna | PhD (Psychology - Science), College of Engineering, Science and Environment, The University of Newcastle | Principal Supervisor |
| 2020 | Masters | Behaviour and Crop-raiding Patterns of Asian Elephants (Elephas maximus): Can Beehive Fences Help Mitigate Human-elephant Conflict in Sri Lanka? | M Philosophy (EnvironmentalSc), College of Engineering, Science and Environment, The University of Newcastle | Principal Supervisor |
| 2019 | PhD | Biological, Behavioural and Life History Traits associated with Range Expansion of Common Mynas (Acridotheres tristis) in Australia | PhD (Psychology - Science), College of Engineering, Science and Environment, The University of Newcastle | Principal Supervisor |
| 2018 | PhD | Conditioning Causes Shifts in Group Exemplars' Perceived Prototypicality: Investigating Mechanisms of Stereotype Formation and Change | PhD (Psychology - Science), College of Engineering, Science and Environment, The University of Newcastle | Co-Supervisor |
| 2017 | PhD | Responses of Invasive Birds to Control: The Case of Common Mynas in Australia | PhD (Psychology - Science), College of Engineering, Science and Environment, The University of Newcastle | Principal Supervisor |
| 2015 | PhD | An Investigation into the Acquisition, Generalization, Facilitation and Immunization of Intergroup Anxiety | PhD (Psychology - Science), College of Engineering, Science and Environment, The University of Newcastle | Co-Supervisor |
| 2007 | Honours | Developing a technique for studying social learning in Indian mynahs: a comparison between responses to model and video stimuli | Psychology, Faculty of Science | University of Newcastle | Sole Supervisor |
| 2007 | Honours | Social learning of trap avoidance in Indian mynahs (Acridotheres tristis) | Biol Sc Not Elsewhere Classifd, University of Newcastle | Principal Supervisor |
News
To reduce fire risk and meet climate targets, over 300 scientists call for stronger land clearing laws
August 21, 2020
Dr Andrea Griffin
Position
Senior Lecturer in Environmental Psychology
School of Psychological Sciences
College of Engineering, Science and Environment
Focus area
Psychology
Contact Details
| andrea.griffin@newcastle.edu.au | |
| Phone | (02) 4348 4393 |
| Fax | (02) 4921 6980 |
Office
| Room | SO151 (Ourimbah) |
|---|---|
| Building | Science Building |
| Location | Ourimbah 10 Chittaway Road Ourimbah, NSW 2258 Australia |

