Harnessing animal intelligence to repair Australian mammal communities . This project aims to address Australia’s extinction crisis by testing how predation shapes prey intelligence and using this new

Description

Harnessing animal intelligence to repair Australian mammal communities . This project aims to address Australia’s extinction crisis by testing how predation shapes prey intelligence and using this new information to restore threatened mammal populations. This project aspires to determine which cognitive traits influence the development of antipredator behaviour and hence promote survival alongside predators. By exploring the role of predation in shaping learning and memory, this project will return only the most ‘predator smart’ prey to the wild, testing a model that could facilitate the co-existence of native prey alongside introduced predators. Expected outcomes include a new understanding of how predation shapes the brain and practical cognition-based conservation tools to reduce extinction risk.. Scheme: Discovery Early Career Researcher Award. Field: 4104 - Environmental Management. Lead: Dr Eamonn Wooster