NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2015

Schell Christopher J, Elmhurst IL

Investigators

Abstract

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2015, Broadening Participation. The fellowship supports a research and training plan in a host laboratory for the Fellow and a plan to broaden participation of groups under-represented in science. The title of the research plan for this fellowship to Christopher J. Schell is "Cosmopolitan carnivores: An investigation of the behavioral, hormonal, and genetic factors underlying coyote success in urban environments." The host institutions for this fellowship are Colorado State University and the National Wildlife Research Center, and the sponsoring scientists are Drs. Lisa Angeloni (CSU) and Stewart Breck (NWRC). Human-dominated landscapes are consistently expanding. Landscape conversion and fragmentation are particularly salient for carnivores, as they require large contiguous habitat, have strict dietary needs, and have a low reproductive output. Nevertheless, various carnivores have adjusted to cope with human-induced environmental change via dietary, activity, and landscape use changes. Individual behavioral flexibility is considered integral for carnivore urban residency, yet no study to date has quantified this flexibility. Hormones and genetic variation likely underlie this flexibility; however, no endocrine or genetic data exist. Coyotes are an excellent model system to quantify the biological consequences of urban residency, as multiple rural and metropolitan areas have established and documented populations. The fellowship research assesses the relationships among stress hormones, genetic variation, and personality traits of coyotes in the Denver, CO and Los Angeles, CA areas, specifically, how the hormone cortisol (crucial to the biological stress response) and the dopamine receptor D4 gene (linked to heightened activity, impulsivity, and novel-seeking behaviors) co-vary with tolerance and boldness of coyotes from natural to urban habitats. These data are useful for interpreting the range of behavioral flexibility and other associated biological factors in urban coyotes. Career advancement activities include refining teaching skills. The Fellow is establishing a new scientific outreach program titled "The REAL Wile E. Coyote," an educational series to engage K-12 students in Denver and Los Angeles. The program combines school visits with a congruent blog site to help dispel long-held fallacies about coyotes in cities and provide students hands-on experience with wildlife biology. Educational outreach also includes workshops for the annual Diversity Symposium held at CSU, a two-day conference addressing diversity issues to increase participation from under-represented groups in wildlife science. Public outreach includes presenting research findings at town hall meetings or neighborhood summits in Denver, making the work accessible to an audience not directly familiar with urban carnivores.