Department of Zoology, University of Otago

Congratulations! to Manaia Pearmain-Fenton who submitted her MSc thesis today.

Congratulations! to Johanna Kann who submitted her MSc thesis today.

Friday Seminar: 13 October, 12:00, Benham seminar room and Zoom
Trophic position of kiore on New Zealand offshore islands from isotope analysis
Cilla Wehi, Centre for Sustainability, University of Otago

Friday 13 October, 12:00
In-person: Benham seminar room (B215)
https://otago.zoom.us/j/97890882533?pwd=R0l0SXowNy9nTE02T21RZWUybjVoQT09
Meeting ID: 978 9088 2533
Password: 798823

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Friday Seminar: 6 October, 12:00, Benham Seminar Room and Zoom

Bart Geurten, Department of Zoology, University of Otago

Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia: Insights from Zebrafish Models

In-person: Benham Seminar Room (B215)
https://otago.zoom.us/j/97890882533?pwd=R0l0SXowNy9nTE02T21RZWUybjVoQT09
Meeting ID: 978 9088 2533
Password: 798823

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Congratulations! to Connal McLean who submitted his MSc thesis yesterday.

Friday Seminar: 29 September, 12:00, Benham seminar room and Zoom
Lakes, larvae and altered fish communities
Gerry Closs (Department of Zoology, University of Otago)
Lakes, in their many and varied different shapes and forms, are an important landscape element in freshwater systems. Whilst it is well known that they alter the diversity and abundance of fish species across the landscape, the mechanisms involved have not been well studied. One key mechanism seems to involve the early life history stages, that is eggs and larvae. In this seminar I will discuss how lakes enable highly fecund species to dominate adjacent ‘riverscapes’, and discuss the implications for managing invasive fish species in New Zealand and elsewhere.
Friday 29 September, 12:00
In-person: Benham seminar room (B215)
https://otago.zoom.us/j/97890882533?pwd=R0l0SXowNy9nTE02T21RZWUybjVoQT09
Meeting ID: 978 9088 2533
Password: 798823

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Friday Seminar: 22 September, 12:00, Benham seminar room and Zoom
The ecology and behaviour of the Helm's stag beetle – Luna Thomas (Department of Zoology, University of Otago)
Luna Thomas will present on the work that she has been doing in the Department over the last few years. She has been all over the South Island looking for stag beetles and has discovered some interesting things about these iconic southern forest insects.
Friday 22 September, 12:00
In-person: Benham seminar room (B215)
https://otago.zoom.us/j/97890882533?pwd=R0l0SXowNy9nTE02T21RZWUybjVoQT09
Meeting ID: 978 9088 2533
Password: 798823

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Congratulations to Aaron Bertoia who successfully defended his PhD yesterday to a very high standard.

Orokonui Spring Seminar Series – Talk #2
Saturday 16 September 11am (this weekend)
Visitor Centre, Orokonui Ecosanctuary

The social lives of lizards
Stephanie Godfrey, Senior Lecturer and Robbie Hurley, MSc student, Department of Zoology, University of Otago
Stephanie is an ecologist who has long been interested in the social lives of lizards - an animal group not traditionally well-known for their social behaviour. Stephanie has studied social lizards in Australia and she and her students, including Robbie, are now exploring this topic in some of our native lizard species.
The talk is free. There is an option of a guided walk inside the sanctuary afterwards, for which there is a cost.

Friday Seminar: 15 September, 12:00, Benham seminar room and Zoom
How perception and recognition of backyard insects might affect conservation of native bee populations Jenny Jandt (Department of Zoology, University of Otago)
Friday 15 September, 12:00
In-person: Benham seminar room (B215)
https://otago.zoom.us/j/97890882533?pwd=R0l0SXowNy9nTE02T21RZWUybjVoQT09
Meeting ID: 978 9088 2533
Password: 798823

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🐝🦉 Backyard Biodiversity Workshop- Setpember 16th 🦋🦎
Join Tūhura Otago Museum, The Entomological Society of NZ, and volunteers from the Zoo Department for a Backyard Biodiversity Workshop this Saturday!

September 2023 is Bee Aware Month, and we will be holding workshops to educate on how to promote biodiversity, and help bees and other important pollinators in your backyard. There will be fun games, gardening tips, and scientists on hand to answer your questions. Play our "Is It A Bee?" game, visit the bee-feeding station, or get a face painted with your own little critter (11-2)- there are plenty of free activities to keep the whole family entertained and informed on backyardbiodiversity!

When: Saturday September 16th, 10:30am - 3pm
Where: Tūhura Otago Museum (Atrium)
Cost: Free!

In case you missed this morning's Otago Access Radio show, have a listen to the buzz we are making for Bee Aware Month (below,) and join scientists from Department of Zoology, University of Otago for our Backyard Biodiversity Workshop THIS SATURDAY from 10:30am - 3pm at Tūhura Otago Museum to learn about gardening and lifestyle practices to help bees and other critters in your backyard!

https://accessmedia.nz/Player.aspx?eid=560dffa8-e761-4202-aacf-c28f9042a8dc

Hear ye hear ye! Announced today, the Cell and Molecular Biology ‘CELS’ teaching team is one of the Otago recipients of the national Ako Aotearoa Te Whatu Kairangi Aotearoa Tertiary Educator Awards! Congratulations to the ‘CELS’ team who have been recognised for creating a learning environment that suits the needs of all learners in the large first year course. From left in the photo are four members of the team all based in Zoology, Andrea Brown, Dr Kim Watson, Dr Lisa Russell and Dr Keith King. Kim says the award reflects Lisa’s fantastic leadership that strives to create the best experience for students by keeping them at the forefront of every decision. Well done for your outstanding teaching mahi as great kaiako – link to full story here:
https://www.otago.ac.nz/otagobulletin/news/otago0247200.html
Department of Zoology, University of Otago

Congratulations to Julia Hunn who submitted her PhD thesis on 31 August!

Congratulations to Liam Greer who submitted his MSc thesis today!

Congratulations to Nia Weinzweig who submitted her MSc thesis on Thursday!

Friday Seminar: 25 August, 12:00, Benham seminar room and Zoom



S*x bias in taxonomy and experimental biology

Robert Poulin (Department of Zoology, University of Otago)



Friday 25 August, 12:00

In-person: Benham seminar room (B215)

https://otago.zoom.us/j/97890882533?pwd=R0l0SXowNy9nTE02T21RZWUybjVoQT09

Meeting ID: 978 9088 2533

Password: 798823

Join our Cloud HD Video Meeting Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise video communications, with an easy, reliable cloud platform for video and audio conferencing, chat, and webinars across mobile, desktop, and room systems. Zoom Rooms is the original software-based conference room solution used around the world in board, confer...

Registration link in the comments 💚

Friday Seminar: 11th August, 12:00pm – Benham Seminar Room and Zoom

Joe Altobelli, Department of Zoology, University of Otago

The Spatial Ecology of Hamilton’s Frog, Leiopelma hamiltoni on Te Pākeka Maud Island.


Friday 11th August, 12:00pm
Zoom link: https://otago.zoom.us/j/97890882533?pwd=R0l0SXowNy9nTE02T21RZWUybjVoQT09


Meeting ID: 978 9088 2533
Password: 798823

Join our Cloud HD Video Meeting Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise video communications, with an easy, reliable cloud platform for video and audio conferencing, chat, and webinars across mobile, desktop, and room systems. Zoom Rooms is the original software-based conference room solution used around the world in board, confer...

Congratulations to Mackenzie Dagg who handed in her MSc thesis this week!

NZ icon Nicola Toki has an enormous aroha for Aotearoa’s native species, demonstrated in her current co-host role on TVNZ’s ‘Endangered Species Aotearoa’. In this inspirational kōrero Nicola shares her path from tearing round the bush block at her nana’s farm in the Catlins, to her current role as Chief Executive of Forest and Bird. On the way she studied at the Department of Zoology, University of Otago and “With a few papers to spare after signing up for all the required science classes, her parents suggested that as she was really good at arguing why didn’t she try Law?” So, of course Nicola did, and she recalls bursting into a law lecture theatre a bit late due to a freshwater field trip and realising she was standing there in her “cargo pants and gummies.” Keep up your awesome mahi Nicola - she's in the photo here with a Raukawa gecko, and the full story can be read here:
https://www.otago.ac.nz/alumni/news/otago0246694.html

Stoneflies cheating death They are only about the size of a fingernail, but can still pull the wool over your eyes. University of Otago researchers have discovered many...

Friday Seminar: 4th August, 12:00pm, Zoom

Invasive species, and the secrets they can teach us about the genetics of local adaptation

Katarina Stuart (School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland)

Invasive species present an invaluable opportunity to explore how organisms may cope with dramatic environmental shifts. Invasive species are introduced to new ranges, and must quickly respond to the new selection pressures in a process termed ‘rapid adaptation.’ At the same time, invasive species often undergo a genetic bottlenecking during translocation, which may cause a reduction of diversity in the population due to a loss of rare genetic variants. By studying the genetic shifts invasive populations have undergone, we may begin to understand better how genetic diversity supports a population’s ability to survive. In particular, ongoing developments in sequencing and analytical tools are enabling more comprehensive characterization of diverse components of genetic diversity present in natural populations. Here, we examine the invasion story of a well known avian pest, the
common myna (Acridotheres tristis). Using whole genome resequencing we explore the impacts of successive bottlenecks on genomics variation, comparing patterns across a diverse range of different genetic variants, which include single nucleotide polymorphisms, structural variants, and transposable elements. With such data, we hope to better understand how components of genetic variation contribute to adaptive potential in an invasive population, as this has important implications not just in invasive species management and forecasting, but also in conservation efforts focused on vulnerable and managed native species.

Friday 4th August, 12:00pm
Zoom link: https://otago.zoom.us/j/97890882533?pwd=R0l0SXowNy9nTE02T21RZWUybjVoQT09


Meeting ID: 978 9088 2533
Password: 798823

Join our Cloud HD Video Meeting Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise video communications, with an easy, reliable cloud platform for video and audio conferencing, chat, and webinars across mobile, desktop, and room systems. Zoom Rooms is the original software-based conference room solution used around the world in board, confer...

Amazing news! Holly has just earned her position as Aotearoa New Zealand’s first native frog-certified dog from the Department of Conservation’s (DOC) Conservation Dogs Programme. More accurately, it’s the team of Holly and her owner Debbie Bishop who have together received the DOC accreditation as dog and handler, an accomplishment which realises the vision of her late husband and Zoology frog researcher Emeritus Professor Phil Bishop. It’s taken a lot of mahi and Debbie is elated to have seen Phil’s vision for the role of conservation dogs in his field of research through to fruition. Huge congratulations Debbie (and Holly!) and check out the heart-warming story and video here:
https://www.otago.ac.nz/otagobulletin/news/otago0246535.html
Department of Zoology, University of Otago

Friday Seminar: 21 July, 12:00, Benham seminar room and Zoom


The Otago Global Health Institute: a pan-University inter-disciplinary research centre that you can be part of


Philip Hill (Centre for International Health, University of Otago)


Friday 21 July, 12:00

In-person: Benham seminar room (B215)

https://otago.zoom.us/j/97890882533?pwd=R0l0SXowNy9nTE02T21RZWUybjVoQT09

Meeting ID: 978 9088 2533

Password: 798823

Join our Cloud HD Video Meeting Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise video communications, with an easy, reliable cloud platform for video and audio conferencing, chat, and webinars across mobile, desktop, and room systems. Zoom Rooms is the original software-based conference room solution used around the world in board, confer...

Congratulations to Pascale Lubbe who submitted her PhD thesis on Friday!

Congratulations to Noah Davis who submitted his PhD thesis yesterday!

Congratulations to Anna Kardailsky who submitted her MSc thesis yesterday!

Departmental Seminar – Friday, 26 May – 12 midday – Benham Seminar Room and Zoom

Dr Charlotte King, Department Of Anatomy, University of Otago

Secrets of the skeleton: Using tissue chemistry to reconstruct the lives of people and their animals

Zoom - https://otago.zoom.us/j/96448643698?pwd=eUx3M3VpRDFBcGxjVGZEK1N5RUZYUT09
Password 739630

Join our Cloud HD Video Meeting Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise video communications, with an easy, reliable cloud platform for video and audio conferencing, chat, and webinars across mobile, desktop, and room systems. Zoom Rooms is the original software-based conference room solution used around the world in board, confer...