Promoter: Sam Van Wassenbergh
Supervision: Tim Andries
Subject: The role of beak shape in the feeding ecology of birds is a well-known research topic in evolutionary biology, with the Darwin’s finches as the classical example. However, the shape and size of the beak does not directly affect feeding patterns of animals, but rather does so through the mechanic and kinematic capabilities it offers. The beak kinematics (movement patterns) of granivorous songbirds are still poorly understood, partly because of the high speed at which these birds can process seeds. Do the movements differ between songbird beaks of different shape or size within a single population? In this individual project, the student will investigate the link between beak shape and kinematics in a population of single songbird species, the canary. Using a unique collection of synchronized camera images from different views of the beak, the student will analyse the 3D shape of the beak of a large number of individuals using (geometric) morphometric techniques, and use these results to attempt to link variation in beak shape and size to variation in (already obtained) kinematic variables such as velocity, acceleration and frequency.
Techniques: morphometrics, shape analysis, statistics.