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I am currently studying for an MPhil in the Marine Behavioural Ecology (MBE) Group, supervised by Dr James Herbert-Read. My project uses sandeels (Ammodytes tobianus) as a model system to understand how animals organise themselves spatially. Sandeels are a small, social inshore fish that alternates between burying in sand and swimming in the water column. Whilst buried, individuals are unable to use visual cues to assess the relative positions of their neighbours, so are likely to rely upon other sensory modalities to determine their spatial proximity to others. Therefore my project aims to understand whether sandeels have a preferred optimal packing density, the mechanisms that are used to maintain this spatial arrangement and the impact that spatial organisation in sediment has on coordinated emergences from sand.
Through my MPhil project, I have been able to delve into my interests further, explore new areas within the field of Behavioural Ecology and develop my research skills. This has only been possible because of the support from my supervisor and research group, and my access to the aquarium facility where my research is based. My work in the aquarium has taught me so much about animal husbandry and has provided me with extensive experience in carrying out behavioural experiments on live animals. My independence as a scientist has grown exponentially, and I now feel really prepared for a future in academia.
The community fostered by the Zoology department is incredibly friendly and welcoming. There are so many opportunities to meet researchers from other lab groups, whether this is via social events like the weekly happy hour and the Christmas party or through department seminars and graduate tea talks. I have loved my time in the Cambridge Zoology department so far, and would recommend studying for an MPhil here if you want to join an interesting and vibrant community of researchers whilst contributing to really exciting scientific discoveries.
Matilda Sibeth, Marine Behavioural Ecology Group (March 31, 2025)
I am currently studying for an MPhil in the Head Lab under Prof. Jason Head, working on the ecological origins of the stem snake Dinilysia patagonica. Extant snakes are known to occupy a diversity of lifestyles spanning fossorial, terrestrial, aquatic, marine and arboreal habitats. The huge diversity and highly derived morphology have long inspired debate about snake ecological and evolutionary origins. Total group snakes (Pan-serpentes) originated on land during the middle early Cretaceous ~128 mya. Until recently, a lack of useful fossil evidence of stem snake fossils made interpretation of ecology, morphology, biogeography and behaviour of ancestral snakes difficult. Phylogenetic analysis has shown Dinilysia patagonica to be the stem sister taxon to crown snakes, representative of the basal condition in snakes.
In my project, I am looking at the evolution of a series of three crests in the middle ear of Dinilysia and a series of extant snake species with known habitats. The morphology crests and surrounding bone morphology have been shown to have a strong correlation with ecology. I am identifying the locations and homologies of these crests to find the most likely basal condition and evolution of these features in snakes. I will use this to test the ecological origins of snakes via the representative basal condition of D. patagonica to place them in fossorial, aquatic or arboreal ecologies based on the morphology of the inner ear and comparative anatomy with similar related taxa with known ecologies.
Conducting this research has only been possible thanks to the support from my supervisor, and the resources, like museum specimens and CT scans, available to me from the lab, the department, my college, and the university more broadly. Besides the technology and specimens provided by the department, I have also been able to attend many training workshops and courses through the university. These have been especially useful for improving my statistical skills and analytical tools. Outside of academic considerations, I also appreciate the strong sense of community found in Zoology - weekly happy hours, wellbeing talks, photography competitions, PhD talks and seminars all help foster a sense of community and facilitate connections among postgraduate students, and the department more broadly.
Laura Chilver, Vertebrate Evolution Group (April 25, 2024)
I am currently studying an MPhil in the insect ecology research group under Prof. Edgar Turner. The group's research is broadly focused on developing sustainable agriculture strategies in oil palm plantations in Southeast Asia and understanding how insect fauna, particularly Lepidopterans: Moths and Butterflies, adapt to climate change, rising temperatures and habitat changes. Through large-scale experimental ecological research, various PhD students and post-doctoral fellows in the Insect ecology group have successfully tested and developed restorative strategies to help improve biodiversity within oil palm plantations in tropical Southeast Asia, which is pivotal in shaping the sustainability approach in perineal tropical agriculture.
My project is focused on understanding the pest control services provided by restored riparian margins and experimental buffer systems within an industrial oil palm plantation in Riau Province, Sumatra in Southeast Asia. I am investigating the abundance of predatory insects such as Odonates: Dragonflies, Damselflies, Assassin bugs: Cosmolestes sp., Arachnida: Spiders and Weaver Ants (Oecophylla smaragdina) and two common pest species of oil palm the Nettle caterpillars (Limacodidae) and Bagworms (Psychidae). My research aims to understand if restoring riparian margins can provide pest management services in the long run.
The MPhil course structure is well-tailored and provides a support base for students through seminars, talks, workshops, training, and well-being sessions thus providing a conducive academic environment to grow. My research skills have tremendously improved, and with support from my supervisor, group members and other members of the department, I have successfully carried out fieldwork studies In oil palm plantations in Indonesia. This experience has helped me to develop core applied ecological skills required to access ecosystem health, functions and biodiversity, which are vital skills for my career development. This was possible because of the immense support that I have received from the Department of Zoology.
The Department is well connected with the Cambridge Museum of Zoology and the Cambridge Conservation Initiative which has provided me with several opportunities to volunteer and network with scientists from diverse backgrounds. As an international student, I feel very welcomed in my department and within the University of Cambridge. The student community is a microcosm of the world and a melting pot of cultures, and this has motivated me to pursue my goals and passions with renewed zeal. It has been a wonderful experience, one I will forever value.
Godspower Major, Insect Ecology Group (April 25, 2024)