Biology Club

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Biology Club

• Dr. Clay E. Corbin

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Brief History

• Grew up in central Missouri
• Undergrad in Montana
• Masters in Southeast Missouri
• PhD at Ohio

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Research Interests

• Ecomorphology
• C.V.A. X Ecology
• Field Ecology
• Community Ecology
• Conservation Biology

Birds
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Ecomorphology

• Based upon the apparent relationship between form
  and function

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Morphology Ecology
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Recent research

• Does these patterns hold up in other birds?
• Testing for relationship between Ecology and
  Morphology in flycatchers.
• Collect foraging data and morphological data on
  flycatchers in Africa and the Americas.
• Searching behavior
• Attacking behavior (pounce, flycatch, hover)
• Basic foraging behavior on African birds.

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The Worlds Flycatchers
Order Passeriformes Order Passeriformes Order Passeriformes Order Passeriformes Order Passeriformes Order Passeriformes
Family Tyrannidae Family Tyrannidae Family Tyrannidae Family Tyrannidae Family Tyrannidae
Subfamily Tyranninae Tyrant Flycatchers Subfamily Tyranninae Tyrant Flycatchers Subfamily Tyranninae Tyrant Flycatchers
Family Corvidae Family Corvidae Family Corvidae Family Corvidae Family Corvidae
Subfamily Dicrurinae Subfamily Dicrurinae Subfamily Dicrurinae Subfamily Dicrurinae
Tribe    RhipiduriniFantails Tribe    RhipiduriniFantails
Dicrurini Drongos
Monarchini Monarchs
Family Bombycillidae Family Bombycillidae Family Bombycillidae Family Bombycillidae Family Bombycillidae
Tribe Ptilogonatini Silky flycatchers Tribe Ptilogonatini Silky flycatchers
Family Muscicapidae Family Muscicapidae Family Muscicapidae Family Muscicapidae Family Muscicapidae
Subfamily Muscicapinae Subfamily Muscicapinae Subfamily Muscicapinae
Tribe Muscicapini Old World Flycatchers Tribe Muscicapini Old World Flycatchers
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Ohio
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Arizona
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Southern Africa
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Foraging and Morphology in Old and New World
Flycatchers

• Foraging Mode and Morphology

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Foraging Behavior in Brown-Hooded Kingfishers
(Halcyon albiventris)
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Foraging Behavior in Brown-Hooded Kingfishers
(Halcyon albiventris)
East Usambara Mountains, Tanzania
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Amani, Tanzania
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Foraging Behavior in Brown-Hooded Kingfishers
(Halcyon albiventris)
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Future Work

• Forest management techniques and animal
  communities
• Effect of thinning and burning on foraging
  behavior
• Form and Function (Tissue Level)
• Tissue morphology predict foraging behavior?
• Keratinization in digestive tubes of birds that
  eat rough substances.

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