Angela Medina-García- PhD
- PostDoc Position at University of Colorado Boulder
Angela Medina-García
- PhD
- PostDoc Position at University of Colorado Boulder
About
10
Publications
3,445
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143
Citations
Introduction
I am interested in the evolution of cognition, communication systems, and mate choice. I am particularly fascinated by the decision-making process behind mate choice and the factors that influence this choice in monogamous birds. For my PhD I conducted a comprehensive study of female mate choice in Budgerigars, focusing on the role of male cognitive abilities in this choice.
Current institution
Additional affiliations
August 2012 - present
Publications
Publications (10)
Many animals breed colonially, often in dense clusters, representing a complex social environment with cognitive demands that could ultimately impact individual fitness. However, the effects of social breeding on the evolution of cognitive processes remain largely unknown. We tested the hypothesis that facultative colonial breeding influences atten...
Diversity is a key driver of scientific innovation, yet fields in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) have struggled to retain diverse communities. Research suggests that fostering a sense of belonging is critical for retaining diversity. We propose an iterative process that aims to improve sense of belonging among laboratory (...
Cognitive abilities such as learning and memory are key for survival and reproduction. Individuals with high cognitive abilities may be more successful at attracting mates and producing offspring. However, empirical tests of and evidence supporting this hypothesis remain scarce. We measured cognitive performance of male budgerigars in four tasks: p...
In many bird species, male song functions both to defend a territory against other males and to attract a female mate. Male budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus) produce a song-like vocal signal, warble, that can be directed at either females or other males. Warble is a long, complex, low amplitude, and variable vocalization composed of different e...
To study the fitness effects of individual variation in cognitive traits, it is paramount to understand whether traits such as personality and physiological stress influence cognitive performance. We first tested whether budgerigars showed both consistent personalities and cognitive performance across time and tasks. We tested object and food neoph...
Learning has been traditionally though to accelerate the evolutionary change of behavioral traits. We evaluated the evolutionary rate of learned vocalizations and the interplay of morphology and ecology in the evolution of these signals. We examined contact calls of 51 species of Neotropical parrots from the tribe Arini. Parrots are ideal subjects...
Nueva Esparta, in the Caribbean Sea, is the only insular state of Venezuela, formed by three islands. Margarita, the largest, has a larger variety of environments and a richer biodiversity, but has suffered bigger impact from human activities, mainly after the 1980's, when it became an important national and international touristic destination. Thi...
El estado Nueva Esparta está formado por tres is-las: Margarita, Coche y Cubagua, ubicadas en el Mar Caribe venezo-lano, siendo el único estado del país con ca-rácter netamente insular. Por su cercanía al continente y variedad de formaciones vegeta-les presentes, la región cuenta con una rique-za faunística considerable, particularmente en la mayor...
