One of the most striking features on the faces of many mammals
are the presence of their long whiskers, or vibrissae. Primarily, these are used for touch sensing, and can be employed to guide behaviours such as foraging, navigation, and social interactions. Most mammals have whiskers at some stage of their life, and these have a common muscle architecture. While similarities in whisker position and muscle architecture suggest a common mammalian ancestor with whiskers, variations in morphology and anatomy reveal that whiskers are also adapted to function in many species. This presentation will describe similarities and differences in mammalian whisker morphology and behaviour. We find that whiskers are especially prominent in nocturnal, arboreal and aquatic mammals, that also tend to move their whiskers. Understanding more about differences in whisker form and function will provide important insights into mammalian sensory biology. Dr Robyn Grant is a Senior Lecturer in Comparative Physiology and Behaviour at Manchester Metropolitan University. She is a sensory biologist, studying the sense of touch in mammals and birds. She works closely with museums and zoos to better understand the functional significance of facial sensors. Wednesday 28th April 2021 at 7.30pm This event will be held online via Zoom Members - £2.50 Non members - £4.50 Please follow the link to Eventbrite to book your place https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-walruss-whiskers-the-mouses-moustache-why-do-animals-have-whiskers-tickets-149585096049 All profits we take will go towards the following: The running of our talks The Harvest Mouse Project Our Small Grants Scheme Maintaining equipment for members to borrow
0 Comments
|
AuthorDevon Mammal Group Archives
August 2024
Categories |
Site powered by Weebly. Managed by 34SP.com