Mapping the manor: Burrow architecture and its consequences in wild Kalahari meerkats
Explore how wild meerkats use and interact with complex burrow structures using advanced geophysical methods and behavioural data. Address key questions on the impact of burrow design on survival, thermoregulation, and habitat preference within an exceptional long-term study framework.
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Project Description
Project Overview
Many mammals use burrows as resting sites, refuges, and breeding dens, critical for thermoregulation and survival. Despite their importance, little is known about how burrow architecture affects usage and function. This multidisciplinary PhD will study wild Kalahari meerkats' burrows using advanced technology and long-term field data.
What You Will Do
Supervised by Dr Dominic Cram and co-supervisor Professor Adam Booth, you will apply geophysical and surveying techniques, bio-telemetry, biologging, and coding to map and analyse complex burrow structures in South Africa. You will integrate behavioural and life-history data from thousands of meerkats to examine how burrow design influences occupancy, survival, and thermoregulation. The project encourages developing your own research questions within this framework.
Expected Outcomes
This research will clarify how burrow architecture affects litter survival, shelter suitability for thermoregulation, and meerkat preferences for burrow designs, providing important insights into animal shelter ecology. It will advance understanding of animal-environment interactions in subterranean habitats.
Why This Matters
Burrow use and architecture are vital for mammalian adaptation to changing environments, yet understudied. Understanding these dynamics in meerkats offers broader insights into behavioural ecology, evolution, and species resilience, informing conservation and ecological management.
Entry Requirements
Eligibility
Supervisor Profile
Dr Dominic Cram is a behavioral ecologist specializing in evolutionary and ecological dynamics of social mammals with a focus on meerkats. His research integrates long-term field studies with innovative technologies to understand animal behaviour, life-history traits, and environmental interactions, contributing fundamental insights to mammalian ecology.