Description - Spatial cognition and navigation abilities are important for all motile animal species, allowing them to perform functions important for survival and reproduction, including foraging, mating, and parental care. The neural basis of spatial cognition is well explored in some vertebrates, especially in mammals. However, compared to other taxa, amphibians are understudied in many aspects of behavior and cognition, and this extends to spatial cognition. This blind spot is especially profound given that amphibians represent an important transition in vertebrate evolutionary history. Dr Shaykevich will present his work in two amphibian models (the cane toad, Rhinella marina, and the brilliant thighed poison frog, Allobates femoralis) attempting to fill this gap. Dr. Shaykevich's work explores behavior, cognitive mechanisms, and brain activity related to navigation, both in field and laboratory studies, that are expanding understanding of cognition and neural function in amphibians and suggesting further avenues for exploration.

 

Short Bio - Daniel Shaykevich completed his PhD in biology at Stanford University in 2024, studying spatial cognition in the cane toad, Rhinella marina. He is currently a postdoctoral scholar at the Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, studying spatial cognition in wild rainforest frogs. In addition to his work as a scientist, Daniel is a filmmaker and has made several documentaries about scientists pursuing organismal research in the field.