Experimental Zoology Group
The Experimental Zoology Group studies how moving animals function in their complex natural environment. We do this by combining physics, engineering, molecular techniques and modelling in a quantitative systems analysis. This provides insights that we use to offer solutions for societal problems.
Chair holder
Recent publications
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This is EPIC : Extensive Periphery for Impact and Control to study seabird habitat loss in and around offshore wind farms combining a peripheral control area and Bayesian statistics
Ecological Informatics (2025), Volume: 85 - ISSN 1574-9541 -
The effect of external flow on 3D orientation of a microscopic sessile suspension feeder, Vorticella convallaria
Annals of the New York Academy Of Sciences (2024), Volume: 1537, Issue: 1 - ISSN 0077-8923 - p. 51-63. -
Flight behaviour diverges more between seasonal forms than between species in Pieris butterflies
Ecology and Evolution (2024), Volume: 14, Issue: 7 - ISSN 2045-7758 -
Red, gold, and green: comparative genomics of polymorphic leopards from South Africa
Evolution (2024) - ISSN 1558-5646
Research
The Experimental Zoology Group studies how moving animals function in their complex natural environment.
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Biomechanics of moving animals
Animals have evolved amazing movement systems, ranging from the rapidly beating wings of flying flies and the flexible undulating body of swimming fish, to the precisely controlled cuttlefish arm for catching and manipulating prey. To unravel how natural movement systems function, we study the biomechanics and neuro-muscular control of moving animals.
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Bioinspired design
Over the course of 3.8 billion years, nature has evolved versatile solutions for survival. By taking inspiration from nature, many engineers and designers have translated such solutions to human-made devices, structures, and technologies.
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Evolutionary biology
A staggering diversity of complex reproductive strategies has evolved in livebearing animals. The evolution of these innovative reproductive adaptations is one of the most significant phenomena in the rise of multicellular organisms.
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Developmental zoology
How do cells in multicellular organisms (self-)organize to form a complex body plan with an amazing functional repertoire, including reproduction, the repair after injuries, and navigation to find food and mating partners ? We combine biological experiments in a tight feedback loop with physics-inspired theory to understand principles of communication and information processing from stem cells to neurons.
Education
We ignite students' curiosity in unravelling the secrets of animal function, while unleashing their analytical prowess with a quantitative edge. See below for more information.
