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Lauren Brent @ljnbrent.bsky.social · 10h

All this thinking about the thing I've always wanted to know in science wouldn't have been possible without the support of the @erc.europa.eu to my FriendOrigins project. Long may funding for fundamental and blueskies science continue

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Lauren Brent @ljnbrent.bsky.social · 10h

After 5 yrs of thinking, debating and endless schematic doodles, we came up with the Adaptive Relationships Framework, published in @cp-trendsecolevo.bsky.social
We hope it's useful, and even if turns out to be wrong, that it encourages new conversations about the evolution of social structure.

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Lauren Brent @ljnbrent.bsky.social · 10h

Delphine and I thought it made sense to merge ideas from behavioural ecology with ones from network science. We reasoned this would allow us to predict what types of relationships are best suited to solve the different challenges animals face.

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Lauren Brent @ljnbrent.bsky.social · 10h

So I became a behavioural ecologist, dabbled in network science, and found some likeminded scientists who wanted to know this too, like @delphinedemoor.bsky.social.

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Lauren Brent @ljnbrent.bsky.social · 10h

For what seems like forever, I've wanted to know what benefits we get from our friends - or in other words, why these relationships evolved.

tinyurl.com/55dnkeh7

Quality, quantity, and the adaptive function of social relationships

Affiliative social relationships have clear links to fitness in many species, yet exactly why that is the case remains elusive. We unify theory from socioecology and network science to set forth testa...

tinyurl.com

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Reposted by Lauren Brent

Delphine De Moor @delphinedemoor.bsky.social · 12h

Social relationships are powerful predictors of fitness across social animals. But *why*?

In our new @cp-trendsecolevo.bsky.social paper, we outline testable predictions for why relationship quality and quantity adaptively vary across socio-ecological contexts.

tinyurl.com/55dnkeh7

The Adaptive Relationships Framework illustrating how broad socioecological pressures shape the social solutions animals use to meet these challenges, and how these lead to social strategies and emergent structures that help them gain access to those solutions.

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Reposted by Lauren Brent

Keller Kopf @kellerfish.bsky.social · 4d

@biodiversityguy.bsky.social @euanritchie.bsky.social @ljnbrent.bsky.social @pili-scotland.bsky.social @chrisjolly.bsky.social @charlesdarwinuni.bsky.social @rarlinghausfish.bsky.social @shoalorg.bsky.social @sharkscience.bsky.social @amfisheriessoc.bsky.social @fishconserve.bsky.social

Keller Kopf @kellerfish.bsky.social · 4d

If you are a voting member of the IUCN - please consider supporting our motion (113) for Longevity Conservation at the Congress this week
@iucnshark.bsky.social @aciucn.bsky.social @iucn-bctf.bsky.social @sscmarine.bsky.social

iucncongress2025.org/assembly/mot...

MOTION 113

iucncongress2025.org

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Reposted by Lauren Brent

Keller Kopf @kellerfish.bsky.social · 4d

If you are a voting member of the IUCN - please consider supporting our motion (113) for Longevity Conservation at the Congress this week
@iucnshark.bsky.social @aciucn.bsky.social @iucn-bctf.bsky.social @sscmarine.bsky.social

iucncongress2025.org/assembly/mot...

MOTION 113

iucncongress2025.org

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Lauren Brent @ljnbrent.bsky.social · 24d

Postdoc job alert! We are hiring a NYU-based postdoc to work on our project on the social and environmental determinants of aging. The 3 year post will be based in James Higham's lab and will focus on endocrine, immune, and inflammatory aspects of aging. Please share! apply.interfolio.com/173938

Apply - Interfolio {{$ctrl.$state.data.pageTitle}} - Apply - Interfolio

apply.interfolio.com

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Reposted by Lauren Brent

Ben Kawam @benkawam.bsky.social · Sep 4

Are you studying animal sociality? Confused about the "non-independence" of social network data: what on earth are they? are they threatening your results? should you attempt to get rid of them?

A thread summarising a part of our new paper (ecoevorxiv.org/repository/v...).

Five misunderstandings in animal social network analysis

ecoevorxiv.org

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Lauren Brent @ljnbrent.bsky.social · Aug 31

Survey alert! If you're a social behavioural ecologist, please fill in our survey aimed at gauging interest in, barriers and solutions to, comparative social behaviour research. Thanks! forms.gle/KZJDMtLCJhvY...

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Reposted by Lauren Brent

Krishna Balasubramaniam @krishsubramaniam.bsky.social · Aug 30

😎😎 symposium and discussion on comparative studies in animal behaviour, organized by @delphinedemoor.bsky.social, @ljnbrent.bsky.social & Anindya Sinha at @behaviour2025.bsky.social ! Was a pleasure to be part of a 👌 speaker lineup, & present my work on interspecific variation in 🐵 social behaviour!

Delphine De Moor @delphinedemoor.bsky.social · Aug 30

Thank you to everyone who joined our symposium on comparative research in animal behaviour at @behaviour2025.bsky.social! It was great to see such interest & the discussions happening right after the symposium! Looking forward to continue the discussion! 🐅🦍🐍🐋🦘🦚🦏🐫

@asab.org

Audience at the confernce center listening to Jacob's talk

Our symposium speakers, including an expertly photoshopped Greg, standing by the Behaviour 2025 booth featuring a tiger.

Symposium speakers enjoying dinner at a Bengali restaurant.

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Lauren Brent @ljnbrent.bsky.social · Aug 27

Animal Behaviour from Exeter and Bristol, plus some of our alumni, went to @behaviour2025.bsky.social in Kolkata and had mountains of rice. @crab-exeter.bsky.social @bristolbiosci.bsky.social @uniexecec.bsky.social

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Lauren Brent @ljnbrent.bsky.social · Aug 19

Looking forward to another gathering of MacaqueNet! In India no less, home of the best ever macaque: the rhesu....haha just kidding, the lion-tailed, obviously.

Hope to see lots of you there!

Macaela Skelton @macaelaskelton.bsky.social · Aug 19

🎉 Just days to go until our MacaqueNet Workshop in Kolkata!

🗓️ Sun 24 Aug | 13:00–16:00 IST
✨ Open to all (online & in-person)
📋 Members-only Board Meeting (16:00–17:00)
🍽️ Optional Dinner

View the schedule & signup now via our website: macaquenet.github.io/symposia/

#MacaqueNet #Behaviour2025

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Lauren Brent @ljnbrent.bsky.social · Aug 11

ahhh thanks Cory! ☺️

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Lauren Brent @ljnbrent.bsky.social · Aug 8

Spicy

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Lauren Brent @ljnbrent.bsky.social · Aug 7

Going to @behaviour2025.bsky.social in Kolkata? Join us for Weaving the MacaqueNet 3.0, our third workshop for this big team science & community initiative behaviourindia2025.in/workshops.html. Members + non-members welcome! Get your very own sticker and be as happy as @macaelaskelton.bsky.social!

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Lauren Brent @ljnbrent.bsky.social · Aug 6

I learned a lot working on this new paper with this group of network scientists, sociologists, anthropologists and behavioural ecologists. We're hoping it helps anyone who feels (understandably!) lost in the animal social networks weeds.

Daniel Redhead @danielredhead.bsky.social · Aug 4

🐒🕸️ New preprint! Confused about how to model animal social networks?

ASNA can be confusing—but also full of opportunity. We break down 5 common misunderstandings in animal social network analysis and share solutions from behavioural ecology, anthro, stats, & network science. Hope it helps!

A 🧵

Five misunderstandings in animal social network analysis

ecoevorxiv.org

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Lauren Brent @ljnbrent.bsky.social · Jul 4

the journal Animal Behaviour, which is run by @asab.org, is looking to hire a new Managing Editor. Please share advert with folks with a Life Sciences degree (ideally postgrad) who might be interested www.asab.org/opportunities

Opportunities — ASAB

www.asab.org

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Reposted by Lauren Brent

Lauren Brent @ljnbrent.bsky.social · May 2

Postdoc job alert! I'm hiring a 3-yr postdoc to work on our Social Modifiers of Primate Lifespans grant. Job info and how to apply below. Deadline June 1. Pls share! jobs.exeter.ac.uk/hrpr_webrecr...

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jobs.exeter.ac.uk

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Lauren Brent @ljnbrent.bsky.social · May 20

Less than 2 weeks left to apply for this! Come join us in @crab-exeter.bsky.social and as part of team MacaqueNet, to do some comparative social network and life-history research 🤩

Lauren Brent @ljnbrent.bsky.social · May 2

Postdoc job alert! I'm hiring a 3-yr postdoc to work on our Social Modifiers of Primate Lifespans grant. Job info and how to apply below. Deadline June 1. Pls share! jobs.exeter.ac.uk/hrpr_webrecr...

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jobs.exeter.ac.uk

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Lauren Brent @ljnbrent.bsky.social · May 15

I'm guessing this is probably very well worth the read! onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....

Ecology needs a causal overhaul

Ecology has yet to embrace causal inference, yet most questions in ecology are causal. Despite the common use of terms that imply causation, such as “shapes”, “drives”, or “impacts”, many studies shy...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

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Lauren Brent @ljnbrent.bsky.social · May 13

How good is it to get work with this lovely group of people in @crab-exeter.bsky.social every day? Answer: really really good!

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Reposted by Lauren Brent

La Société Francophone de Primatologie @lasfdp.bsky.social · May 6

#VoxPrimato #postdoc
offre de postdoc "Social Modifiers of Primate Lifespans" pour 3 ans à l'Université d'Exeter au Royaume-Uni avec Lauren Brent et collègues du Centre de Recherche pour le Comportement Animal
date limite 01/06/2025
👇

Lauren Brent @ljnbrent.bsky.social · May 2

Postdoc job alert! I'm hiring a 3-yr postdoc to work on our Social Modifiers of Primate Lifespans grant. Job info and how to apply below. Deadline June 1. Pls share! jobs.exeter.ac.uk/hrpr_webrecr...

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jobs.exeter.ac.uk

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Lauren Brent @ljnbrent.bsky.social · May 2

Extended information about the post and what you can expect from the role and working in @crab-exeter.bsky.social is here: docs.google.com/document/d/1...