DETAIL
Dr Peter McGregor BA MA DPhil
Contact Details
Name: Dr Peter McGregor
Job Title: Reader in Applied Zoology
Address: Cornwall College Newquay, Centre for Applied Zoology, Wildflower Lane, Trenance Gardens, Newquay, TR7 2LZ
Tel: 07775 821231
Email: peter.mcgregor@cornwall.ac.uk
Work History
2004 to Present: Reader in Applied Zoology
2003 to 2003: Marie Curie Fellow, Cornwall College
1998 to 2004: Professor of Behavioural Biology & Head of Dept of Animal Behaviour, University of Copenhagen
1995 to Present: Special Professor, Institute of Applied Psychology, Lisbon
1993 to Present: Editor of Bioacoustics
Research Details
Communication networks
Implications for signallers and receivers of communicating in networks of several individuals e.g. eavesdropping and audience effects (see Nature 419, 242-3). Study systems include acoustic communication in birds and visual signalling in fish and fiddler crabs.
Effects of underwater noise
Part of a consortium led by Cefas (Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science), Lowestoft with Cranfield University and Humbolt University, Berlin, studying the effects of pile driving noise on marine fish through playback of noise to cod and sole held in large underwater cages (mesocosms). The behaviour of the fish is monitored by acoustic telemetry.
Local dialects in corn bunting song
These are a distinctive pattern of variation in song over a few km, akin to human speech dialects, that seem to subdivide potentially interbreeding populations and therefore have conservation implications for this species that is rapidly declining nationally. The Cornwall study is in collaboration with the RSPB. Funded in 2003 by an EU Marie Curie Fellowship. Featured on BBC1's One Show 1st May 2008.
Conservation and communication
Implications of aspects of communication for conservation, including individual identification based on acoustic signals of birds and its application to census and monitoring. The most recent application was identifying male bitterns from their booming call as part of an EU LIFE programme.
Selected Publications
McGregor, P.K. 2009. Communication networks and eavesdropping in animals. pp 1179-1184 In: Encyclopedia of Neuroscience vol 2 (Squire, L.R., ed.) Academic Press, Oxford. ISBN-13 9780080446172
McGregor, P.K. (ed.) 2005. Animal Communication Networks. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-82361-7.
McGregor, P.K. 2004. Communication. In: Principles of Animal Behavior (Bolhuis, J.J. & Giraldeau, L.-A. eds). Blackwells Scientific Publications: Oxford.
Barnard, C.J., Gilbert, F.S. & McGregor, P.K. 2007. Asking Questions in Biology: A Guide to Hypothesis Testing, Experimental Design and Presentation in Practical Work and Research Projects. 3rd Edition. 228p. Pearson Education Ltd, Harlow. ISBN 978 0 13 222435 2
Gonçalves, D., Oliveira, R.F. & McGregor, P.K. 2008. Communication and the evolution of alternative reproductive tactics. Pp. 401-420. In: Alternative Reproductive Tactics (Oliveira, R., Taborsky, M. & Brockman, J. eds) Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. ISBN-13: 9780521832434.
Published Articles in Refereed Journals
McGregor, P.K. 2008. Designing experiments to test for behavioural effects of sound. Bioacoustics 17, 336-338.
Simon, M., McGregor, P.K. & Ugarte, F. 2007. The relationship between the acoustic behaviour and surface activity of killer whales (Orcinus orca) that feed on herring (Clupea harengus). Acta Ethologica 10, 47-53.
Covas, R., McGregor, P.K. & Doutrelant, C. 2007. Cooperation and communication networks. Behavioural Processes 76, 149-151.
Peake, T.M., Matos, R.J. & McGregor, P.K. 2006. Effects of manipulated aggressive interactions on bystanding male fighting fish Betta splendens. Anim. Behav. 72, 1013-1020.
Terry, A.M.R., Peake, T.M. & McGregor, P.K. 2005. The role of vocal individuality in conservation. Frontiers in Zoology 2, 10. http://www.frontiersinzoology.com/content/2/1/10
Peter's details were last updated on 23rd Sep 2009
