Michael Griesser

Dr. Michael Griesser is a Research Professor at the University of Konstanz, Department of Biology, with affiliations at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior. His work explores the evolutionary mechanisms behind cooperation, social learning, and language-like adaptations in birds.

• He previously held positions at the University of Zurich, Bern (as SNSF Research Professor), and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (Assistant Professor).
• His PhD (Uppsala University) and MSc (University of Zurich) form the foundation of his research in animal behavior.

Research Focus: Griesser investigates how ecological pressures shape social relationships, family living, and cooperative breeding in birds. His studies on Siberian jays reveal that prolonged parent-offspring associations provide opportunities for learning vital skills like predator recognition, enhancing survival. He also explores the evolution of referential communication and syntactic-like vocal combinations in birds, drawing parallels to human language development.