معرفی
Dr Steve Portugal is an Associate Professor of Animal Behaviour in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Oxford and a Tutorial Fellow at St Hugh's College. His research focuses on understanding how environmental changes impact animal behavior and physiology, with a macroecology approach to evolutionary drivers. He studies avian collisions, group behavior under environmental stress, and biomimetic applications from animal behavior and eggshell structures. His model systems include homing pigeons, northern bald ibis, avian brood parasites, naked mole-rats, and Siamese fighting fish.
Affiliations:
- Edward Grey Institute, University of Oxford
- Scientific Associate, Natural History Museum
- Tutorial Fellow, St Hugh's College
Research Interests:
- Avian navigation and collision vulnerability
- Collective behavior and flock dynamics
- Eggshell physiology and structural adaptations
- Physiological responses to environmental stress
Recent Fieldwork Locations:
- Zambia, Panama, Australia, Costa Rica, South Africa, USA, Czech Republic, France, Cambodia, Malaysia
Advising:
- Current PhD/MSc students: Jamie Mayson, Robin Melhausen-Franks, Sam Thompson, Avi Berger, and others
- Alumni include Hana Merchant, Cecylia Watrobska, and Jack Thirkell
Labs/Teams: Research focuses on animal behavior and physiology, with collaborations on cuckoo embryology, eggshell surface structure, and biomechanics of unique species like secretary birds and mole-rats.
