Eva Ringler is a Professor and Head of the Division of Behavioural Ecology at the Institute of Ecology and Evolution at the University of Bern. She studies the evolutionary mechanisms that shape animal behaviour in ecologically relevant contexts, primarily focusing on the reproductive ecology and cognition of tropical frogs and lizards. Combining long-term field observations with targeted behavioural experiments conducted under controlled laboratory conditions, she explores the causes and consequences of different behavioural strategies, with a particular focus on parental care, spatial use, and mate choice.

Talk: From a simple idea to global biodiversity observation: the (e)DNA revolution and its unfinished business

Parenting is considered a key evolutionary innovation that contributed to the diversification and expansion of vertebrates. Amphibians are an ideal group in which to identify the ecological factors that have facilitated or constrained the evolution of different forms of social behaviour, including parental care. In my research group we aim to better understand the ecological factors that have shaped highly specialised and complex social behaviours, assess causes and consequences of individual differences in behavioural profiles, and also identify cognitive abilities associated with distinct behavioural traits. We use dendrobatid frogs and glassfrogs as models to answer diverse questions regarding their reproductive behaviour, parental care, space use, learning and memory. We study these animals in their natural habitat as well as in the lab, by combining a diverse set of methodological approaches, including behavioural experiments, molecular parentage analysis, bioacoustics and spatial analyses. Our research has shown that tropical frogs are very dedicated parents, exhibit remarkable spatial behaviour, as well as behavioural flexibility across various contexts.