Wow, so much has changed since my last update! Previously, I was supposed to attend UNDERC East to conduct research on behavioral responses to predator scent cues in small carnivores. Unfortunately, UNDERC East for the summer of 2020 was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. My enrollment to the program has been deferred to the summer of 2021, but my senior comprehensive research subject had to change to accommodate my Fall 2020 graduation timeline. So, I am now expanding Kam and Hannah’s fox squirrel research!
Also owing to the pandemic, I was unable to collect additional field data. However, Dr. Young and I posed a new research question that could be explored using Kam and Hannah’s data from 2019. This question is: Do fox squirrels exhibit sexual dimorphism in tail length based on sex-specific differences in stability and balance during arboreal locomotion? I predicted that female fox squirrels would have longer tails due to increased mass during periods of gestation and lactation that would require greater need for balancing mechanisms during aboreal locomotion. As of now, I have completed the first full draft of my comp research paper, and I submitted my abstract for the SICB conference! The results of my study indicated that there is no significant difference in tail length between male and female fox squirrels, but I would encourage future Locomotion Lab students to expand the research further by expanding the sample size or exploring comparisons of the balancing abilities of male and female fox squirrels during arboreal locomotion. Despite all the unprecedented changes in the past seven months, everything seems to be falling in line as my time at Saint Mary’s comes to an end. As I reflect on my educational journey at Saint Mary’s, I cannot help but think of all the times I thought I would never overcome certain challenges. I have a great appreciation for the faculty and staff that have guided me through these obstacles and helped me to find my strengths and face my weaknesses. My time as a part of the Locomotion Lab during a pandemic has challenged me to be adaptable and resilient. These are valuable qualities as a biologist that I am certain I will be putting to use as I move forward. However, education during a pandemic is still not my forte, so I have decided to take a year off before applying to graduate programs. During this gap year, I hope to gain field experience and explore my interests more to help narrow in on the graduate programs I want to apply for. Farewell for now! Comments are closed.
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AuthorsAlok Agwick Archives
February 2024
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