(Most of) our lab group in front of Ayres Hall in spring 2024.
Back Row (left to right): Ethan Colston, Jessie Tanner, Sasha Ewing
Front Row (left to right): Lauren Shinn, Elliott Brooks, Eva Kent, Trina Chou
Back Row (left to right): Ethan Colston, Jessie Tanner, Sasha Ewing
Front Row (left to right): Lauren Shinn, Elliott Brooks, Eva Kent, Trina Chou
Jessie C. Tanner
I am an animal behaviorist primarily interested in sexual signaling. I am especially interested in communication behaviors because they are complex, dynamic, conspicuous, and often critically important to individual fitness. The broad aim of my research is to understand the information present in signals, how that information is decoded and used by receivers, how the environment shapes communication interactions, and how communication evolves. I use empirical studies of behavior in the field and the lab to understand decision-making and its consequences. I work primarily with frogs and field crickets because they are excellent models for studies of acoustic communication. Before starting my lab at the University of Tennessee, I completed postdoctoral training at the University of Western Australia, where I studied the evolution of the mammalian baculum (penis bone). I earned my PhD at the University of Minnesota, studying some of the reasons receivers might not always be able to express their mating preferences in nature. I am also a proud graduate of the University of Oklahoma, where I completed a BS in Zoology and a BA in French. For more information, see my CV.
I am an animal behaviorist primarily interested in sexual signaling. I am especially interested in communication behaviors because they are complex, dynamic, conspicuous, and often critically important to individual fitness. The broad aim of my research is to understand the information present in signals, how that information is decoded and used by receivers, how the environment shapes communication interactions, and how communication evolves. I use empirical studies of behavior in the field and the lab to understand decision-making and its consequences. I work primarily with frogs and field crickets because they are excellent models for studies of acoustic communication. Before starting my lab at the University of Tennessee, I completed postdoctoral training at the University of Western Australia, where I studied the evolution of the mammalian baculum (penis bone). I earned my PhD at the University of Minnesota, studying some of the reasons receivers might not always be able to express their mating preferences in nature. I am also a proud graduate of the University of Oklahoma, where I completed a BS in Zoology and a BA in French. For more information, see my CV.
Trina Chou
I am a second year PhD student in the EEB Department. I am interested in the evolutionary pressures that shape animal acoustic communication systems, and how these pressures affect the behaviors of both senders and receivers. I am currently working on two projects with amphibians: (1) understanding the effects of chytrid infection on male calling behavior and (2) understanding how within-individual variation in male calling may act as a signal of interest for females making decisions. I plan to continue this work in comparative contexts, extending these same projects to be studied in field crickets who have evolved similar communication systems. Before starting my PhD, I earned my B.S. at Vassar College, where I majored in Neuroscience and Behavior and minored in Mathematics.
I am a second year PhD student in the EEB Department. I am interested in the evolutionary pressures that shape animal acoustic communication systems, and how these pressures affect the behaviors of both senders and receivers. I am currently working on two projects with amphibians: (1) understanding the effects of chytrid infection on male calling behavior and (2) understanding how within-individual variation in male calling may act as a signal of interest for females making decisions. I plan to continue this work in comparative contexts, extending these same projects to be studied in field crickets who have evolved similar communication systems. Before starting my PhD, I earned my B.S. at Vassar College, where I majored in Neuroscience and Behavior and minored in Mathematics.
Ashlesh Pattanaik
I am a new PhD student joining the Tanner Lab through the EEB Department in the fall of 2024. I recently completed my BS-MS at the National Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhubaneswar (India), where I majored in Biology and minored in Physics. I am interested in the broad question of how trade-offs between natural selection and sexual selection shape the evolutionary path of an organism. In particular, I want to understand this through the evolution of signalling strategies in acoustically communicating organisms, which was also a major motivation behind my MSc thesis on bioacoustics in Orthoptera. Exploring more in this direction, I am excited to work on specific questions with frogs and crickets in the Tanner lab. Stay tuned for more about my dissertation work as it develops!
I am a new PhD student joining the Tanner Lab through the EEB Department in the fall of 2024. I recently completed my BS-MS at the National Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhubaneswar (India), where I majored in Biology and minored in Physics. I am interested in the broad question of how trade-offs between natural selection and sexual selection shape the evolutionary path of an organism. In particular, I want to understand this through the evolution of signalling strategies in acoustically communicating organisms, which was also a major motivation behind my MSc thesis on bioacoustics in Orthoptera. Exploring more in this direction, I am excited to work on specific questions with frogs and crickets in the Tanner lab. Stay tuned for more about my dissertation work as it develops!
Sasha Ewing
I joined the lab in January of 2024 as lab manager. I am broadly interested in animal communication and, before joining the lab, I worked on projects studying a variety of birds and some mammals. I completed my MS in the Moseley Lab at James Madison University, where my research focused on how urban environments affect song and reproductive success in gray catbirds, Dumetella carolinensis. I also work in the Derryberry Lab at UTK, where we take a variety of approaches to understanding signal evolution in birds -- largely using tree swallows, zebra finches, and white-crowned sparrows.
I joined the lab in January of 2024 as lab manager. I am broadly interested in animal communication and, before joining the lab, I worked on projects studying a variety of birds and some mammals. I completed my MS in the Moseley Lab at James Madison University, where my research focused on how urban environments affect song and reproductive success in gray catbirds, Dumetella carolinensis. I also work in the Derryberry Lab at UTK, where we take a variety of approaches to understanding signal evolution in birds -- largely using tree swallows, zebra finches, and white-crowned sparrows.
Lauren Shinn
I'm an undergraduate research assistant double-majoring in neuroscience and EEB. I have been working on recording and measuring gray treefrog calls in East Tennessee to quantify their within- and between-individual variation as well as potential population differences. I plan to do my honors thesis research in the Tanner Lab.
I'm an undergraduate research assistant double-majoring in neuroscience and EEB. I have been working on recording and measuring gray treefrog calls in East Tennessee to quantify their within- and between-individual variation as well as potential population differences. I plan to do my honors thesis research in the Tanner Lab.
Ethan Colston
I joined the lab in spring 2024 as an undergraduate research assistant. At UTK, I'm majoring in neuroscience. I work jointly in the Tanner Lab and in Dr. Alejandro Vélez's lab in the Neuroscience and Behavior group. I work on call analysis and also help perform field recordings and experiments.
Eva Kent
I joined the lab in spring 2023 as a Departmental Research Assistant. I'm an Ecology & Evolutionary Biology major. In the Tanner lab, I have mainly assisted with making call recordings of Hyla chrysoscelis (Cope's gray treefrog) in the field and processing the recordings in Raven.
Jamie Neeper
I joined the lab in summer 2024 as an undergraduate research assistant! I'm helping run field experiments and make recordings.