Niclas Kolm
Contact
Name and title: Niclas Kolm
Workplace: Department of Zoology Länk till annan webbplats.
Visiting address Room D 549Svante Arrheniusväg 18 B
Postal address Zoologiska institutionen106 91 Stockholm
Research group
About me
My research focuses on brain evolution and the link between variation in brain morphology and behaviour. I study this in a variety of taxa (Cichlids, Pipefishes and Seahorses, Birds, Dogs, Pinnipeds, Cetaceans, Salmonids, Poeciliids) using phylogenetic comparative analysis and laboratory experiments. For this, we have substantial laboratory facilities with room for over 4000 aquaria, mainly populated with different guppy selection lines, and six separate rooms for behavioural assays of for instance cognition, mate choice, and collective motion in small fish.
My diverse research group typically consists of 1-3 PhD students, 1-3 postdocs, and several Swedish and international masters and internship students.
Currently, most of the work in my group builds on four systems:
1. PHYLOGENETIC COMPARATIVE ANALYSES IN VERTEBRATES
We have a database with data on brain size and various aspects of life history and behaviour for over 20000 specimens from over 4500 species. We use this data to perform phylogenetic comparative analyses to test various hypotheses in a macroevolutionary framework. Currently this is mainly a collaboration with John Fitzpatrick, David Wheatcroft, Wouter van der Bijl, Andrew Iwaniuk and Masahito Tsuboi but many other important collaborators have helped in this project.
2. ARTIFICIAL SELECTION AND EXPERIMENTAL ASSAYS OF HOW BRAIN MORPHOLOGY VARIATION AFFECTS PHYSIOLOGY AND BEHAVIOUR IN THE GUPPY
We use our recently developed guppy selection lines with i) 14 % difference in brain size and ii) > 10 % difference in relative telencephalon size to perform experimental tests of several hypotheses concerning brain evolution and the link between brain morphology and physiology and behaviour. For this work, we have over 250 m2 of lab space with room for >4000 aquaria and six separate rooms for behavioural assays. This is a project with multiple collaborators, for instance Alexander Kotrschal (previously postdoc with me but now independent PI), John Fitzpatrick, David Wheatcroft, Judith Mank, Michael Jennions, Pertti Panula, Alexei Maklakov, Björn Rogell, Pavel Nemec and Neus Visa.
3. USING DOG BREEDS AS A SYSTEM FOR BRAIN AND BEHAVIOUR EVOLUTION ANALYSES
Together with collaborators Hans Temrin, Laszlo Garamszegi, Eniko Kubinyi and Adam Miklosi we study brain and behaviour evolution both within and across breeds thus using the dog breeds as a long term selection experiment.
4. ARTIFICIAL SELECTION AND EXPERIMENTAL ASSAYS OF HOW BRAIN AND BEHAVIOUR IS AFFECTED BY SELECTION ON SCHOOLING BEHAVIOUR IN THE GUPPY
We use our third type of guppy selection lines with > 15 % difference in schooling behaviour after three generations of selection. The aim here is to elucidate what changes in brain anatomy, cognition, other behaviours, life history and genetic architecture that occur when 'a guppy becomes a herring'. This is a collaboration with David Sumpter, Kristiaan Pelckmans and Judith Mank.