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PhD Position in Computational Neuroscience: Modelling Predictive Error Responses
by Fleur Zeldenrust April 22, 2025

April 22, 2025

*My lab is looking for a PhD candidate in Modelling Predictive Error Responses:* https://www.ru.nl/en/working-at/job-opportunities/phd-position-in-computati… For the NWO project ‘DBI2 <https://dbi2.nl/>’ we are looking for a PhD candidate to study predictive error responses in the auditory cortex. The main goal is to design an experimental approach to distinguish between two alternative theories of predictive coding and processing. Predictive coding and predictive processing are compelling theories to explain brain function. The idea that the brain continually maintains and updates an internal model of the outside world, and compares the incoming input with the expectations generated by this model, can explain many phenomena including adaptive behaviour and sensory effects such as oddball responses. However, until now there is no consensus on how such predictive coding could be implemented in real neural tissue. Importantly, there are two alternative theories on how error signals in predictive processing could be coded in neural signals: either as (1) top down signals from ‘higher order’ brain areas (hierarchical predictive coding, [2]) or (2) local signals, resulting in membrane potentials reflecting error signals ([3], for a review, see [1]). The goal of the research presented here, under the primary supervision of Dr Zeldenrust, is to design an experimental approach to distinguish between these two theoretical approaches. Measuring error signals in neural tissue is experimentally challenging. Therefore, a direct exchange between theory and experiment is needed, so that hypotheses and specific predictions about which neurons to record from and stimulate and the results expected can be quickly updated for the design of optimal experiments. The student will work in close collaboration with the Englitz lab, so that there is a direct link between modelling, data analysis and experiment. As a PhD candidate you will use data on oddball paradigms [4,5], which provide the ability to directly observe predictions and distinguish them from prediction errors. The data are a combined approach of widefield imaging of the entire auditory cortex with local and layer-specific imaging using 2-photon recordings in the same animals. To directly test the top-down hypothesis, neurons in subareas of the prefrontal cortex will be transfected with an inhibitory opsin (eNpHR3.0) to modulate their top-down influence. You will develop a model of the hierarchical interaction between the auditory cortex and the prefrontal cortex, in which error signals are either coded as top-down (theory 1) or local (theory 2). You will use this model to formulate testable predictions, distinguishing theory 1 from theory 2. These predictions will be tested by both analysing existing data from the Englitz lab and formulating new experimental paradigms that are suitable to distinguish between the local and top-down hypothesis. [1] N’dri, A. W., Gebhardt, W., Teulière, C., Zeldenrust, F., Rao, R. P. N., Triesch, J., & Ororbia, A. (2024). Predictive Coding with Spiking Neural Networks: A Survey (arXiv:2409.05386). arXiv. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2409.05386 [2] Rao, R. P. N., & Ballard, D. H. (1999). Predictive coding in the visual cortex: A functional interpretation of some extra-classical receptive-field effects. Nature Neuroscience, 2(1), 79–87. [3] Zeldenrust, F., Gutkin, B., & Denéve, S. (2021). Efficient and robust coding in heterogeneous recurrent networks. PLOS Computational Biology, 17(4), e1008673. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008673 [4] Nieto-Diego, J. & Malmierca, M. S. Topographic Distribution of Stimulus-Specific Adaptation across Auditory Cortical Fields in the Anesthetized Rat. (2016) PLOS Biol. 14, e1002397 [5] Lao-Rodríguez, A. B. ... Englitz B, (2023) Neuronal responses to omitted tones in the auditory brain: A neuronal correlate for predictive coding. Sci. Adv. 9, eabq8657 *Profile* - You hold an MSc degree in computational neuroscience, mathematics, physics, computer science, AI or a similar computational field. - You have experience in developing models (preferably in computational neuroscience) and can perform simulations, analytical derivations and advanced data analysis. - You are a highly motivated, independent, critical, and creative researcher who wants to bridge the gap between real data and abstract theoretical models. - You are a team player, ready to collaborate in a diverse, multidisciplinary research group. - You have an excellent command of spoken and written English. - You have experience in coding (Python and/or Matlab). You will be appointed at the Biophysics of Neural Computation group <https://www.ru.nl/en/departments/donders-centre-for-neuroscience/biophysics…>, Donders Centre for Neuroscience <https://www.ru.nl/en/donders-centre-for-neuroscience>, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour. <https://www.ru.nl/en/donders-institute> This vibrant and multidisciplinary institute studies the organisation and function of neural circuits across scales and techniques, from genes and proteins to behaviour, and from in vitro and in vivo experiments to computational modelling. It is an open and international environment, where young scientists from different backgrounds share a fascination for the interaction between brain structure and function. For PhD candidates, there is a lively graduate school and specialised support. <https://www.ru.nl/en/donders-institute/talent-development/phd-programme> <https://www.ru.nl/en/donders-institute/talent-development/phd-programme>*We offer* - We will give you a temporary employment contract (1.0 FTE) of 1.5 years, after which your performance will be evaluated. If the evaluation is positive, your contract will be extended by 2.5 years (4-year contract). - You will receive a starting salary of €2,901 gross per month based on a 38-hour working week, which will increase to €3,707 in the fourth year (salary scale P). - You will receive an 8% holiday allowance and an 8,3% end-of-year bonus. - We offer Dual Career Coaching. The Dual Career Coaching assists your partner via support, tools, and resources to improve their chances of independently finding employment in the Netherlands. - You will receive extra days off. With full-time employment, you can choose between 30 or 41 days of annual leave instead of the statutory 20. -- Fleur Zeldenrust Associate Professor Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour Donders Centre for Neuroscience Faculty of Science, Radboud University Heyendaalseweg 135, room HG 00.111 6525 AJ Nijmegen, the Netherlands tel +31 24 36 53195 fleurzeldenrust.nl Due to my own family/work balance, you may receive emails from me outside of normal working hours. I do not expect a response from you outside of your own working pattern, nor do I expect an immediate response when you are working.

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6th International Conference on Mathematics of Neuroscience and AI (Split, Croatia, 27-30 May 2025) - abstract submission and attendance still open!
by Battleday, Ruairidh April 21, 2025

April 21, 2025

6th International Conference on Mathematics of Neuroscience and AI (Split, Croatia, 27-30 May 2025) - abstract submission and attendance still open! —--------- Just under 6 weeks left until this year’s Conference on Mathematics of Neuroscience and AI! In this high-profile conference, we profile foundational research into the basis of intelligence from the perspective of neural data, neural theory, cognitive science, and machine learning & artificial intelligence (AI). www.neuromonster.org Thank you to all those that have submitted—the quality has been exceptional. - Abstract submissions are rolling - Student admission $50 - General admission $100 Keynote Speakers Professor Wolfgang Maas (Graz), Professor Eve Marder (Brandeis), Professor Jay McClelland (Stanford), Professor Christine Constantinople (NYU), Dr Kim Stachenfeld (DeepMind), Professor Kanaka Rajan (Harvard), Dr Ida Momennejad (Microsoft Research), Professor Jacob Foerster (Oxford / Meta). Invited Speakers Professor Alex Cayco-Gajic (ENS) Dr Jenelle Feather (Flatiron Institute) Dr Joao Barbosa (Institute for Neuromodulation) Tejas Ramdas (Harvard) Professor Vijay Namdoodiri (UCSF) Professor Annegret Falkner (Princeton) Dr Chris Hillar (New Theory AI) Dr Juan Gallego (Imperial) Professor Bonan Zhao (Edinburgh) Professor Lisa-Marie Vortmann (Groningen) Felix Sosa (Harvard) Dr Mathias Sablé-Meyer (Harvard / MIT) Dr Lio Wong (MIT) Dr Chen Sun (Mila) Session Chairs Dr Valeria Fascianelli (Columbia; Neural data) Dr Francesca Mignacco (CUNY & Princeton; Neural data) Dr James Whittington (Oxford & Stanford; Neural theory) Dr Maria Eckstein (DeepMind; Cognitive science) Mikey Lepori (Brown & DeepMind; Machine learning & AI) Location The conference will be held in the ancient port town of Split, Croatia, on the Dalmatian Coast. Submissions The submission format is an abstract of 250 words, and we invite submissions for each session via the following Google form: https://forms.gle/a9JDH5B4Z5otS69Y7 These will be accepted for poster, with the best 6 papers in each session category given an additional spotlight talk. We have a very open acceptance policy, and are happy to hear about relevant work that has been submitted to other events. We look forward to seeing you there! The Organizing Committee. Dr Ruairidh McLennan Battleday (Harvard & MIT) Dr James Whittington (Oxford & Stanford) Dr Ivana Kaljc (DeepMind) Professor Dan V. Nicolau Jr (Kings College London) -- Dr Ruairidh McLennan Battleday BMBCh (Oxon) PhD President Thinking About Thinking, Inc <https://thinkingaboutthinking.org> Postdoctoral Research Fellow Center for Brain Science, Harvard University Center for Brains, Minds, and Machines, MIT

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World wide VVTNS series (fifth season): Wednesday, April 23, 2025, at 11:00 am EDT| Daniel Durstewitz, Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim
by David Hansel April 20, 2025

April 20, 2025

[image: VVTNS.png] https://www.wwtns.online <https://streaklinks.com/A9c7PbbpKY7PxB6PaAJWGD3-/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wwtns.on…> - on twitter: wwtns@TheoreticalWide You are cordially invited to the lecture Daniel Durstewitz Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim Learning generative dynamical systems models from multi-modal and multi-animal neuro-data The lecture will be held on zoom on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, at *11:00 am EDT * To receive the link: https://www.wwtns.online/register-page *Abstract: *For decades dynamical systems theory played a pivotal role in theoretical and computational neuroscience, as it links biophysical and biochemical processes to neural computation. In fact, dynamical systems are computationally universal. Rather than hand-crafting computational theories of neural function based on dynamical systems, recent developments in scientific machine learning (ML) and AI suggest that we may be able to infer such dynamical-computational models directly from neurophysiological and behavioral observations. This is called dynamical systems reconstruction (DSR), the learning of generative surrogate models of the underlying dynamics, including its long-term temporal and geometrical properties, from time series data. In my talk I will cover recent ML/AI architectures, training algorithms, and validation procedures for DSR. I will discuss specifically how recent AI architectures for DSR can integrate neuroscience data from multiple modalities (like multiple single-unit recordings and behavioral choices), across diverse time scales, and across many different animals and task designs, into a joint DSR model. This provides first steps toward dynamical systems based AI foundation models for neuroscience. *About VVTNS : Launched as the World Wide Theoretical Neuroscience Seminar (WWTNS) in November 2020 and renamed in homage to Carl van Vreeswijk in Memoriam (April 20, 2022), Speakers have the occasion to talk about theoretical aspects of their work which cannot be discussed in a setting where the majority of the audience consists of experimentalists. The seminars, **held on Wednesdays at 11 am ET,** are 45-50 min long followed by a discussion. The talks are recorded with authorization of the speaker and are available to everybody on our YouTube channel.* ᐧ

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Postdoc and PhD position Computational Neuroscience Bern, Switzerland
by walter.senn＠unibe.ch April 18, 2025

April 18, 2025

Dear all We are pleased to announce the opening of postdoc or PhD position in computational neuroscience at the University of Bern. For a detailed description see below. Besides the top research in our groups, you will find in the capital of Switzerland a beautiful city with lots of opportunities to enjoy together nature and mountains. Best wishes Walter Postdoc or PhD position on cortical self-attention The Senn lab<https://physiologie.unibe.ch/~senn/group/> offers a Postdoc<https://physiologie.unibe.ch/Positions/AnnouncementSenn12.aspx> or PhD position<https://physiologie.unibe.ch/Positions/AnnouncementSenn13.aspx> on a computational model of cortical self-attention<https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.06354> (supported by EBRAINS 2.0). Based on our current work and a collaboration with The Virtual Brain<https://www.ebrains.eu/modelling-simulation-and-computing/simulation/whole-…> (Marmaduke Woodman), we seek for an implementation of neuronal self-attention mechanisms in thalamo-cortical circuits. The model is inspired by transformer-type architectures, but is consistent with experimentally observed cortical connectivity patterns. It shall be trained on cognitive tasks while being constrained to human cortical recordings. Postdoc or PhD position on the Neuronal Least-Action principle The Senn lab<https://physiologie.unibe.ch/~senn/group/> also offers a Postdoc or PhD position on the Neuronal Least-Action principle<https://elifesciences.org/reviewed-preprints/89674> and its extention to long-term temporal processing and spikes (supported by the SNSF). The framework offers a rigorous description of the neuronal dynamics in cortical networks together with gradient-based synaptic learning rules. It will be applied to integrate-and-fire neurons with multiple intrinsic time constants. The project links to implementations in spike-based neuromorphic hardware. Ideal candidates for all positions have a strong background in computational neuroscience, machine learning and mathematics. The Postdoc positions start with a contract for 2 years, but are extendable to 3 years. Please send CV, letter of motivation, and publication list latest by April 28, 2025, to walter.senn(a)unibe.ch<mailto:walter.senn@unibe.ch)> and virginie.sabado(a)unibe.ch<mailto:virginie.sabado@unibe.ch>.

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Workshop deadline extended: Collective Dynamics and Information Processing in Neural Systems" - Venice, Italy | June 30 - July 02
by Fabrizio Lombardi April 17, 2025

April 17, 2025

Dear All, The deadline for abstract submission to the workshop "Collective Dynamics and Information Processing in Neural Systems <https://liphlab.github.io/NeuroStatPhys_Satellite/>" has been extended to *May 15, 2025.* *To apply please visit* https://liphlab.github.io/NeuroStatPhys_Satellite/registration/ The workshop will take place* in Venice, Italy, on 30 June - 02 July 2025* at the European Center for Living Technology (ECLT). *About the workshop* A longstanding question is how populations of neurons cooperate and coordinate to perform function and maintain an “optimal” state for information processing and computation. While electrophysiological recordings in behaving animals have provided considerable information about what the firing patterns of single neurons encode in isolation, it remains largely a mystery how populations of neurons interact to perform brain functions. How do emergent collective behaviors, such as neuronal oscillations, waves, or avalanches, support function? And what is the nature of the brain’s internal state and how that affects function? With the aim of further strengthening the connection between neuroscience and statistical physics, this satellite workshop is intended to gather neuroscientists, physicists, and mathematicians who work on collective dynamics, cognition and behavior, and provide an interdisciplinary stage to discuss recent theoretical/computational and experimental advances on the role of neural ensembles for brain function. The workshop will be carefully planned to foster discussion and interaction between attendees, and to encourage the establishment of professional relationships. Particular emphasis will be given to participation of young PI’s and scholars and to the diversity in the pool of participants, with a good balance between physicists, mathematicians, theoretical and experimental neuroscientists. *Topics that will be covered in this workshop include (but are not limited to):* - Dynamics of neuronal ensembles: theory and models - Encoding and decoding of neural ensembles - Learning and memory - Control theory and behavior - Statistical inference - Modeling of brain dynamics in health and disease - Criticality in neural systems *Confirmed invited speakers:* - Stefano Fusi (Columbia University) - Gašper Tkačik (IST Austria) - Dietmar Plenz (NIH) - Gianluigi Mongillo (Institut de la Vision) - Raffaella Burioni (University of Parma) - Nima Dehghani (MIT) - Henrik J. Jensen (Imperial College) - Francesca Mastrogiuseppe (Champalimaud Foundation) - Gaia Tavoni (Washington University in St Louis) - Olivier Marre (Institut de la Vision) - Luca Mazzucato (University of Oregon) - Carlotta Martelli (University Mainz) - Athena Akrami (University College London) - Federico Stella (Donders Institute) - Johannes Felsenberg (FMI Basel) - Ana Paula Millán Vidal (University of Granada) - Michele Allegra (University of Padova) For further information please check the workshop website https://liphlab.github.io/NeuroStatPhys_Satellite/ We hope to see you in Venice! The organizing committee, Fabrizio Lombardi, Lucilla de Arcangelis, Serena Di Santo, Samir Suweis, Ulisse Ferrari, Achille Giacometti, Guido Caldarelli, Elisa Tentori

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Workshop at OCNS25 in Florence July 9
by Canavier, Carmen C. April 17, 2025

April 17, 2025

Here is a link to the workshop webpage for those interested in oscillations: https://www.medschool.lsuhsc.edu/cell_biology/cns_2025.aspx Here is link to the conference website https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2025 Workshop on Mechanisms for Oscillatory Neural Synchrony CNS*2025 in Florence, Italy on July 09, 2025 From 14:00 to 17:30 This workshop will bring together researchers who have recently published on synchronization networks of coupled oscillators, with a mix of approaches but an emphasis on phase response curve (PRC) theory. The researchers come from both theoretical and experimental backgrounds. Topics include synchronization mechanisms for theta nested gamma in the medial entorhinal cortex, mean-field pulsatile coupling methods for fast oscillations in inhibitory networks, beta oscillations in parkinsonian basal ganglia, the relative contributions of synaptic and ultra-fast non-synaptic ephaptic coupling to the inhibition of cerebellar Purkinje cells by basket cells, infinitesimal macroscopic PRC (imPRC) within the exact mean-field theory applied to ING and PING, and robustness in a neuromechanical model of motor pattern generation. Carmen Canavier, LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans: "A Mean Field Theory for Pulse-Coupled Oscillators based on the Spike Time Response Curve" Joshua A Goldberg, Hebrew University of Jerusalem: "Empirical study of dendritic integration and entrainment of basal ganglia pacemakers using phase response curves" Dimitri M Kullmann, University College London: "Basket to Purkinje Cell Inhibitory Ephaptic Coupling Is Abolished in Episodic Ataxia Type 1" Hermann Rieke, Northwestern University: "Paradoxical phase response of gamma rhythms facilitates their entrainment in heterogeneous networks" Yangyang Wang, Brandeis University: "Variational and phase response analysis for limit cycles with hard boundaries, with applications to neuromechanical control problems" Brandon Williams, Boston University: "Fast spiking interneurons generate high frequency gamma oscillations in the medial entorhinal cortex"

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Registration open for UK Neural Computation 2025
by Mark Humphries April 17, 2025

April 17, 2025

Register now for the UK Neural Computation meeting 2025 (Imperial College, 9-11th July): https://neuralcomputation.uk/registration.html UK Neural Computation<https://neuralcomputation.uk/> <https://neuralcomputation.uk/> is a national meeting for everyone interested in the computations of the brain, both experimentally and theoretically. Speakers include Jennifer Bizley, Rafal Bogacz, Claudia Clopath, Jonathan Cornford, Paul Graham, Flavia Mancini, Simon Schultz, Petra Vertes and Petr Znamenskiy. ARIA will be hosting a session on developing grant proposals. 9 July: ECR day. ~30 places are available 10-11 July: main meeting. Abstract submission<https://neuralcomputation.uk/submission.html> <https://neuralcomputation.uk/submission.html> is open until May 12th 2025 Please spread the word! Sponsors: ARIA Scalable Neural Interfaces program<https://www.aria.org.uk/opportunity-spaces/scalable-neural-interfaces> Francis Crick Institute<https://www.crick.ac.uk/> Organisers: Danyal Akarca (Imperial) Dan Goodman (Imperial) Mark Humphries (Nottingham) This message and any attachment are intended solely for the addressee and may contain confidential information. If you have received this message in error, please contact the sender and delete the email and attachment. Any views or opinions expressed by the author of this email do not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Nottingham. Email communications with the University of Nottingham may be monitored where permitted by law.

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Workshop on Spiking Neural Networks SNNSys
by Robert Legenstein April 16, 2025

April 16, 2025

Abstract submission for the second SNNSys workshop (Current Trends and Future Potential: Spiking Neural Networks) is open. The workshop will be held as part of the AIROV Symposium 7-9 July 2025 in Klagenfurt, Austria. Deadline for Abstract submission is 8 May 2025. SNNSys: https://airov.at/2025/workshop/snnsys AIROV: https://airov.at/2025/ -- Dr. Robert Legenstein Univ.-Professor Institute of Machine Learning and Neural Computation Graz University of Technology Inffeldgasse 16b/I, 8010 Graz, Austria http://www.iml.tugraz.at/legi/ WebEx meeting room: https://tugraz.webex.com/meet/robert.legenstein ++43/316/873-5824 ----------------------------------

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Survey on the Future of Neuromorphic Computing – Deadline May 12, 2025
by Matteo Saponati April 16, 2025

April 16, 2025

Dear colleagues, We are a group of researchers from the Institute of Neuroinformatics (ETH Zurich and University of Zurich) inviting you to participate in a brief anonymous survey on the current state and future directions of the Neuromorphic field. Since its origins in the late 1980s, Neuromorphic Engineering has evolved through advances in electronics, machine learning, materials science, and robotics. This raises new questions about the field’s identity and priorities. Our survey aims to capture diverse perspectives and provide a snapshot of where the field stands today and where it may be heading. Here is the link to the survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/18zTEIuPxnOciYzNrYxtsHMMm0YrctIeALlu-5027hZ… The estimated completion time is 5 minutes. We kindly ask you to complete the survey by May 12, 2025. We aim to understand how generational shifts, new technologies, and interdisciplinary trends are shaping the field, and this requires a broad community input from both academia and industry. The survey results will be shared openly, with the goal of publishing them in a peer-reviewed journal and using them as a resource to explore our common ground, differences, and future direction. We would be truly grateful if you could participate and, if possible, forward this invitation to colleagues or collaborators in your network who may be interested. Thank you very much for your time and contribution to this initiative. Warm regards, Prof. Dr. Melika Payvand Dr. Laura Kriener Dr. Matteo Saponati Dr. Filippo Moro Dr. Sebastian Billaudelle https://www.ini.uzh.ch/en.html

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Postdoctoral position in modelling and analysis of foraging behavioural and physiological data ( deadline 15th June 2025)
by Ahmed El Hady April 16, 2025

April 16, 2025

Dear Colleagues, We are seeking a PostDoc with a quantitative background who has finished (or about to finish) a doctoral degree in a quantitative field preferably but not limited to physics or engineering. The candidate should show enthusiasm for analysing large scale data sets that include but not limited to: behavioural, neural and physiological data. Experience with machine learning techniques and animal tracking software programs is preferred but not required. The researcher will be based in the integrative biophysics group at the University of Konstanz and Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, located in Konstanz, Germany. The Postdoc will be working as part of a recently funded Human Sciences Frontiers Program (HSFP) research grant ‘”Neurometabolic mechanisms underlying social foraging” in collaboration with the experimental groups of Robert Froemke (New York University) and Jee Hyun Choi (Korean Institute of Science and Technology). The project aims to understand neuro-metabolic mechanisms underlying social foraging. The PostDoc will have the opportunity to travel to the experimental collaborators in New York and Seoul. The Integrative Biophysics group <https://www.exc.uni-konstanz.de/collective-behaviour/about-us/people/integr…> at the CASCB led by Dr. Ahmed El Hady is focused on theoretical and computational understanding of mechanisms underlying foraging. The postdoc position will be embedded within the highly collaborative environment of the cluster for advanced study of collective behavior at the University of Konstanz. The expected starting date is 01/10/2025 and deadline for application is 15/06/2025. For more information and application , please visit the website: https://stellen.uni-konstanz.de/jobposting/81733e4ecac1d2fc0a665bdc65478a78… For questions about the position , please do not hesitate to contact me via email : ahmed.el-hady(a)uni-konstanz.de All the best regards, Ahmed El Hady Dr. Ahmed El Hady Research Group leader Integrative biophysics group Cluster for Advanced Study of Collective Behavior Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Universitätsstraße 10, 78464 Konstanz Room ZT 907 Postbox 687 Tel.: +49 7531 88-4742

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