Hello there...Dominique Potvin!
Submitted by Michi on 21 May 2024.
Meet the next member of our editorial board - Dominique Potvin! Dominique's expertise is within the areas of behaviour, communication, urban ecology, cultural evolution. Read the short interview with Dominique below and learn why vocalizations and bird song are hot research topics right now.
You are a lecturer at the University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia - what is your research focus right now?
My main focus is bioacoustics and behaviour. Specifically, I look at evolutionary pressures on acoustic signals like birdsong, especially those associated with habitats (including urban or noisy areas).
Some of your areas of expertise are vocalizations and bird song. JAB is receiving an increasing amount of manuscripts on these topics - what makes this field so interesting right now?
I think we’ve always been interested in bird song. It has many parallels to human speech, including the presence of dialects, the fact that it must be learned, and its patterns of musicality. However, only recently has it become much more efficient to study thanks to technological advancements in recording, processing and analysing. These advances have enabled the study of vocalizations much more accessible, time-efficient and rigorous. It’s great to see the field expanding so rapidly!
Enough about work - what do you enjoy doing most in your spare time?
Two of my hobbies are music (song isn’t just for birds!) and playing soccer/football. Unfortunately I have just injured my knee and had surgery so the soccer is on hold for a while!
What are you looking most forward to over the next year (personally or professionally)?
I’m really looking forward to the ISBE (International Society for Behavioural Ecology) meeting in Melbourne this year. It’s been a while since I’ve gone and I’m bringing most of my graduate students with me, which will be a great experience for them. I’m also looking forward to running again eventually!
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