Work by long-term ACG researchers Daniel Mennill, Stéphanie Doucet, and their graduate students Katrina Switzer and Lincoln Savi, was recently given a nice write-up in Science magazine.
The study uses 3D-printed robotic models to study mating behavior of the yellow toad Incilius luetkenii (formerly Bufo luetkenii). The sudden appearance of bright yellow males at the start of the wet season is a familiar phenomenon to those who have spent time in Santa Rosa. A 2015 paper with graduate student Nicolas Rehberg-Besler provided evidence that the color change facilitated sex recognition in this species. Video below and more at the link.
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