Tyler Corey

I study how and why animals avoid being eaten in the particular ways that they do. I specifically investigate how prey traits affect the types of predators that they are exposed to, and how the behavior and sensory systems of those predators in turn determines what constitutes effective antipredator defenses. My research is informed by and advances our understanding of the natural history of geographically widespread, locally abundant, and charismatic animals – arachnids – spiny orb-weaving spiders, in particular. I can therefore provide opportunities for my students to engage in fieldwork and science outreach in their local community and abroad, and to pursue observation-driven questions. The focused context of studying predator-prey interactions, along with a tractable research system, also facilitates hypothesis-driven research that broadly advances our understanding of ecology, evolutionary biology, and animal behavior. My students can therefore explore the entire arc of the scientific process, from making novel observations through to communicating results with fellow scientists and the general public. My research illustrates a message that extends beyond biology – that our perception and experience as humans inherently shapes how we view the world, and guides our assumptions and inquiries about how the world works. For us to really know how antipredator defenses work, we need to see through the eyes and get in the minds of the predators themselves.