Research – Burmeister Lab

Our research seeks to understand how and why complex behaviors arise in evolution by discovering their underlying neural mechanisms. By identifying mechanisms of behavior, we can test and generate hypotheses for their evolution.

We focus on social and spatial cognition. Social and spatial cognition are crucial to fitness because they affect the ability to choose good mates, provide parental care, and locate necessary resources in the environment. Thus, understanding the neural mechanisms of social and spatial cognition is fundamental to understanding their evolution.

Spatial Cognition Social Preferences

Neurobiology of spatial cognition

Almost all animals face the challenge of efficiently moving through the world to locate important resources, including food, shelter, and conspecifics. Unlike most frogs, poison frogs express complex parental care that requires parents to transport tadpoles from the forest floor to previously located water sources in the rainforest.

Tadpole transport is fundamentally a spatial cognition problem.

We aim to identify the genetic and neural mechanisms of spatial cognition to determine how spatial cognition may have promoted or constrained the evolution of parental care.

Mechanisms of memory

Ecology of spatial memory

Selected Publications

Cognitive phenotype and differential gene expression in a hippocampal homologue in two species of frogs
Liu Y, Jones CD, Day LB, Summers K, Burmeister SS. 2020 Cognitive phenotype and differential gene expression in a hippocampal homologue in two species of frogs. Integrative and Comparative Biology, 60:1007-1023 [PDF] [Online Article]

A cognitive map in a poison frog
Liu Y, Day LB, Summers K, Burmeister SS. 2019. A cognitive map in a poison frog. Journal of Experimental Biology, 222: jeb197467 [PDF] [Online Article]

Reconsidering sex differences during place learning in the túngara frog
Ventura RE, Liu Y, Burmeister SS. 2019. Reconsidering sex differences during place learning in the túngara frog. Current Zoology, 65:317-321. [PDF] [Online Article]

Sex differences in associative learning in the túngara frog
Liu Y, Burmeister SS. 2017. Sex differences in associative learning in the túngara frog. Animal Behaviour 128:61-67. [Online Article]

Learning to learn: advanced behavioural flexibility in a poison frog
Liu Y, Day LB, Summers K, Burmeister SS. 2016. Learning to learn: advanced behavioural flexibility in a poison frog. Animal Behaviour 111:167-172. [PDF] [Online Article]

Characterization of the plasticity-related gene, Arc, in the frog brain
Mangiamele LA, Thomson CJ, Lebonville CL, Burmeister SS. 2010. Characterization of the plasticity-related gene, Arc, in the frog brain. Developmental Neurobiology 70:813- 825 [PDF] [Online Article]

Performance of honeybees (Apis mellifera) in analogues of the rodent radial maze
Burmeister S, Couvillon PA, Bitterman ME. 1995. Performance of honeybees (Apis mellifera) in analogues of the rodent radial maze. Animal Learning & Behavior 23(4): 369-375 [PDF] [Online Article]

Neurobiology of social preferences

Broadly, social behavior encompasses all the interactions among individuals of the same species when at least one of the individuals benefits. Social behavior can be a powerful force in evolution because social interactions such as aggression affect access to resources and interactions such as mate choice and parental care directly affect reproductive success.

We study the neural mechanisms that guide selective interactions among individuals with a focus on mate choice.

Neurobiology of parental care

Preferences in spadefoot toads

Mate choice in túngara frogs

Selected Publications

Differential encoding of signals and preferences by noradrenaline in the anuran brain
Burmeister SS, Rodriguez Moncalvo VG, Pfennig KS. 2020 Differential encoding of signals and preferences by noradrenaline in the anuran brain. Journal of Experimental Biology, 223, jeb214148. [PDF] [Online Article]

Monoaminergic integration of diet and social cues in the brains of juvenile spadefoot toads
Burmeister SS, Rodriguez Moncalvo VG, Pfennig KS. 2017. Monoaminergic integration of diet and social cues in the brains of juvenile spadefoot toads. Journal of Experimental Biology, 220: 3135-3141. [PDF] [Online Article]

Neurobiology of mate choice in frogs: auditory filters and valuation
Burmeister SS. 2017. Neurobiology of mate choice in frogs: auditory filters and valuation. 2017. Integrative and Comparative Biology, 57(4):857-864. [PDF] [Online Article]

Effects of Steroid Hormones on Hearing and Communication in Frogs
Wilczynski W, Burmeister SS. 2016. Effects of Steroid Hormones on Hearing and Communication in Frogs. In: Springer Handbook of Auditory Research: Hearing and Hormones. (A. Bass, J. Sisneros, A. Popper, & R. Ray, eds). [Online Article]

Effects of estradiol on neural responses to social signals in female túngara frogs
Chakraborty M, Burmeister SS. 2015. Effects of estradiol on neural responses to social signals in female túngara frogs. Journal of Experimental Biology 218:3671-3677. [Online Article]

Leptin manipulation reduces appetite and causes a switch in mating preference in the Plains spadefoot toad
Garcia NW, Pfennig KS, Burmeister SS. 2015. Leptin manipulation reduces appetite and causes a switch in mating preference in the Plains spadefoot toad. PLoS One. 10(4): e0125981. [PDF] [Online Article]

Diet alters ontogeny of species recognition in juvenile toads
Pfennig KS, Rodriguez Moncalvo VG, Burmeister SS. 2013. Diet alters ontogeny of species recognition in juvenile toads. Biology Letters 9: 20130599 [PDF] [Online Article]

Social signals increase monoamine levels in the tegmentum of juvenile Mexican spadefoot toads (Spea multiplicata)
Rodriguez Moncalvo VG, Burmeister SS, Pfennig KS. 2013. Social signals increase monoamine levels in the tegmentum of juvenile Mexican spadefoot toads (Spea multiplicata). Journal of Comparative Physiology A 199:681-691 [PDF] [Online Article]

Auditory selectivity for acoustic features that confer species recognition in the túngara frog
Mangiamele LA, Burmeister SS. 2011. Auditory selectivity for acoustic features that confer species recognition in the túngara frog. Journal of Experimental Biology 214:2911-2918 [Online Article]

Ultrasound-evoked immediate early gene expression in the brainstem of the Chinese torrent frog, Odorrana tormota
Arch VS, Burmeister SS, Feng AS, Shen J-X, Narins PM. 2011. Ultrasound-evoked immediate early gene expression in the brainstem of the Chinese torrent frog, Odorrana tormota. Journal of Comparative Physiology A 197:667-675 [PDF] [Online Article]

Neural activity patterns in response to interpsecific and intraspecific variation in mating calls in the túngara frog
Chakraborty M, Mangiamele LA, Burmeister SS. 2010. Neural activity patterns in response to interpsecific and intraspecific variation in mating calls in the túngara frog. PLoS One 5(9):e12898 [PDF] [Online Article]

Sexually dimorphic androgen and estrogen receptor mRNA expression in the brain of túngara frogs
Chakraborty M, Burmeister SS. 2010. Sexually dimorphic androgen and estrogen receptor mRNA expression in the brain of túngara frogs. Hormones and Behavior 58:619-627 [Online Article]

Cytoarchitecture of a cichlid fish telencephalon
Burmeister SS, Munshi RG, Fernald RD. 2009. Cytoarchitecture of a cichlid fish telencephalon. Brain, Behavior and Evolution 74:110-120 [PDF] [Online Article]

Estradiol induces sexual behavior in female túngara frogs
Chakraborty M, Burmeister SS. 2009. Estradiol induces sexual behavior in female túngara frogs. Hormones and Behavior 55:106-112 [Online Article]

Acoustically evoked immediate early gene expression in the pallium of female túngara frogs
Mangiamele LA, Burmeister SS. 2008. Acoustically evoked immediate early gene expression in the pallium of female túngara frogs. Brain, Behavior and Evolution 72(3):239-250 [Online Article]

Acoustic modulation of immediate early gene expression in the auditory midbrain of female túngara frogs
Burmeister SS, Mangiamele LA, Lebonville CL. 2008. Acoustic modulation of immediate early gene expression in the auditory midbrain of female túngara frogs. Brain Research, 1190:105-114 [PDF] [Online Article]

Androgen receptors in the cichlid fish Astatotilapia burtoni: Structure, localization and expression levels
Harbott LK, Burmeister SS, White RB, Vagell M, Fernald RD. 2007. Androgen receptors in the cichlid fish Astatotilapia burtoni : Structure, localization and expression levels. Journal of Comparative Neurology 504:57-73 [Online Article]

Genomic responses to behavioral interactions in an African cichlid fish: mechanisms and evolutionary implications
Burmeister SS. 2007. Genomic responses to behavioral interactions in an African cichlid fish: mechanisms and evolutionary implications. Brain, Behavior and Evolution 70:247- 256 [PDF] [Online Article]

Social dominance regulates expression of androgen and estrogen receptor genes
Burmeister SS, Kailasanath V, Fernald RD. 2007. Social dominance regulates expression of androgen and estrogen receptor genes. Hormones and Behavior 51:164-170 [PDF] [Online Article]

Rapid behavioral and genomic responses to social opportunity
Burmeister SS, Jarvis ED, Fernald RD. 2005. Rapid behavioral and genomic responses to social opportunity. PLoS Biology 3(11):1996-2004 [PDF] [Online Article]

Sex differences in the brain: plasticity and constraints. Focus on: Androgen-induced vocal transformation in adult female African clawed frogs
Burmeister SS. 2005. Sex differences in the brain: plasticity and constraints. Focus on: Androgen-induced vocal transformation in adult female African clawed frogs. Journal of Neurophysiology 94:33-34 [PDF] [Online Article]

Evolutionary conservation of the egr-1 immediate early gene response in a teleost
Burmeister SS, Fernald RD. 2005. Evolutionary conservation of the egr-1 immediate early gene response in a teleost. Journal of Comparative Neurology 481(2):220-232 [Online Article]

Social signals regulate gonadotropin-releasing hormone neurons in the green treefrog
Burmeister SS, Wilczynski W. 2005. Social signals regulate gonadotropin-releasing hormone neurons in the green treefrog. Brain, Behavior and Evolution 65:26-32 [Online Article]

Functional mapping of the auditory midbrain during mate call reception
Hoke KL, Burmeister SS, Fernald RD, Rand AS, Ryan MJ, Wilczynski W. 2004. Functional mapping of the auditory midbrain during mate call reception. The Journal of Neuroscience 24(50):11264-11272 [PDF] [Online Article]

Female preferences for socially variable call characters in the cricket frog (Acris crepitans)
Kime NM, Burmeister SS, Ryan MJ. 2004. Female preferences for socially variable call characters in the cricket frog (Acris crepitans). Animal Behaviour 68:1391-1399 [PDF] [Online Article]

Information transfer during cricket frog contests
Burmeister SS, Ophir A, Ryan MJ, Wilczynski W. 2002. Information transfer during cricket frog contests. Animal Behaviour 64:715-725 [PDF] [Online Article]

Social context influences androgenic effects on calling in the green treefrog (Hyla cinerea)
Burmeister S, Wilczynski W. 2001. Social context influences androgenic effects on calling in the green treefrog (Hyla cinerea). Hormones and Behavior 40:550-558 [Online Article]

Behavioral and hormonal effects of exogenous arginine vasotocin and corticosterone in the green treefrog
Burmeister S, Somes C, Wilczynski W. 2001. Behavioral and hormonal effects of exogenous arginine vasotocin and corticosterone in the green treefrog. General and Comparative Endocrinology 122:189-197 [PDF] [Online Article]

Social signals influence hormones independently of calling behavior in the treefrog (Hyla cinerea)
Burmeister S, Wilczynski W. 2000. Social signals influence hormones independently of calling behavior in the treefrog (Hyla cinerea). Hormones and Behavior 38(4): 201-209 [PDF] [Online Article]

Agonistic encounters in a cricket frog (Acris crepitans) chorus: behavioral outcomes vary with local competition and within the breeding season
Burmeister S, Konieczka J, Wilczynski W. 1999. Agonistic encounters in a cricket frog (Acris crepitans) chorus: behavioral outcomes vary with local competition and within the breeding season. Ethology 105:335-347 [PDF] [Online Article]

Temporal call changes and prior experience affect graded signalling in the cricket frog
Burmeister S, Wilczynski W, Ryan MJ. 1999. Temporal call changes and prior experience affect graded signalling in the cricket frog. Animal Behaviour 57:611-618 [PDF] [Online Article]

Dr. Sabrina Burmeister
University of North Carolina
Department of Biology
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280, USA
+1 919-843-5105
sburmeister@unc.edu

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