Dr. Lauryn Benedict studies animal communication and social behavior. Her research focuses on bird song as a model system for understanding how signals evolve in nature. To understand song function she examines how individuals use vocal signals within particular environmental and social contexts. She studies larger patterns of song evolution by measuring how songs vary through time and space, both within and between species. Current projects examine the function and evolution of male and female vocalizations among Colorado wren species, New World sparrows, and Old World warblers. Research in the lab combines field observation, population-monitoring, and sound recording analyses within a phylogenetic context. (Source: University of Northern Colorado)