Dr. Valeria Mazza
Research Interests
I am a behavioural ecologist interested in understanding the reciprocal relationships between behaviour and evolution, and particularly how this interaction plays out in the context of current human-induced rapid environmental changes. My research interests include:
- the interactions between mechanism, fitness benefit and evolutionary significance of novel behavioural skills (animal innovation).
- behavioural and cognitive adaptations to environmental features, exploiting current human-induced rapid environmental change and urbanization as “large-scale experiments”.
Current projects at UP:
Contact
University of Potsdam / Animal Ecology
Maulbeerallee 2a
Room 1.07
14469 Potsdam
consulting hours
by appointment
Websites
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Valeria_Mazza
Academic Career
Since 2020 Senior lecturer, Animal Ecology, Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam
2018 – 2020 Postdoctoral researcher, Animal Ecology, Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam. Project
“Bridging in Biodiversity Science” (BIBS)
2017 – 2018 Research assistant (Hi-Wi) , Animal Ecology, Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam
2014 – 2017 Doctoral studies, Animal Ethology and Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Florence (Italy)
2007 – 2009 Master’s degree in Animal Conservation and Biodiversity (Biology), University of Turin (Italy)
2004 – 2007 Bachelor’s degree in Biology, University of Turin (Italy)
Publications
Mazza V, Czyperreck I, Eccard J A, Dammhahn M (2021) Cross-context responses to novelty in rural and urban small mammals. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 9:661971. https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2021.661971
Mazza V & Guenther A (2021) City mice and country mice: innovative problem-solving in rural and urban non-commensal rodents. Animal Behaviour 172(1). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.12.007
Mazza V, Dammhahn M, Lösche E, Eccard JA(2020) Small mammals in the big city: Behavioural adjustments of non‐commensal rodents to urban environments. Global Change Biology 26(11):6326-37.https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.15304
Dammhahn M, Mazza V, Schirmer A, Göttsche C, Eccard JA. (2020) Of city and village mice: behavioural adjustments of striped field mice to urban environments. Scientific reports 2020 10(1):1-12. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-69998-6
Mazza V, Dammhahn M, Eccard J A, Palme R., Zaccaroni M., & Jacob J. (2019) Coping with style: individual differences in responses to environmental variation. Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology 73:142, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00265-019-2760-2
Mazza V, Jacob J, Dammhahn M, Zaccaroni M, & Eccard JA (2019) Individual variation in cognitive style reflects foraging and anti-predator strategies in a small mammal. Scientific Reports 9:10157, www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-46582-1
Dell'Agnello F, Martini M, Mori E, Mazza G, Mazza V, & Zaccaroni, M (2019) Winter activity rhythms of a rodent pest species in agricultural habitats. Mammal Research 65(4), https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13364-019-00443-4
Mazza V, Eccard JA, Zaccaroni M, Jacob J, & Dammhahn M(2018) The fast and the flexible: cognitive style drives individual variation in cognition in a small mammal. Animal Behaviour 137(1), www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0003347218300253
Dell’Agnello F, Mazza V, Martini M, Bertolino S, Capizzi D, Riga F, & Zaccaroni M (2018) Trap type and positioning: how to trap Savi’s pine voles using the tunnel system. Mammalia 82(4), https://www.degruyter.com/view/j/mamm.2018.82.issue-4/mammalia-2017-0005/mammalia-2017-0005.xml
Dell'Agnello F, Barfknecht R, Bertolino S, Capizzi D, Martini M, Mazza V, Riga F, & Zaccaroni M (2018) Consistent demographic trends in Savi's pine vole between two distant areas in central Italy. Folia Zoologica 67(1), https://bioone.org/journals/Folia-Zoologica/volume-67/issue-1/fozo.v67.i1.a3.2018/Consistent-demographic-trends-in-Savis-pine-vole-between-two-distant/10.25225/fozo.v67.i1.a3.2018.full
Ranchelli E, Barfknecht R, Capizzi D, Riga F, Mazza V, Dell'Agnello F, & Zaccaroni M (2016) From biology to management of Savi's pine vole (Microtus savii). Pest Management Science 72(5), https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ps.4212