Nature Museum of Grafton Presents Dr. Jaime Tanner Discussing Hyenas, Carnivores and the Ecosystem

The Nature Museum of Grafton presents Dr. Jaime Tanner discussing Hyenas, Carnivores and the Ecosystem on Thursday, March 10 from 7-8:30PM at the Grafton Community Church and live-streamed via Zoom. Sliding scale registration on website.

Large carnivores play critical roles in ecosystems around the world; they are mammals with unique connections to the land. Join Dr. Jaime Tanner for her talk about one of the most legendary carnivores - the spotted hyena.

As the most abundant large carnivore in sub-Saharan Africa, the spotted hyena plays an integral role in the predator-prey dynamics of the Serengeti ecosystem. The patterns of rainfall as well as the variation in soil and vegetation in the Serengeti drives the movements of large herbivores that, in turn, sustain large carnivore populations.

In this talk, Jaime Tanner will describe these ecosystem drivers and then focus on one of the least appreciated but most interesting carnivores in the Serengeti - the spotted hyena.

Come see this event in-person at the Grafton Community Church, or join us via a simultaneous livestream through Zoom. A recording will be available afterward if you aren't able to join us that night (please register for the link).

Dr. Jaime Tanner is an Associate Professor in the Marlboro Institute for Liberal Arts and Interdisciplinary Studies at Emerson College. Her research focuses on the relationship between feeding behavior and skull morphology, primarily in carnivorous mammals. This work takes an integrative approach, combining behavioral field work, performance data and work with museum collections to understand the shifting relationship between form and function throughout development and in response to environmental changes.