University of Groningen

Sex-specific strategies in a sex-biased worldMichler, Stephanie P.M.

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Publication date:2010

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Citation for published version (APA):Michler, S. P. M. (2010). Sex-specific strategies in a sex-biased world. Groningen: s.n.

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Acknowledgements

Being given the opportunity to do a PhD in the Animal Ecology Group of theUniversity of Groningen was definitely the chance of a life time. When I came toGroningen the first time to the job interview of what finally became my PhD position Ialready had some idea of the quality of work that was done in the group. However,would I have known all about the high standards of scientific output, the great dedica-tion to solid eco-evolutionary education and the almost legendary history of theGroup I probably would have had even softer knees (german saying).

If I have seen a little further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants (Isaac Newton)

I first want to thank my supervisors Jan Komdeur, Joost Tinbergen and ChristiaanBoth, as they gave me the possibility to do this PhD.Jan, being my promoter you provided me with an optimal environment, always foundwords of encouragement when I was a bit discouraged and supported me in attendingnumerous meetings and congresses that stimulated my professional work, broaden myscientific knowledge and offered me the possibility to build up a global net-work ofcolleagues and friends. You provided the framework for the project and a workingenvironment where I never had to worry about financings and, as it seemed, hadalmost limitless supplies at hand.Joost, it was really great having you as a teacher during the time of my PhD. Your atti-tude towards sciences and nature definitely shaped my working and thinkingapproach. You taught me that it is always necessary and useful to question one’s ownand others methods and conclusions in order to achieve the best possible analyticalprocedure. During our many meetings and discussions I also learned to improve myskills in clearly formulating my ideas and that even to seemingly impossible problemsthere are mostly solution if you just keep on searching hard enough.Christiaan, it was really great having you as a co-supervisor and your ideas more thanonce kept the project-train from running out of fuel. During our meetings and discus-sions you were an essential mediator and translator of ideas. You also set high stan-dards for our field work (holding the daily record for ring reading in 2005 and 2006)and taught me a lot not only about great tits but birds in general during our trips tothe Jaap Deensgat and the Ezumakeeg. I hope your future career will always allowyou to do field work that you love so much.I would also like to thank the members of the reading committee, Prof. Lukas Keller,Prof. Ido Pen and Prof. Ben Sheldon for their time and effort of reading my thesis andfor their comments.

Light is the task where many share the toil (Homer)

I am especially grateful to the people that build the core of the so called “tit team” andwhose commitment and enthusiasm were indispensable for the success of the project.Marion, we managed a crazy project where we finally achieved our different goals

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with one approach (after many trial designs on the pioneers room black board). Oneindispensable criterion for success was certainly that we worked so well together andcomplemented one another in an optimal way. I also profited greatly from yourconstant drive and being able to rely on you for support during discussions, analysesand writing (luckily you were only just two steps away). It was great sharing thisextreme experience with you and also having you as a very social and fun PhDcolleague for borrels, dinners, games and parties. Good luck with the Bavarian tits.Richard, no doubt you deserve the titles “king of catching” and “master of the data-base”. Thanks a lot for your essential and reliable work in the field and on the data-base. You made the working process much smoother and more efficient. Thanks alsofor swimming and BBQ’s at the Hornsedijk and in Garnwerd.Marco, it was thanks to your enormous working accuracy and speed that we managedto swap all those chicks perfectly on time and to my knowledge without a singlemistake in sexing. What an achievement with over 10’000 sexed nestlings in fiveyears!

I also thank the people that joined the project at various time steps and whose contri-butions to the field work and discussion periods were of great value. Thanks Niels foryour moral support during field work and analyses and for your immensely valuablestatistical advice, good luck with your future career in Seewiesen. Karen, with yourcalm and considerate working manner you are really a pleasant person to work with. Ialso greatly enjoyed the time we spend together at joint dinners and occasions outsidethe working sphere. Reinder, you did not have an easy start to jump in a project halfway but you found your own niche quickly. Thanks for productive discussions in thepioneer room and good luck with continuing the project.

A big thanks goes also to all the master students, course students and field assistantsthat helped us with managing the enormous amount of field work during the fouryears and that allowed us to gather all these valuable data. Often your creative inputimproved the working speed and quality. Thanks to our master students MaartenBleeker, Luc (poker face) te Marvelde, Jeroen Reimerink (thanks for sports alliance),Kirsten Jalvingh, Anne Vollmer, Bas van Schooten and Alexandra Haydn. Thanks alsoto our course students Marjan Bos, Anna Tocholska, Stefan Peneder, LisetteWoortman, Egbert van der Velde, Anna Harts, Sander Beugels, Bram Verhijen, MarliesMulder, Thijs Glazenborg and Jelmer Poelstra and especially the 2004 students LauraRoss, Tijmen Veldhuizen, Allert Bijleveld and Kasper de Bruin for a great time in myfirst year. Our field and lab assistants provided excellent reliable help when it wasneeded most, thanks to Tamar Lok, Martin Keiser, Kim Meijer, Jeroen, Egbert and Luc.

I am also very grateful to Suus and Joice for your help with all the administrativestruggle and to Dick Visser for the beautiful lay-out of the thesis.

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De mensen van Staatsbosbeheer, bedankt voor de goede samenwerking tijdens develdwerk periode, en de mensen van de Willhelm Lodewijk van Nassau Kazernebedankt dat wij op het terrein mochten werken en verblijven. Hartelijk dankt aan dehuismeesters, Henk, Geert en Trijn voor de organisatie van onze kamers en voor degezelligheid. De mensen van de kantine, bedankt voor het lekkere (zelfs vegetarische)eten, de koffie en de vriendelijke sfeer. Veel dank ook aan en de mannen en vrouwenvan de wacht, Anne Visser, Gea Stiekema, Rienk Mekkering, Peter Olthof en de herenBaar en Venema, voor jullie medewerking en begrip ... een groep biologen die op hetterrein rond rennen maakt de organisatie soms een beetje ingewikkeld. Ik hoop dat degoede samenwerking ook in toekomst zal blijven voortbestaan.

The working and living atmosphere at the BC was certainly one of the things I enjoyedthe most during the past years and where real friendships grew. Especially the “pionierzolder” people hold a very special place in my heart as we shared many joyfulmoments of coffee table tennis and pep talking. Thanks Cas for a wonderful time withfootball, poker, social dinners and parties and for making me one of your paranimfenwhich was a very special honour to me. Thanks Lyanne for any type of advice I couldrely on and for social game evenings. Janskili my own paranimfili, thanks for being mysinging, shopping and gossiping mate and for you moral support whenever I neededit. Thanks also Carlos, Martijn (the tenor of the trio) and Jildou for a great time and forbearing the false singing.A big hug also to two very special men, Peter (Travolta) Dijkstra for being my salsapartner (it was real fun) and my other paranimfili Martijn (Teddy) for your initialeffort to improve my Dutch, for being my own private IT advisor and for being such acrazy dancer and great personality, I am honoured to have you and Janske stand bymy side at my defence.I also thank all the other BC people for a superb time. Martijn vdP you were always aenormous help I could rely on for statistical problems and thanks for all the nicegaming. Thanks to Amanda, Arne (Sumpfohreule und Waldschnepfe in einer Nacht),Caroline, Chris (Weihen-Frau), Claudia (birding Kumpel), Ciska (thanks a lot foroffering me your room for a good start), Frits (for all the coffee), Goetzili (master ofping pong), Eelke, Elske, Julia, Jeroen, Kevin, Kobus (boss of the BBQ), Liz, Maaike deH, Maaike V, Michael, Nick, Oskar, Pedro, Peter K, Popko, Roos K, Theresa, Thor andYvonne.Thanks also to all the other members of the Animal Ecology group for discussions andwhere I learned to ask critical questions, keep it up!

Also outside the BC there are people that I want to thank for making my stay in theNetherlands a pleasant and social one. Thanks Martine and Roos V for social evenings,movie times and a lot of rememberable Oud en nieuw moments. Chris W, Serge andAnne thanks for a great time in the Sontweg building.

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In der Fremde erfährt man, was die Heimat wert ist (Ernst Wiechert)

Coming all the way from hilly and narrow Switzerland to flat and open Groningen todo a PhD was not an easy made decision as it meant being parted for a long time fromfriends, family and partner. I am therefore deeply grateful to those people that let mego and also made being away much easier by regular visits and phone calls. Allen voran möchte ich meiner Familie und besonders meinen Eltern danken für alldie Unterstützung, die ich wärend meiner Kindheit, Schulzeit, Studiums und währendmeiner Zeit in den Niederlanden erfahren habe. Von euch habe ich wichtige Werte undNormen vermittelt bekommen die, so glaube ich, die Grundvoraussetzung für dieEntwicklung eines kritischen und offenen, wissenschaftlichen Geistes waren. Eurevielen Besuche bei mir in Groningen und die fast wöchentlichen Telefonate waren eineenorme Stütze und halfen mir, dass ich mich an mehreren Orten zugleich daheimfühlen konnte. Dank auch an meine beiden Brüder Alex und Robbie, denen ich wohlmeine „Ellbogen“ zu verdanken habe. Eine solche, vielleicht etwas verrückte, Familieist eines der besten Dinge, die einem widerfahren können.Ein grosses Dankeschön geht auch an meine „schweizer“ Freundinnen die mir über dieganze Zeit die Treue gehalten haben, obwohl ich oft Monate lang im Feld verschollenwar. Wie ein Sprichwort sagt: „Freunde verstädigen sich nicht, sie verstehen sich“!Merci Gaby, dass ich deine Trauzeugin sein durfte, es war mir eine Ehre. Fabi R dankefür deine vielen Besuche bei mir in Groningen, es war jedesmal ein Aufsteller. Leiderkonnte ich dir in schwierigen Zeiten nur von weitem beistehen, in Zukunft wird dassicher besser. Merci Fabi S für die Freunschaft auf Distanz all die Jahre und hoffentlichnun auch mehr denn je. Merci auch Lött vor allem für die netten Damen-Dinners unddie vielen Lacher.

Zuletzt möchte ich natürlich der wichtigsten Person überhaupt danken. Martin, ohnedeine Unterstützung wäre ich wohl nie so weit gekommen. Vielen Dank, dass du michbei meinem Entschluss, eine Diss im Ausland zu machen, so tatkräftig unterstützt hast,auch wenn es nicht leicht war, 2 1/2 Jahre getrennt zu leben. Die regelmässigenBesuche und täglichen Telefonate waren in dieser Zeit ein wahres Lebenselexir. Erstals du zu mir nach Groningen kamst, wurde deutlich, was mir zum richtig glücklichsein gefehlt hat. Danke, dass du mir wärend all der Höhen und Tiefen zur Seitestandest und stehst!

Stephanie Buchs, 16.11.2009

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