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Publications

Peer-reviewed journal articles

Barocas A., C. Vega, A. Alarcón Pardo, J.M. Araujo Flores, J. Groenendijk, J. Pisconte, D.W. Macdonald, and R.R Swaisgood (2023). Intensity of local artisanal gold mining drives mercury accumulation in neotropical oxbow lake fishes. Science of the Total Environment, 2023, vol. 886, p 164024.

 

Barocas A., Tobler M., Abanto Valladares N., Alarcon Pardo A., Macdonald D.W, and Swaisgood R.R. (2023). Protected areas maintain neotropical freshwater bird biodiversity in the face of human activity. Ecological Indicators 150, 110256 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X23003989

 

Abanto Valladares N., Alarcon Pardo A., Chiaverini L., J. Groenendijk , Harrington L., D.W. Macdonald, R.R. Swaisgood  and Barocas A. High-resolution drone imagery reveals drivers of fine-scale giant otter habitat selection in the land-water interface. Conservation Science and Practice e12786. https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/csp2.12786

Barocas A., Hefner R., Ucko M., Shalmon B., Leader N., Geffen E. (2022). Ruppell's fox movement and spatial behavior are influenced by topography and human activity . Biodiversty and Conservation https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-022-02395-9

 

Cuya, A., J.A. Glikman, J. Groenendijk , D.W. Macdonald, R.R. Swaisgood  and A. Barocas (2021). Socio- environmental perceptions and barriers to conservation engagement among artisanal small-scale gold mining communities in Southeastern Peru. Global Ecology and Conservation Volume 31, e01816. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01816

 

Barocas A., Farfan J., Groenendijk J., Mendoza J.,Silva J., Mujica O., Ochoa A.J. A., Macdonald D.W, and Swaisgood R.R. (2021). Disturbance‐specific behavioral responses of giant otters exposed to ecotourism and extractive activities. Animal Conservation https://doi.org/10.1111/acv.12713

Barocas A., Araujo Flores J., Alarcon Pardo A., Macdonald D., Swaisgood R. (2021) Reduced dry season fish biomass and depleted carnivorous fish assemblages in unprotected tropical oxbow lakes . Biological Conservation. Vol. 257, May 2021, 109090. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2021.109090

Barocas A., Golden H.N., Dudenhoeffer M., Ben-David M. (2020) Sociality and signaling activity modulate information flow in river otter communication networks. Behavioral Ecology,  https://doi.org/10.1093/beheco/araa102

Weissman Y., Demartsev V., Ilany A., Barocas A., Bar-Ziv E., Koren L., and Geffen E. and (2020). A crescendo in the inner structure of snorts: a reflection of increasing arousal in rock hyrax songs. Animal Behavior. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.06.010

Demartsev V.,  Gordon N.,  Barocas A., Bar-Ziv N., Ilany T., Goll Y., Ilany A. and Geffen E. (2019). The "Law of Brevity” in animal communication: Sex-specific signaling optimization is determined by call amplitude rather than duration. Evolution Letters 3: 623-634

 

Koren L. , Weissman Y., Shnitzer I., Beukeboom R., Bar-Ziv E., Demartsev V., Barocas A., Ilany A.  and Geffen E. (2019). Sexually opposite effects of testosterone on mating success in wild rock hyrax. Behavioral Ecology, 30: 16111-1617.

 

Weissman Y., Demartsev V., Ilany A., Barocas A., Bar-Ziv E., Shnitzer I., Geffen E. and Koren L. (2019). Social context mediates testosterone's effect on snort acoustics in male hyrax songs. Hormones and Behavior 114:104535. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.05.004

 

Demartsev V., Kershenbaum A., Ilany A., Barocas A., Weissman Y., Koren L., Geffen E. (2019). Lifetime changes in vocal syntactic complexity of rock hyrax males are determined by social class. Animal Behavior 153: 151-158

 

 

Weissman Y., Demartsev V., Ilany A., Barocas A., Bar-Ziv E., Shnitzer I., Geffen E. and Koren L. (2018). Acoustic stabiity in hyrax snorts: vocal tightrope-walkers or wrathful verbal assailants?. Behavioral Ecology https://doi.org/10.1093/beheco/ary141

Barocas A., Hefner R., Ucko M., Merkle J.A., Geffen E. (2018). Behavioral adaptations of a large carnivore to human activity in an extremely arid landscape. Animal Conservation 21(5) 433-443. https://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/acv.12414

Perl R.G.B., Geffen E., Malka Y., Barocas A., Renan S., Vences M., Gafny S. (2018). Population genetic analysis of the recently rediscovered Hula painted frog (Latonia nigriventer) reveals high genetic diversity and low inbreeding. Scientific reports 8 (1), 5588.

 

Zero V.H†, Barocas A.†, Jochimsen D., Pelletier A., Giroux-Bougard X., Trumbo D., Castillo J., Evans-Mack D., Linell M., Pigg R., Hoisington-Lopez J., Spear S., Murphy M. and Waits L.P. (2017). Complementary network-based approaches reveal conservation priorities for two vulnerable ground squirrel species. Frontiers in Genetics 8: 1-13 https://doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2017.00081.

† equal  contribution

 

Demartsev V., Ilany A., Kershenbaum A., Geva Y., Margalit O., Shnitser I., Barocas A., Bar-Ziv E., Koren L., Geffen E. (2017). The progression pattern of male hyrax songs and the role of climactic ending. Scientific Reports 7: 2794. 10.1038/s41598-017-03035-x .

 

Demartsev, V., Ilany A., Barocas A., Bar-Ziv E., Geffen E. (2016). A mixed strategy of counter-singing behavior in male rock hyrax vocal competitions. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 70: 2185-2193.

Barocas A., Golden, H.N., Harrington. M., McDonald, D.B., Ben-David, M. (2016) Coastal latrine sites as social information hubs and drivers of river otter fission-fusion dynamics. Animal Behavior 120: 103-114. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.07.016

 

Bar-Ziv E., Ilany A., Demartsev V., Barocas A., Geffen E., Koren L., (2016). Individual, social, and sexual niche traits affect copulation success in a polygynandrous mating system. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-016-2112-4

 

Demartsev V., Kershenbaum A., Ilany A., Barocas A., Bar-Ziv E., Koren L., Geffen E. (2014). Male hyraxes increase song duration and syntax complexity in the presence of alert individuals. Behavioral Ecology 25: 1451-1458.

 

Ilany A., Barocas A., Koren L., Kam M., Geffen E. (2013). Structural balance in the networks of a wild mammal. Animal Behavior 85: 1397-1405.

 

Cohen, O., Barocas A., Geffen, E. (2013) Conflicting management policies for the Arabian wolf in the Negev Desert: Is this justified? Oryx 47: 228-236.

 

Ilany A., Barocas A., Kam M., Ilany T., Geffen E. (2013). The energy cost of singing in wild rock hyrax males: evidence for an index signal. Animal Behavior 85: 995-1001.

 

Barocas A., Ilany A., Koren L., Kam M., Geffen E. (2011). Variance in social network centrality within rock hyrax groups predicts adult longevity. PLoS ONE 6(7): e22375. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0022375.

 

Ilany A., Barocas A., Koren L., Kam M., Geffen E. (2011). Male rock hyraxes exploit conspecific calls to gain attention. PLoS ONE 6(12): e28612. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0028612.u.

 

Book chapters

Barocas A., Ben-David, M. (2021). Inter and Intraspecific variation in the social structure of marine otters. In Ethology of Sea and Marine Otters and the Polar Bear (Randall Davis and Anthony Pagano, Eds.). Springer International.
 

Media coverage

Madre de Dios: Illegal mining increases mercury contamination and deforestation (2023). La Republica newspaper, Peru.

One of Israel's Rarest Predators Is at Risk of Extinction. All It Needs Is a Bit of Space (2022). Ha’aretz newspaper, Israel.

Giant river otters – South America’s river wolf (2022). Amazing Wildlife podcast, IHeart Podcasts

Peru: Why could gold mining be reducing populations of fish and giant otters in Madre de Dios? (2021). Mongabay Latin America

Toilet or dance floor? (2021). Mada Gadol Baktana Popular Science Website

These small mammals snort to a different tune (2020).  Scientific American short podcast

Rock hyrax communication provides hints to the way human languages developed (2019). Ha’aretz newspaper, Israel.

Giant otters: victims of illegal Mining in Madre de Dios (2019). Mongabay Latin America

Wolves adapt to humans and use roads for movement (2018). Ha’aretz newspaper, Israel.

For river otters, social life is shaped by the latrine (2016) – Scientific American

 A river otter’s hot spot? The latrine (2016) – The New York Times

Everything you wanted to know about otters (2015). Ha’aretz newspaper, Israel.

Hyraxes Sing Better for Attentive Audiences (2014). Wired online magazine.

Rock hyraxes also want social equality (2011). Ha’aretz newspaper, Israel.

Social network equality helps hyraxes live longer (2011). Wired online magazine.

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