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| Curriculum Vitae | Publications | Links | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The primary component of my research
centers on explaining the extraordinary diversity in
animal communication, and how the design of animal
signals reflects evolutionary trajectories in species
groups. Focusing on communication in lizards, my work
combines empirical research using video and robot
playbacks to investigate signal function, and
phylogenetic comparative studies examining signal
evolution. There are several reoccurring questions in my research: |
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SEXUAL SELECTION – How does male-male competition influence the evolution of elaborate forms of communication? Much is known about the effects of female mate choice in producing extravagant morphological and behavioral adaptations. In contrast, we know comparably little about the role of male-male competition in promoting signal complexity. THE ENVIRONMENT – To what extent does habitat-dependent adaptation shape the design of animal signals? For animals to communicate efficiently, they must produce signals that not only convey their message reliably, but are also obvious to receivers in the environment. PHYLOGENY AND OTHER FACTORS – How much of the variation in communication observed across species today reflects phylogenetic/historical effects? Even in the face of strong selection, signal traits may change very slowly over evolutionary time because of morphological, developmental or genetic constraints. Conversely, changes in signal design might arise as a by-product of genetic differentiation between populations (e.g., via processes such as genetic drift). |
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I am also interested in bioinformatics, or more specifically, 'ethoinformatics': |
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ETHOINFORMATICS - compiling and analyzing large datasets. Using bioinformatic tools, it is possible to mine citation records in electronic library databases and map publication trends in animal behavior research. I am also helping to develop a public repository of animal behavior data known as EthoBank, which is part of the broader initiative of EthoSource. |
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Study systems & techniques: |
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| Dragon
lizards (eastern Australia) |
Fence
lizards (western United States) |
Anole
lizards (Florida, Jamaica and Puerto Rico) |
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| Video
playback [click here for details] [click here for details on interactive video playback] |
Robot
'playbacks' [click here (1.6mb) and here for details] |
Phylogenetic
Comparative Methods [go to COMPARE] |
Ethoinformatics [go to EthoBank] [go to EthoSource] [click here for details on mapping publication trends] |
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