Our research seeks to understand how animals acquire and use information, how this influences their fitness, and selection pressures experienced by others in their environment. We use a combination of methods, from experiments in the field or lab that manipulate and measure behaviour to population genomics so we can understand the origins of individual responses and connections among study populations.
Although our main research focus is on wild birds, we are interested in social interactions among any organism and are always interested to hear about your ideas.
Information and Coevolution
How do hosts use information to assess parasitism risk? What are the consequences for cuckoo tricks?
How do hosts adjust their defences with information, and how does this influence selection on cuckoos in turn?
Range Shifts and Geographic Variation
What determines why some species successfully track changing environments while others do not?
What are the genomic and behavioural effects of range expansion in a highly mobile species (reed warbler)?
Social Interactions and Parental Care
How do parents assess each other's investment and resolve the sexual conflict over care?
Funding