Our group’s research is on the evolutionary and behavioral ecology of birds. Of particular interest is the social behavior, evolution of life histories, and conservation biology of seabirds like boobies and albatrosses. We ask questions about the influence of variables such as reproductive effort and environmental heterogeneity on the evolution of characters like clutch size, rate of aging, and sibling competition. Since 1984 we have pursued a major field research effort in the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador on boobies, taking advantage of their tolerance of humans for comparative and experimental approaches to issues in evolutionary and behavioral ecology.
Prospective grad students: I’ve retired so I’m not taking any new students. Sorry!