CAnMove

I study mate preferences and their effect on evolution
Mate choice is key to a number of evolutionary processes, including sexual selection, speciation and life history. This is because it directly influences which genes make it to the next generation, in which combination, and in what condition. To really understand how mate choice influences evolution it is important to know how individuals end up with the preference for mates that they do.

There are many factors that influence mate choice behavior: the genes that an individual has, what it learns through the interactions it has with other individuals, and the conditions under which this happens, and the conditions under which mates are chosen.

I study this topic in a number of organisms: birds, fish and insects, as well as in mathematical models.