Centre for Evolutionary Biology

All publications can be downloaded from elsewhere

Research Interests:

I am an evolutionary biologist interested in sexual selection. My current research interests are the evolution and maintenance of female ornamentation and the interaction between sexual selection and inbreeding in small populations. I primarily utilize an agamid lizard study system, in which the many, highly isolated populations provide the ideal structure in which to address these questions. We currently have genotyped over a thousand individuals from more than 40 populations using 23 microsatellite loci. In collaboration with Prof Jacek Radwan we also have MHC1 markers for this species. My research also addresses the conservation genetics of this potentially vulnerable species. Other recent research interests include the evolution of genetic and environmental polymorphisms in lizards and mites; selection on developmental integration; nuptial gift giving and colour trait signaling.

Current Projects:

Sexual selection on female phenotypes
The role of inbreeding in small populations
Quantifying fitness functions in polyphenic taxa
Developmental integration

Funding Received:

2010 Collaborative funding to Dr Jacek Radwan (Poland) for MHC development

2008 UWA Seed funding

2005 ARC Discovery Grant

2005 UWA Small Grant

2003 ARC Fellowship

2003 Royal Society Equipment Grant

2002 Leverhulme Research Grant (declined)

2002 NERC Fellowship

2002 NERC Research Grant (with Prof R. Thorpe and Prof M. Ritchie)

2002 NERC Research Grant (with Dr J. Tomkins)

External Collaborators:

Prof Mike Ritchie (St Andrews, Scotland)

Dr Janne Kotiaho (Jyvaskyla, Finland)

Prof Jacek Radwan (Krakow, Poland)

Prof Mats Olsson (Wollongong, Australia)

Natasha R LeBas