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Research Interests
Washington Ground Squirrels
The first project is on sexual selection, nepotism, and demography of Washington ground squirrels (Spermophilus washingtoni), social rodents that occur only in a few populations in northern Oregon and eastern Washington. I also am investigating ecological, behavioral, and historical hypotheses to explain the animal's rarity, the species population genetic structure (using allozymes and DNA microsatellites), and helping State and Federal agencies develop conservation and management programs for this seriously threatened mammal. I am especially interested in whether populations are declining due to an "ecological trap," resulting from human-induced changes in plant communities that breaks a long-standing correlation between availability of green vegetation in the spring and copious production of the seeds necessary for overwinter survival in the summer.
Wood Ducks
My second project, on wood ducks (Aix sponsa), examines the behavioral ecology of conspecific brood parasitism. Manipulative experiments are currently in progress to see how the placement and density of nest boxes affects parasitic behavior, individual reproductive success, and population dynamics; studies of host-parasite relatedness and parasitism as nest site competition are underway.
Naked Mole-Rat
My third project is on naked mole-rats (Heterocephalus glaber). These are nearly hairless and sightless colonial rodents that inhabit subterranean tunnel labyrinths in eastern Africa. They are eusocial: within a colony only one female and 1-3 males reproduce, and their 70-75 closely-related colony-mates cooperate to maintain and defend the colony. Long-term studies of captive colonies are yielding information about how colonies are organized, the behavioral development of individuals, dispersal, foraging recruitment, communication, and colony homeostasis. Some of my animals are over 23 years old and counting -- already older than the maximum life spans of 99% of rodent species.
Darwinian Medicine
This newly-emergent, interdisciplinary field takes an evolutionary perspective on human health. Practitioners ask whether behaviors and symptoms that normally are considered pathological (e.g., fever, allergies, and anemia) might sometimes serve useful purposes. Whereas traditional medicine studies how symptoms are brought about (their underlying mechanisms) and designs more effective ways to eliminate them, Darwinian medicine studies why particular symptoms occur (their reproductive consequences) and the advisability of eliminating them. These approaches are complementary, not mutually exclusive. Recently my students and I have investigated spice use and morning sickness. Both appear to serve prophylactic functions. Spices contain antimicrobial compounds and they may be used to destroy foodborne pathogens, especially in hot climates. Nausea and vomiting early in pregnancy also may protect women and their embryos from foodborne pathogens and other toxins.