I am generally interested in evolutionary biology, with an emphasis on behavioral ecology. My current focus is the function and evolution of animal color signals in the context of the visual sensitivity of the signal receiver. Neurophysiological and behavioral data are being used to construct models of how animals other than ourselves view the world, and these models can be powerful in deriving and testing hypotheses about why certain colors and patterns are utilized in signals. This is a great way to study naturally and sexually selected signals. Working in the lab of Manuel Leal, I will be addressing questions related to the "sensory drive" hypothesis using Caribbean Anolis lizards as model organisms.   

My masters research addressed interactions between feather-degrading bacteria (FDB) and feather color. FDB are found on the feathers of many birds in the wild, and could be a ubiquitous feature of plumage. Their ability to degrade feathers and prevalence on wild birds suggests that FDB could be a potent selective force. However, bacterial feather degradation has only been shown in the lab, with no empirical evidence linking FDB to feather damage on wild birds. I used eastern bluebirds to look for evidence of bacterially mediated feather damage in the wild, using feather color change as a proxy for feather degradation. In the lab, I verified that feathers colored with melanin are more resistant to bacterial degradation than unpigmented feathers. Thus, feather melanization may serve as a defense aganst parasite-induced feather damage for birds in the wild.