Research

The Túngara Frog. 

Sexual Selection and Communication in Physalaemus pustulosus:   T his work was initiated by myself and  Dr. A. Stanley Rand.  Stan was a staff scientist at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama.  He passed away in November 2005 (click here for his obituatry). Together with  Dr. Walt Wilczsynksi (Georgia State University) and Dr. David Cannatella (University of Texas) we have been investigating the sexual communication system of the túngara frog, Physalaemus pustulosus. Our approach is multi-disciplinary addressing questions in  three arenas of investigation: brain,behavior and evolution Click here for a several page synopsis of túngara frog research, here for a more recent review article on tiungara frogs, here for a "QuickGuide" (Current Biology) to the frogs,  or here for more on the Túngara project..  

           Multi Media.  Videos & calls of this research for download are posted on Multi  Media page.

           Interns and Assistants.  Each summer (June to August inclusive) we hire assistants. Click here if you are interested.

The Swordtail

Factors Influencing Phenotypic and Genotypic Polymorphism in Male Body Size in the Swordtails (Xiphophorus: Poeciliidae: Pisces): In swordtails variation at the P allele controls most of the variation in body sizes in most species. A variety of studies are addressing behavioral correlates of the P allele, the maintenance of its variation in nature, and the historical patterns of preferences in females and P alleles in males in the clade of northern swordtails.

The Amazon Molly

Behavioral Factors in the Maintenance of an Asexual-Sexual Species Complex of Mollies: The Amazon molly, Poecilia formosa, is an all-female speceis that reproduces clonally, but females must mate with males of the sexual species, P. latipinna, to acquire sperm necessary to trigger embryogenesis. Much of this work is in collaboration with Dr. Ingo Schlupp of the University of Oklahoma.